Washwood HeathAcademy: Attendance and Punctuality Policy
Reviewedand adoptedby theLocal GoverningBody on:going to Academy Advisory Board September 2017 to be ratified
To be reviewed aftertwo years or following significant changes within a national or local context.
Purpose
At Washwood Heath Academy we aim to ensure that all students receive a full-time education which maximises opportunities for each student to realise his/her true potential.
The Academy will endeavour to provide a welcoming, caring environment, whereby all students thrive.
All Washwood Heath Academy staff will work with students and families to ensure each student attends Washwood Heath Academy regularly and punctually.
The Academy will establish an effective system of incentives and rewards which acknowledges the efforts of students to improve their attendance and timekeeping and will challenge the behaviour of those students and parents who give low priority to attendance and punctuality.
To meet these objectives Washwood Heath Academy will establish an effective and efficient system of communication with students, parents and appropriate agencies to provide mutual information, advice and support.
Statutory Duties
The Education Act 1996 requires parents or guardians to ensure their children receive full time education by regular attendance at a school or by other arrangements, parents have the responsibility for making sure their children attend Washwood Heath Academy on time.
Washwood Heath Academy is responsible for recording student attendance twice a day, one at the start of the morning sessions and once during the afternoon session.
Aims
1. To improve the overall percentage of students attendance
2. To reduce the level of persistent absence (PA)
3. To make attendance and punctuality a priority for all those associated with the
Academy including students, parents, teacher, governors
4. To develop a framework which defines agreed roles and responsibilities and promotes consistency in carrying out designated tasks.
5. To provide support, advice and guidance to parents and students
6.To develop a systematic approach to gathering and analysing attendance related data
7. To further develop positive and consistent communication between home and the Academy
8. To implement a system of rewards and sanctions
9. To work in an effective partnership with the Student Support Team and with other services and agencies
Roles and responsibilities regarding attendance
Students
Washwood Heath Academy expects all students to be punctual and maintain high levels of attendance. They are expected to adopt a mature and responsible approach to their own attendance and punctuality and understand the consequences to their achievement if they do not attend regularly and punctually.
Students should arrive at Washwood Heath Academy ready to learn.
Parents
It is a legal responsibility of parents/carers to ensure that their child/ren attend Washwood Heath Academy. Washwood Heath Academy expects parents/carers to ensure their child/ren attends every day, on time and are ready and willing to learn.
Parents/carers are expected to know what absences are acceptable, (School letter to all parents Appendix 1). Any absence will only be authorised at the discretion of the Head of the Academy. Parents should be aware of the legal consequences of non-attendance, as detailed in School letter to all parents (Appendix 1).
Parents/carers should be aware that poor punctuality may result in an unauthorised absence being recorded which could lead to intervention by the Academy’s Student Support Team or prosecution for unauthorised absence through the City Council’s Court services.
Parents/carers are asked to inform Washwood Heath Academy of any barriers to their child/ren attending the Academy.
Washwood Heath Academy asks that all parents/carers inform the School’s Attendance team on their child/ren’s first day of absence. If contact is not made within 2 days a home visit is made on the third day of unexplained absence. In the case of absence reported as illness contact with the parent/carer is made on the firstand the third day. On the fifth day the parent/careris requestedto contact us immediately. Medical evidence may be requested by the Academy if non-attendance is due to illness. (Ill Health absence procedure, Appendix 2).
Form Tutor and Subject teacher
It is the responsibility of all form tutors and subject teachers at Washwood Heath Academy to formally take their class register, in silence, accurately and within 5 minutes of the start of every lesson and in form time.
Washwood Heath Academy expects all form tutors and subject teachers to encourage punctuality through the appropriate meeting and greeting of groups.
All lateness to form and lessons must be recorded on the electronic register and challenged appropriately.
Subject teachers should support students who are returning to Washwood Heath Academy following an absence by ensuring that adequate resources are provided for theirpositive re-integration.
Form tutors and subject teachers are expected to monitor their form and class attendance and identify patterns and report any concerns to the student’s Guidance Manager.
The link between attendance and attainment should be actively promoted.
Faculty Leaders/Heads of Departments
Attendance should appear as an item on department meeting agendas as and when this is necessary and the link between attendance and attainment should be promoted.
It is the responsibility of the Faculty Leaders to have an overview of attendance within their department and act upon any concerns raised by subject teachers.
Form Tutor
Washwood Heath Academy expects all form tutors to support the regular attendance of their students by addressing any barriers that may prevent their good attendance.
It is the responsibility of all form tutors at Washwood Heath Academy to formally take the register, in silence and accurately.
Having received information from the Attendance and Pastoral team, form tutors should set realistic attendance targets with each member of the form group.
Form tutors are expected to encourage good punctuality and set an example and not be late to form time.
Student’s absence letters must be passed, promptly, to the Guidance Manager or the Attendance team.
Form tutors are expected to act on the attendance data provided by the Attendance team to monitor the attendance of their students and report any concerns to the Guidance Manager.
Form tutors should support students who are returning to Washwood Heath Academy following an absence.
Guidance Managers
Washwood Heath Academy expects all Guidance Managers to promote the regular attendance of students by addressing any barriers that may prevent good attendance.
With Form tutors, Guidance Managers should set attendance targets for each tutor group. Guidance Managers should rigorously monitor attendance and liaise regularly with the
Academy’s Attendanceteam and Student Support Services team.
Attendance and punctuality should appear as an item on all Guidance Managers meeting agendas.
It is the responsibility of the Guidance Managers to promote and celebrate good attendance and punctuality through the use of the Academy’s reward system.
Heads of Academic House
It is the responsibility of the Heads of Academic house to oversee the attendance and punctuality of their Academic houses. They should liaise closely with Guidance managers and the Assistant Head of Academy responsible for their House and all other appropriate members of staff in regards to Attendance.
Faculty Leaders and Heads of Department
It is expected that Faculty Leaders and Heads of Departments will actively promote the link between attendance and attainment data provided.
Attendance Team
It is the responsibility of the Academy’s Attendance team to maintain the day to day running of attendance procedures and to regularly update procedures and policies.
It is the responsibility of the Academy’s Attendance team to track and monitor all students attendance and to implement the Absence Procedure (Appendix 4) and to ensure that students who are Persistent Absentees (below 90% attendance) are tracked and monitored and are referred to the Student Support Services or Court Services where appropriate.
When no explanation for an absence has been received, the Attendance team/Guidance Manager is responsible for making contact with parents/carers to confirm the nature of the absence.
The Attendance Team should analyse attendance data to identify any patterns of concern and liaise with the relevant parts e.g. Form tutor, Guidance Managers and Assistant Head of Academy i/c Attendance.
The Attendance team is expected to liaise with Form tutors, subject teachers, Guidance Managers, parents, AHA and other relevant members of staff and agencies on matters of attendance.
The Attendance team will also provide daily, weekly data as required.
The Attendance team will support the Academy in raising the profile of attendance through the use of notice boards, Academy newsletter, local media, feeder primary schools, open evenings, parents evenings and Induction evenings for new students and at all other opportunities.
Assistant Head of Academy
It is the responsibility of the Assistant Head of Academy i/c Attendance to oversee the Academy’sattendance policy and practice (see appendix 4).
In collaboration with the Attendance team, the Assistant Head of Academy i/c Attendance will monitor, evaluate and review the policy and its impact annually.
All attendance related action to be recorded in the school’s termly report.
The Assistant Head of Academy i/c Attendance will produce an annual report to Governors on matters of attendance.
The Assistant Head of Academy i/c Attendance will meet with, Head of Student Safeguarding, Guidance Managers, Attendance Manager and Heads of House to discuss attendance issues, and monitor the progress made towards the meeting of agreed attendance targets.
Governors
Governors should monitor and evaluate attendance and ensure the policy is carried out.
External Agencies
The school will seek to work with the Family Support agencies and other relevant external agencies.
Authorised and unauthorised absence
It is the Head of the Academy’s decision whether an absence is authorised or unauthorised. A telephone call on the first day of absence followed by a letter on return from parents/carers does not in itself authorise an absence; only Washwood Heath Academy’s acceptance of the explanation authorises the absence. The following examples should make this clearer:
Authorised Absences
Sickness (Appendix 2) (a period of 2+ days MUST have medical evidence, either a doctor’s note, appointment card or a completed Medical Evidence Form (Appendix 5)
Unavoidable medical/dental appointment (half day maximum) proof should be provided, letter or appointment card etc
Days of religious observance such as main religious days of Eid (agreed with Head of Academy/Executive Head Teacher beforehand)
Exceptional family circumstances, such as bereavement of a direct relative
Going on educational visits, trips, interviews or examination
Unauthorised Absences
Looking after brothers, sisters and others
Shopping
Celebrating a birthday
Sleeping in
One child is ill, so all are kept off
Minor ailments such as tummy ache or headache
Because it is the end of the week or the term or a day with few lessons and personal study
Holidays in term time (Term Time Leave of Absence Procedure Appendix 6 and Application for Leave of Absence During term Time Appendix 6a) Parents do not have the right to remove students from the Academy for holidays. Requests are to be made to the Head of the Academy in writing, either by completing a Term Time Leave of Absence request form (Appendix 6b) or a letter from parents giving at least 4 weeks notice and proof of dates of travel should be provided. If students are taken out of Washwood Heath Academy without the Head Teacher’s permission their absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents will be liable for prosecution. If extended leave of absence during term time is taken the student may lose their place on the school roll.
Students arriving after the close of registration without a valid reason risk that session being recorded as unauthorised and this will affect their overall attendance.
The legal consequences of non attendance
Legal proceedings and Penalty Notices have been introduced to try and ensure the regular attendance of children in education. Parents are notified of their legal obligations. (Appendix 1)
Legal Proceedings
Legal proceedings will be considered after the Academy and the Student Support Team have tried to engage with, and offer support to, a family of a student who has attendance issues. If the poor/non attendance of a student is not resolved Washwood Heath Academy may decide to take legal action against the parents or responsible adult of the child. If found guilty by a Magistrate a parent/responsible adult could be fined up to £1000, or a Parenting Order could be issued, which lasts for up to a year.
Penalty Notices
The Academy can request that the Education Welfare Service issue a notice for students who have a minimum of 10 days, or twenty sessions, unauthorised absence (see appendix 1). A warning letter is sent to the family home and if there are no more unauthorised absences in the next 15 days, no further action will be taken. If there are further unauthorised absences in this period then a Penalty Notice will be issued.
Costs of Notice
Year 11 prosecutions are taken straight to Court receiving fines from £100 to £1000 per parent, depending on the outcome of the hearing.
Years 7 to 10 follow the Penal notice route as below:
If paid within 21 days, the penalty is £60
If paid after 21 days but within 28 days, the penalty is £120
If the penalty Notice is not paid within the 28 day period, prosecution through the courts will be initiated.
Attendance and Punctuality Reward System
Attendance and punctuality will be rewarded at the end of each term. Students with 100% attendance and punctuality for that term will be entered into a raffle where they have an opportunity to win a prize.
At the end of the year all students with 100% attendance and punctuality for the whole year will be given a reward.
Students with the most improved attendance and punctuality will also be rewarded
Attendance Incentive weeks will be held every term and rewards will be given for Attendance and Punctuality
Punctuality
Every student is expected to be in their form rooms at Washwood Heath Academy for the start of registration (8:45am-9:05am).
Form tutors are expected to be in their form rooms for 8:45am at the latest. Any student arriving to registration after 8:45am is late and form tutors are expected to mark them as such. First lesson starts at 9:05am.
Members of the Attendance team will be stationed at the student’s entrance. They will record all the late students and ask for their student planners to verify identity and stamp their late page with a date stamp. The sanction for lateness is:
1st occasion late in a week: Break time detention
2+ occasions late in a week: 1 hour SLT detention and parents invited in for a meeting.
Long term strategy for persistent lateness is detailed in Appendix 3
Lateness will be recorded in SIMS by the Attendance team and a list of names sent to Houseteams daily.
A whole Academy approach to Attendance and Punctuality is essential. It is the responsibility of all staff at Washwood Heath Academy to promote and encourage positive attendance and punctuality.
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