Walter Evans CE Primary and Nursery School

Pupil Attendance Policy

INTRODUCTION

Walter Evans C of E Primary and Nursery School serves an area of mainly private housing to the north of Derby City centre. There are approximately 400 pupils on role from Nursery to Y6.

School address: Walter Evans C of E Primary School

Darley Abbey Drive

Darley Abbey

Derby.

DE22 1EF

Tel No:01332 557139

Fax No:01332 557605

E-mail:

Personnel

School Attendance Co-ordinator: Jacqui Young

Headteacher:David Brown

Education Welfare Officer (EWO):Derby City Council (senior EWO Penny Scothern)

Governors:Pupil and Personnel committee

School Attendance Policy Statement

We care about children and their education. Good attendance is essential if pupils are to take full advantage of school and gain the skills to equip them for life. It is important to ensure that our most vulnerable pupils are given the same opportunities, which in some cases may mean extra support.

The school aims to achieve good attendance by operating a policy within which staff, pupils, parents, carers, the local community and the Education Welfare Service can work in partnership. The school will continually monitor attendance to ensure a quick and early intervention if a potential problem is identified. Monitoring attendance supports the school’s Child Protection Safeguarding Policy.

Good attendance is seen as an achievement in its own right and recognised as such by the school. This policy is based on the premise of equality of opportunity for all.

Policy Links

1. Good Behaviour policy

2. Anti-Bullying Policy

3. Child Protection Safeguarding Policy

4. Children Missing Education Policy

Objectives

  • To maintain a positive atmosphere where good attendance is the expected/promoted pattern.
  • To show that attendance is taken seriously and that good attendance is valued by the school.
  • To implement the policy in a fair and consistent manner.
  • Recognition of the role of the classteacher,together with other members of staff, in encouraging, promoting and monitoring good attendance.
  • Ensuring parents are aware that they have a responsibility to recognise the need for uninterrupted education for their children and the importance of punctuality.

The Law

The Department for Education has decided that from 1st September2013 - Schools, Academies and Free Schools can no longer grant leave of absence during term time unless there are explicit exceptional circumstances.

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 explanatory note states:

Regulation 7 of the 2006 Regulations is amended to prohibit the proprietor of a maintained school granting leave of absence to a pupil; except where an application has been made in advance and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. Leave of absence taken without authorisation may be referred to the Education Welfare Service. This may result in prosecution proceedings, or a Fixed Penalty Notice. If a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued, a separate Notice would be issued to each parent for each child.

Parents/guardians may receive a Penalty Notice payable up to £120 per parent per child for unauthorised absence. As of the 1 September 2013, the rate per parent per child will be £60 if paid within 21 days and rising to £120 if paid between 22 and 28 days. If the penalty notice is not paid each parent may be liable to prosecution and the Magistrates Court, and if proved, each notice may receive a criminal conviction and/or a fine to a maximum of £1000.

Examples of exceptional circumstances

  • Significant family bereavement, i.e. Mother (step), Father (step), principle carer or sibling.
  • Significant family illness to Mother(step), Father (step), principle or sibling carer.
  • Disclosure of significant abuse where a short leave of absence may be beneficial to recovery.
  • Involvement in court proceedings, either in the family courts or in criminal proceedings.

Following discussion of at a Governor’s meeting on 15th January 2015 the following criteria for authorised absence were also agreed:

  • Critical illness or death of grandparent.
  • It was also agreed that to support pupils living with disability or an on-going medical condition, covered by the Disability Discrimination Act, that consideration would be given to appropriate leave of absence requests. Such requests would need to be supported by a written statement from the appropriate medical professional, and with the expectation that parents work with the school to select dates that would cause the minimum disruption to their child’s education.
  • Service personnel leave.
  • Marriage of a parent.
  • Religious observance.

Practice

  • It is the school’s intention to try and resolve any issues arising from a pupil’s attendance as soon as possible, we believe this is best achieved by all partners co-operating voluntarily. When issues cannot be resolved in this way we will refer the problem to the Education Welfare Service and our EWO. We will use 85% as our percentage attendance at which we will refer a pupil’s attendance to the EWO.
  • Acceptable reasons for absence include: sickness; medical appointments that cannot be made out of school hours;music and dance and auditions.
  • Reasons that are unacceptable includeavailability of cheap holidays, shopping trips, parents having to look after other children, day trips, parent or sibling illness.
  • In poor weather conditions / snow, it is expected that all children who live within walking distance (within 1 mile) should attend school otherwise they will receive an unauthorised absence.
  • Lateness is always recorded. A pupil is late if they arrive at school after the registration period has closed, 8.55 – 9.00am. This will result in an unauthorised absence. Pupils are allowed access into school from 8.45am and should be ready for registration at 8.55am. If a pupil arrives during the registration period a late mark ‘L’ is given but this will be classed as an attendance. If a child arrives at school after 9.05 they will be given an unauthorised absence mark ‘U’. They or the parent will be asked to sign in the late arrivals record, stating the reason.
  • A check is made on pupils’ late marks in the register. If lateness occurs on a regular basis, or are numerous, a letter will be sent to the parent to remind them of the need for punctuality.
  • Parents/carers must inform the school on the first day of their child’s absence through sickness, this can be verbally face to face or by phone.This is extremely important, as without confirmation from the parent/carer, the child’s safety and well-being cannot be immediately established by the school and therefore will raise concerns.Where no contact has been made by the child’s parent/carer, the school’s office admin will telephone to using the parent’s primary number followed by the secondary number.
  • An absence due to sickness will be recorded as an authorised absence.
  • A record is kept on a pupil’s file if it is necessary to chase an explanation of absence.If a continued or build-up of various unexplained absences occurs we will inform the EWO of our concerns. They will then contact the parent/carer directly.

1 of 3