Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy
Stoneydown Park Primary School
September 2005

Aims.

At Stoneydown, it is our responsibility to support each childs attendance and properly manage non-attendance. By promoting good attendance we are helping all pupils to achieve their educational potential, and ensuring equal access and entitlement to the range of educational opportunities.

Responsibilities.

Parents

At Stoneydown we are committed to working with parents to achieve good school attendance. Our minimum target for whole school attendance is 95%.

Under the 1996 Education Act, parents are legally obliged to ensure that their child of compulsory school age receives an "efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs they may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise". If a child is on roll at Stoneydown, this not only means attending school regularly, but also includes being punctual as persistent lateness results in a loss of education, disrupts the education of other children, and will be seen as an absence.

Parents must contact the school on the first day of absence, giving a reason for the absence and an expected date of return. When the child returns, they must bring a note to explain the absence. If an appointment has to be made for medical reasons, parents should try and make it outside school time if possible. The school must be informed about any absences or appointments.

Pupils

Pupils are expected to come to school regularly and must make every effort to get to school on time. They must remember to pass on any notes between home and school immediately.

Governors

The Governing Body has responsibility for whole school attendance and should be familiar with current legislation. The Governors should know about registration procedures within the school and request a termly attendance report from the Headteacher so that attendance can be monitored and targets for attendance and unauthorised absence can be set.

The Headteacher

The Head has responsibility for day-to-day attendance and ensuring that statutory requirements are met. During the admissions interview, the Head informs parents and pupils of expectations for attendance and punctuality as set out in the Home School Agreement. Parents sign this agreement.

The Head has responsibility for registration procedures, monitoring overall attendance, collating and reporting attendance information, and providing staff Inset on attendance. Information on attendance, and progress towards the minimum target of 95%, will be made available to parents and pupils, as well as staff and Governors.

The Head will ensure that staff are completing registers correctly and will do a weekly check. The Head has a duty to refer pupils with a poor attendance record, or have been absent for more that two weeks, to the Education Welfare Service. The Head will also discuss any other attendance issues with the schools EWO.

The Special Needs Coordinator (Senco) and Emag Staff

The Senco and Emag teachers will pass on any concerns about attendance of pupils who are either on the SEN Code of Practice stages or the Emag supported pupils. These concerns are passed on to the Head.

Class Teachers

Teachers have an important role in maintaining attendance and punctuality. The way in which registration is organised demonstrates the importance placed by the school on attendance and punctuality. Children should be seated and engaged in a routine quiet activity, so that the register can be taken effectively.

Children returning from absence should be treated sensitively. In some cases a lot of work may have been carried out to get a child to return to school and this could be undermined by a careless remark from a teacher. The child should be thanked if they have presented a note, or their parent has phoned the school. If neither is the case then they should be asked why they were absent (not in front of the class) and at 3.30pm they must be given an Absence Enquiry Slip to take home and return the next day.

When an absence note or phone call is received, write the reason into the right hand column for that week. Sign and date the note and file it into the envelope provided at the back of the register. Teachers may only enter absence codes if there is a note or phone call for sickness or medical treatment. Do not enter C for special circumstances. The Head will look at the circumstances for absence and then make a decision on whether this is an authorised absence or not. Similarly, the Head will enter other absence codes such as holidays, exclusion, religious observance etc.

On Friday afternoons, class teachers must complete the weekly attendance percentage before sending the register to the office. Class teachers must inform the Head if they have any concerns about a pupils attendance, punctuality or welfare for that week.

Finally, class teachers are responsible for providing educational experiences that motivate and interest children, and enabling them all to achieve, for providing a classroom atmosphere where all members of the class are valued, where bullying, abusive or disrespectful behaviour are challenged, and also for providing a good role model through their own attendance and punctuality.

Attendance Concerns.

Where attendance issues have been raised by teachers, office staff or the Head, the following stages will be followed:

Stage 1 - The Head will contact the parent and invite them to discuss the attendance issue, offering school based strategies which may help resolve the situation.

Stage 2 - If the attendance concerns continue, the Head will invite the parent to discuss the issue with the schools EWO. If sickness is given as a reason for persistent absence without medical verification, the School Nurse will be contacted to give advice so that the school can continue authorising the absences.

Stage 3 - if attendance does not improve after stages 1 and 2, then a referral to the EWO is made. Parents will be informed that a referral has been made.

Stage 4 - the EWO takes action to try and solve the situation either by working with the family, referring to other agencies or taking legal action.

Holidays and Extended Holidays.

The Governing Body at Stoneydown does have discretionary powers for granting leave for the purpose of an annual family holiday. Parents must apply for this leave 4 weeks in advance and the application forms are available from the school office. Only 2 weeks holiday may be granted and parents must provide the childs date of return to school. If the child does not return on that date, they will be put down as an unauthorised absence for a further 2 weeks and then will be taken off the school roll, losing their place at Stoneydown. The school will regularly remind parents of this through the monthly newsletters.

Only in exceptional circumstances will leave of absence be granted for more than two weeks, or for more than one family holiday a year. If more than two weeks is needed, parents must apply to the Headteacher at least 4 weeks in advance. They must explain the nature and purpose of the trip and whether it is likely to happen again during the childs school career. The Governors will then decide if they grant the leave of absence, taking into consideration the pupils attendance pattern and the impact on the pupils education. Parents should try and avoid this, using the school holidays for trips wherever possible. With the strong demand for school places at Stoneydown and our target of maintaining a minimum pr 95% attendance, it is unlikely that the Governing Body will grant the leave of absence or keep open the childs school place.