Attendance and punctuality

We expect that every student should aim for 100% attendance and achieves no less than 97%. Our experience shows that with support from their family this level of attendance is achievable for the vast majority of pupils.

Why is good attendance important?

Through regular attendance your child can:

• Build and maintain friendships
• Progress with their learning
• Participate in social activities
• Develop life skills, increase their confidence, and boost their self-esteem

Where there are exceptional circumstances that may affect attendance, for example, long term illness supported by medical evidence, school will set bespoke targets and work with parents to maximise attendance. We do this by recognising the unique challenges an individual student may face.

We have a large network of support services we can signpost families to, so that the right support can be provided at the right time.

Working together, we can give your child the very best chance of reaching their academic and social potential.

When is absence authorised?

When a pupil is absent from school the absence will be recorded as either ‘authorised’ or ‘unauthorised’.

Only school can decide which absences are authorised and this is based upon the information you provide.

Authorised absences are granted only for valid reasons such as:

• Illness which is severe enough to warrant time away from school
• Medical or dental appointments that cannot be made outside of school hours
• Religious observance
• Family bereavement for a close relative

If the absence is recorded as authorised no further action will be taken against you, however we may still contact you to discuss ongoing causes of absence to see how we can support your child’s learning.

What are unauthorised absences?

If the reason provided for absence is not regarded as essential or unavoidable; or if no reason is provided at all, the sessions, your child has missed will be recorded as unauthorised.

Unauthorised absences can include:

• Shopping trips
• Waiting in for a delivery
• Family birthdays
• Visiting relatives/visits from relatives
• Family outings
• Not having the correct school uniform (school can provide support)
• Family holidays/leave of absence without exceptional circumstances

We rigorously monitor the attendance of all pupils and have a duty to pass on any concerns to the Local Authority who may take legal action against parents if attendance does not improve.

Our aim is to work with you and your child to overcome any issues that are a barrier to regular attendance and to prevent further action from being taken against you.

What if my child is ill?

Pupils should only be absent from school if they have an illness that is severe enough to warrant staying at home. School can be a helpful distraction for pupils who are experiencing minor symptoms, and attending school often provides students with a sense of pride and resilience needed in later life.

We ask that you encourage your child to attend school and inform us of any ways we can support them in doing so, for example issuing prescribed medication in line with medical advice.

If your child has had a number of previous absences caused by illness we may ask for medical evidence, for example, a doctor’s appointment card, site of prescribed medication etc, to support the absence. We may also arrange for a member of staff to visit your child at home in line with our attendance guidelines.

Unfortunately, some students will say that they are ill when they do not want to attend school for other reasons, for example when they have fallen out with a friend or haven’t completed their homework. If you feel this may be the case and there are no apparent signs of illness please talk to your child and bring them to school. You will be able to inform our Receptionist of your concerns and they will past the information on to the relevant member of staff who can speak with your child and contact you as necessary.

How do I report an absence?

Where a child is absent from school it is important that you inform the School Office at the earliest opportunity, preferably before 9:00am, as we need to know that your child is in safe hands.

The easiest way to inform school of your child’s absence is to email info@nppa.shirelandcat.net stating the nature of the illness or reason for absence, as we need to keep a record of all absences for legal reasons.

School employs a ‘first day calling’ policy if we are not informed why a child is unable to attend school. Office staff will continue to ring all emergency contacts provided by parents until a reason for absence is provided. This safeguards both children and adults in the household.

The School Office will be able to provide you with information regarding the length of absence required for infectious illnesses.

Persistent absence may result in referrals to other agencies, such as Early Help and Dudley Education Investigation Services. It is possible that a Fixed Penalty Notice may be issued.

How can I help my child attend school?

We believe that good attendance begins at home.

Below are some ways that you can support your child with attending every day.

• Take an interest in their learning, know their timetable and support them with getting their equipment ready each evening.
• Make sure your child understands that you do not approve of unnecessary absence from school.
• Encourage your child to avoid unnecessary absence, for example taking time off due to minor illnesses that could be managed in school.
• Don’t be tempted to ‘cover up’ for your child if they are taking time off school for a reason that you do not agree with – be honest with us and talk to us about what support we may be able to provide.
• Avoid taking holidays/leave of absence during term time.
• Arrange medical appointments outside of school hours. If this is not possible please support their learning by ensuring they attend school before and after the appointment.
• Contact your child’s Session 1 teacher, Head of Year or the Attendance Manager if your child is experiencing issues that are preventing regular attendance.

Punctuality matters too!

If your child is late, particularly if this is a regular occurrence, it can have a significant impact on your child’s education. They miss vital parts of teaching and learning, which may put them behind for the rest of that lesson and leave them to catch up with their peers.

A class register will be taken at the start morning and afternoon sessions, 8.55am and 1:00pm. If your child is late for school, they must be signed in at the school office by an adult and not taken directly to their classrooms. If you have overslept, send your child to school as soon as possible; do not wait until the afternoon. This also applies to Doctor’s appointments etc.

A check is made weekly on late pupils and all unauthorised absences. If a pupil is frequently absent or late, Dudley Education Investigation Service will be informed, whereby a Fixed Penalty notice may be issued.

What does the law say about attending school?

Section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996 states:

If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his/her parent is guilty of an offence.

Section 444 (1A) goes on to state:

If in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) the parent knows that his child is failing to attend regularly at the school and fails to cause him to do so, s/he is guilty of an offence.

Therefore, once you have registered your child at a school, you are legally responsible for ensuring that your child attends school regularly. Failure to do so can result in legal action being taken against you by the Local Authority.

Legal action can involve a penalty notice (£120 fine per pupil per parent reduced to £60 if paid within 21 days) or, in more serious cases, parents being prosecuted with a maximum fine of £2500.

Leave of absence/holidays during term time

A change in education law states that Principals can no longer grant permission for any student to take a holiday/leave of absence during term time, unless:

• Permission has been applied for in advance by the parent with whom the student usually resides,

and

• There are exceptional circumstances surrounding the application

All leave of absence requests must be made in writing to the principal no later than 15 working days before the proposed leave is due to take place. If permission is not requested by this time your child’s absence will automatically be recorded as unauthorised, as permission cannot be granted retrospectively.

In order to meet the criteria of ‘exceptional circumstances’ the request should be for rare, significant, and unavoidable reasons. The period of absence being applied for should also be as short as possible. Reasons such as travel costs, weather conditions, or family work patterns are not classed as exceptional circumstances.

We ask that you do not make any travel arrangements for your child without making a leave of absence request first, as permission is rarely granted.

The Local Authority will issue fines to anyone with parental responsibility for a child, even if they are not the person who takes their child out of school without permission.

We understand that booking family holidays during term time can be cheaper, even when taking the cost of fines into consideration. However, we ask that you consider the hidden costs of leave during term time. Taking just five days out of school means that your child will miss out on valuable learning which will not be repeated. ‘Catching up’ on work is difficult for all students, regardless of their current achievement levels. It can also affect their confidence and negatively influence their relationships with their friends.

Appointments during the school day

Wherever possible, please try to arrange dental or doctor’s appointments out of school time.

Should it be necessary for a child to leave early or be taken out of school for some unavoidable reason, please send an advance email to the School Office to confirm this, stating the reason and giving the time of collection.

The child should then be collected from the School Office at the prescribed time and signed out. Legal and professional responsibilities do not allow us to let children leave school unaccompanied. If your child returns to school during the day, please ensure they enter via the School Office and are signed back in.

Again, leave during the school day will be monitored and excessive absence will be investigated further.