Wickford Junior School
Attendance Policy
Statement of Intent
Wickford Junior School is committed to providing a full and efficient educational experience to all its pupils. We believe that if pupils are to benefit from education, good attendance is crucial. As a school we will organise and do all that we can to ensure maximum attendance for all pupils. Any problems that impede full attendance will be identified and addressed as speedily as possible.
Our school will give a high priority to conveying to parents and pupils the importance of regular and punctual attendance. We recognise that parents have a vital role to play and that there is a need to establish strong home-school links and communication systems that can be utilised whenever there are concerns about attendance.
If there are problems which affect a pupil’s attendance we will investigate, identify and strive in partnership with parents and pupils to resolve those problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Rights and Responsibilities
Wickford Junior School:
· expects pupils to attend school regularly, on time and properly equipped and ready to learn.
· will encourage good attendance and will communicate with parents as soon as possible if there is a problem with attendance or punctuality.
· staff will set a good example in matters of attendance and punctuality and will promptly investigate all absenteeism and lateness
· work in partnership with parent and pupils to resolve issues, which affect attendance or punctuality as quickly as possible
· will include in reports to parents on achievement, pupils attendance at least annually
Parents are responsible for:
· ensuring their child regularly and punctually attend school, properly dressed, equipped and in an appropriate condition to learn.
· Immediately informing the school of the reason for any absence by telephone call on the first morning of any absence by 10 a.m. The school may ask for confirmation in writing for their records as evidence of the absence (or in person where a parent has difficulty with the written word or does not speak English as a first language.)
· Where children are absent for more than one day the parent should inform the school on each day of the absence to update the school, unless agreed otherwise with the office manager. Where the school are not informed this will be regarded as an unauthorised absence.
· Where children are absent for three days or more the school must have confirmation of the reason in all cases. The school may call parents where we have not heard from them.
If attendance problems do develop, the school expects parents to work actively with school staff and, if necessary, Missing Education and Child Employment Service, to solve them.
Parents can expect the school to keep them fully informed of their child’s attendance/punctuality record.
Registration
At WJS an electronic management system is used alongside a manual system to validate and check for any anomalies within the system.
Where used manual registers must be marked in ink and where an alteration is necessary this must be clearly identified showing both the original entry and change. Correction fluid must not be used.
Registers will be returned to the school office at the end of the registration period for safety and will be accessible in case of an emergency.
All notes from parents regarding a pupil’s absence will be stored on the pupil’s file and retained for three years.
Start and Close of Registration
WJS will complete accurate registers at the beginning of each morning and afternoon session within 10 minutes of the start of the lesson.
Registration begins at 8.50 a.m. and 1.15 p.m. each school day and registers will be returned to the office by 9.00 a.m.
The school closes the main pupil entrance (via the quad doors) at 8.50 a.m. All arrivals after this time must be via the main school entrance. Any child who after this quad dorrs have closed should accompanied by an adult. School staff have been instructed to enquire as to the reason for the lateness.
All pupils who arrive after 8.50 a.m will be entered in to the late record book. All children who arrive after 8.50 a.m. are required to attend ‘Catch-Up Club’ at the beginning of lunch time to complete any early morning work they have missed. This time is an opportunity to ensure that children have not missed any of their learning due to lateness in school.
Pupils arriving after the register has closed, without an acceptable reason, may be marked as having an unauthorised absence for that session.
Use of Symbols
Please see appendix 1 for the symbols used in WJS school registers.
The Legal Status of Registers
The register is a legal document and must be marked accurately, recording pupil’s attendance or absence and in the latter case if authorised or unauthorised.
A certified extract of the register can be used as evidence in legal proceedings against parents for failing to ensure their child’s regular attendance or in seeking an Education Supervision Order in respect of a pupil.
Registers must be kept for a minimum of 3 years following completion at the end of the academic school year.
Staff Responsible for Processes.
The Headteacher is responsible for attendance issues and will check the registers on a regular basis to identify any attendance/punctuality concerns.
The school Office Manager will meet half-termly with the Headteacher to discuss any attendance/punctuality concerns.
The administrative team are responsible for ensuring that registers are kept safely and are available for inspection to relevant professionals.
The administrative team are responsible for logging attendance information onto the computerised system.
The class teacher is responsible for taking the register daily, once for the AM session and once for the PM session.
The class teacher is responsible for register maintenance of their own class register including the following:
· Using the online registration system
Where manual registers are needed for any reason teachers should ensure they are:
· Using the correct colour ink
· Ensuring that symbols used are appropriate
· Not using correction fluid
· Ensuring that all mistakes are amended with the original information still clear and corrections clearly marked
· Ensuring that the registers are neatly kept allowing for ease of reading at all times but especially in an emergency situation – i.e. during a fire procedure.
· Each pupil must be called by name when the register is being taken.
Procedures for following up absence/illness.
It is the responsibility of the parent/carer to contact the school of the first morning of the child’s absence. If contact is not made then the school will:
· Contact the parent by telephone, or if the parent is unobtainable:
· Write a letter requesting information
If the above actions do not elicit an explanation for the absence and the absence continues, or if the child is frequency absent and attendance dips below 95% a letter will be sent to the parents/carers. (Letter 1 attached). Should this not resolve the matter a further letter will be sent (letter 2 attached)
If this letter does not elicit an explanation for the absence a third letter (Letter 3) will be sent to the parents/carer and the parent may be invited to the school for a meeting by the Headteacher. This will be an opportunity to identify and resolve the difficulties which are preventing the pupil from attending school. The parents/carers will be made aware of the legal requirements regarding school attendance.
Should the parents not wish to discuss the matter and the pupil’s difficulties are not resolved or a plan of action to improve the situation agreed at this time then a formal referral will be made to the Missing Education and Child Employment Service (M.E.C.E.S), and a formal intervention planned.
If the pupil is returning to school after an absence of longer than two weeks, in exceptional circumstances there will be provision to allow the pupil to ease back into the school system. In the event of a pupil returning after a long term absence then an individual reintegration plan (IRP) will be implemented. The IRP will include all members of the school staff and will be designed to be as supportive of the pupil as possible.
Where a child is persistently late (3 times over a half term) the school will write to the parent/carer informing them of our concerns (Late Letter 1). Should the situation not improve or a child is late 5 times over a half term period the parent will be invited to come into school to discuss the matter further (Late letter 2). If the situation still does not improve the school will make a formal referral to the MECES and a formal intervention planned.
Authorised and Unauthorised Absence
Absence for the following reasons could be authorised where parents have confirmed the absence in writing on the child’s return to school:
· Sickness
· Unavoidable medical/dental appointments
· Days of religious observance
· Exceptional family circumstances i.e. bereavement
· If permission for absence has been granted in advance by the Headteacher
· Transport arranged by the LA has failed to arrive where the pupil lives beyond statutory walking distance.
Absence may be recorded as unauthorised when due to:
· Shopping
· Haircuts
· Missed bus
· Slept late
· No uniform
· Looking after brothers or sisters or unwell parents
· Minding the house
· Birthdays
· Unapproved holidays
Where children are staying at home or looking after siblings the school may report this as a safeguarding issue should there be sufficient concern.
It may be necessary for the school or Missing Education and Child Employment Service (M.E.C.E.S) to ask the parent/carer to provide the school with written evidence of reason for absence e.g.
· Appointment cards
· Medical certificate
· Letter from GP
If there is an extensive period of absence due to medical reasons the school or the Missing Education and Child Employment Service (M.E.C.E.S) may ask for the permission of the parent/carer to contact the child’s GP to confirm that the medical condition prevents the child from attending school and to establish a possible return date for the child.
Holiday Absence
Absence for holidays can only be authorised where parents have shown that there are exceptional circumstances for the request. There is no entitlement for leave during the school term. No parent can demand their child have leave of absence for the purposes of a holiday of any length.
The school will not authorise absence where:
· Exceptional circumstances do not apply.
· Children’s attendance is under 95%.
· In year 6.
· Parents have already been granted one absence during the academic year.
· Attendance has been lower than 95% in previous years or holidays have been granted in previous years.
· During September or May.
· Where there have been any unauthorised absence in the current or previous years.
· Where parents have to take holidays during term time the school will require a letter from their employer giving the reasons why the absence is requested during term time.
Requests are to be received one calendar month before the absence date.
Where the Headteacher is unable to grant a request he will inform parents accordingly. Parents can appeal his decision directly to the governing body by letter and this will be reviewed at the earliest opportunity.
If a holiday absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken anyway, the school will refer the case to the MECES who may (from September 2013) issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.
Strategies for Promoting Attendance/Punctuality
In the belief that pupils are more likely to attend regularly if the curriculum is lively and meets their needs the curriculum will be regularly reviewed.
Attendance statistics will be collected and used to inform pastoral and curriculum practices.
Expectations are made clear to parents with regard to attendance and punctuality in the Home-School Agreement, school website and school newsletter.
Parents, pupils and staff will be reminded of what constitutes authorised and unauthorised absence.
Pupils with a known attendance problem being admitted to school will be interviewed with the parents and will be set targets for improvement.
Parents will be kept regularly informed of all concerns regarding attendance and punctuality.
All parents will receive a termly attendance record ensuring they are aware of their child’s actual attendance each term.
Pupils who have been absent for an extended time will be reintegrated back into school through a structured and individually tailored programme, where necessary.
All issues, which may cause a pupil to experience attendance difficulties, are to be promptly investigated by the school.
WJS will have contact with the MECES for support for parents whose children are persistently absent.
This policy will be reviewed to its effective implementation on an annual basis and updated as appropriate. Policy updated November 16 and will be updated biannually or as necessary.
Letter for 100% attendance