It is the aim of Waycroft Multi Academy Trust that pupils should enjoy learning, experience success and realise their full potential. Our Attendance Policy reflects this and recognises that regular attendance has a positive effect on the motivation and attainment of pupils.
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence may seriously affect their learning. The Department for Education (DfE) defines a pupil as a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more schooling across the school year, for whatever reason.
Our Multi Academy Trust (MAT) aims to meet its obligations with regard to school attendance by promoting good attendance; ensuring every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled; and acting early to address patterns of absence.
This policy sets out our MATs position on attendance and details the procedures that all parents1 must follow to report their child absent from school.
It is vital that children develop regular attendance habits at an early age. Therefore the academies with Nursery and Reception will encourage parents of children who are not yet compulsory school age, to send their children to every session that is available to them. If the child is unable to attend the school for any reason, the parent should inform the school by 9.00am of the reason on the first day of absence. If the school is concerned about a pupil’s attendance for any reason, we will contact the parent to discuss the matter, in the first instance.
We will also support parents to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory2 school age attend regularly, and will promote and support punctuality in attending lessons.
1 Education law defines parents as: all natural parents, whether they are married or not; any person who has parental responsibility for a child or young person; and any person who has care of a child or young person i.e. lives with and looks after the child. In this policy the term ‘parent’ includes parents and carers.
2 A child becomes of ‘compulsory school age’ on the 1st January, 1st April or 1st September following their 5th birthday.
We want our pupils to attend school every day, unless they are really not well enough to. We believe that children who attend school regularly are more likely to
We want all our pupils to
Regular attendance and punctuality is essential in the workplace and children who are used to attending school on time, and on every occasion unless they are too unwell to attend, will be better prepared for the attendance expectations in the workplace.
In April 2017 the Supreme Court clarified the definition of regular attendance to be attendance “in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school”, therefore if an absence is not authorised by the school, the pupil’s attendance is deemed to be irregular.
We will do all we can to encourage our pupils to attend. We will also make the best provision we can for any pupil who needs additional support in school or who is prevented from attending school, due to a medical condition.
Please see DfE guidance documents ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions – December 2015’ and ‘Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs- January 2013’ – or ask the school for printed copies.
We believe that one of the most important factors in promoting good attendance is the development of positive attitudes towards school. To this end, we strive to make our school a happy and rewarding experience for all children, and to foster positive and mutually respectful relationships with parents.
By promoting good attendance and punctuality we aim to:
The table below indicates how what might seem like just a few days absence can result in children missing a significant number of lessons.
| Attendance during school year | Days lost in a year | Which is approximately | Approximate number of lessons missed |
| 95% | 9.5 Days | 2 Weeks | 48 Lessons |
| 90% | 19 Days | 4 Weeks | 95 Lessons |
| 80% | 38 Days | 8 Weeks | 190 Lessons |
| 70% | 57 Days | 11.5 Weeks | 285 Lessons |
Our MAT will monitor trends and patterns of absence for all pupils as a part of our standard procedures. However, we are aware that sudden or gradual changes in a pupil’s attendance may indicate additional or more extreme safeguarding issues. In line with government guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019 version, or as updated by the DfE) we will investigate and report any suspected safeguarding cases on to the relevant authorities. As part of our safeguarding duty and our standard procedures, we will inform the Local Authority and/or the Police of the details of any pupil who is absent from school when the school cannot establish their whereabouts and is concerned for the pupil’s welfare. (Please see our MATs Safeguarding Policy for more information.)
This policy meets the requirements of the 2018 school attendance guidance, from
the Department for Education (DfE), and refers to the DfE’s 2015 statutory guidance on school attendance parental responsibility measures. These documents are drawn from legislation setting out the legal powers and duties that govern school attendance including:
The DfE’s guidance on the school census explains the persistent absence threshold.
This policy complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.
The law makes it clear that schools must take the attendance register at the start of the first session of each school day and once during the second session. On each occasion the school must record whether each pupil is:
Pupils are marked present if they are in school when the register is taken. If a pupil leaves the school premises after registration they are still counted as present for statistical purposes.
It is the duty of parents to ensure that children attend school on time. This encourages habits of good timekeeping and lessens any possible classroom disruption.
The attendance lead will meet with parents of those children who are frequently late arriving at school to investigate reasons and suggest solutions to enable more punctual attendance.
Our pupils can arrive by 8.40 am on each school day.
Our morning register is taken at 8.50 am and will be kept open until 9.00 am Our afternoon register is taken following the lunch break.
A pupil who arrives late but before the register has closed at 9.00 am, will be marked as late (L) – authorised, anything after 9.00 am, will be marked as unauthorised.
A pupil who arrives late after the registers close will be marked as absent. If the pupil is late arriving due to a valid reason such as an unavoidable medical appointment, the absence will be authorised. If the pupil is late for no good reason they will be marked with the unauthorised absence code ‘Late after registers close’ (U). See DfE Attendance Codes – Appendix One.
When a child arrives late to school, they miss important events like assembly, teacher instructions and introductions. Children often also feel embarrassed at having to enter the classroom late.
The table below indicates how frequent lateness can add up to a considerable amount of learning being lost. This can seriously disadvantage children and disrupt the learning of others.
| Minutes late per Day | Equates to Days of Teaching Lost in one Year | Which means this number of lessons missed |
| 5 mins | 3 Days | 15 Lessons |
| 10 mins | 6 Days | 30 Lessons |
| 15 mins | 9 Days | 45 Lessons |
‘Authorised absence’ means that the school has either given approval in advance for a pupil of compulsory school age to be away from the school, or has accepted an explanation offered afterwards as justification for absence.
In most cases, absences for illness which are reported by following the school’s absence reporting procedures will be authorised. That is unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness.
The school follows the 2018 DfE School Attendance Guidance which states that if the authenticity of the illness is in doubt, the school may ask the parent to provide medical evidence, such as a prescription, appointment card, or other appropriate form of evidence. (See DfE 2018 School Attendance guidance document – link in the Legislation and Guidance section, or at the end of this policy, or ask the school for a printed copy.)
In some instances the school may ask the parent to obtain a letter from a GP, or the school may seek parental permission to contact the pupil’s GP directly.
If the school is not satisfied about the authenticity of the illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.
Where a pupil has a high level and/or frequency of absence, the school may require medical evidence of some description in order to authorise any future medical absences. If this is the case, the school will make the parent/s aware of this expectation in advance.
The reporting of absence due to illness remains the responsibility of the parent. Absences due to illness which have not been reported to the school by the parent on the first day of absence may not be authorised.
Parents are to phone the schools main number by 9.00am to report their child’s absence.
If a child is absent for more than one day, the parent should contact the school each day to provide an update on the child’s condition, unless otherwise agreed by the school.
There may be occasions where on the child’s return to school, a note will be requested, confirming the reason for their child’s absence.
Parents who have concerns about their child’s mental wellbeing can contact our school’s Family Link Worker for further information on the support available.
Parents should also contact their GP or the NHS Helpline by phoning telephone number 111 for advice if they are concerned. In case of emergency parents should dial 999.
If a pupil needs to be sent home due to illness, this should be by agreement with an appropriately authorised member of school staff. In such circumstances, the pupil must be collected from the school office by a parent or another authorised adult, and signed out by the parent/carer in the ‘signing out’ book. No pupil will be allowed to leave the school site without parental confirmation.
Parents should try to make appointments outside of school hours wherever possible. Where appointments during school time are unavoidable, the pupil should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment. It is not acceptable for a child to miss a whole day’s schooling for an appointment, unless absolutely necessary, in which case the school will need an explanation as to why this is.
If a pupil must attend a medical appointment during the school day, they must be collected from the school office by the parent or another authorised adult, and
signed out in the ‘signing out’ book. No pupil will be allowed to leave the school site without parental confirmation.
Advance notice is required for medical or dental appointments, unless it’s an emergency appointment, and must be supported by providing the school with sight of, or a copy of, the appointment card or letter – only then will the absence be authorised.
Our school acknowledges the multi-faith nature of the school community and recognises that on some occasions, religious festivals may fall outside of school holidays or weekends. In accordance with the law, the school will authorise one day’s absence for a day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs. Should any additional days be taken, these will be recorded in the register as unauthorised absence. If necessary, the school will seek advice from the parents’ religious body, to confirm whether the day is set apart.
The school will authorise the absence of a Traveller pupil of no fixed abode who is unable to attend school because they are travelling with their parent who is engaged in a trade or business of such a nature as to require him to travel from place to place.
This is subject to certain limits, depending on the child’s age and number of sessions absent. The school will discuss cases individually with Traveller parents as necessary. Parents should let the school know of their plans as far in advance as possible.
Authorised Traveller absence will be recorded appropriately in the register.
To help ensure continuity of education for Traveller children, wherever possible, the child should attend school elsewhere when their family is travelling for occupational purposes. In which case the child will be dual registered at that school and this school, which is their ‘main’ school.
Children from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities whose families do not travel for occupational purposes are expected to register at school and attend as normal. They are subject to the same rules as other children in terms of the requirement to attend school regularly.
If the school decides to send a pupil home due to their behaviour, this will be recorded as an Exclusion. The school will follow the current DfE’s statutory guidance on exclusions.
Any exclusion must be agreed by the Headteacher.
The school will notify the parent of the exclusion. If the pupil is a Child in Care, the school will notify the pupil’s carer, social worker and the HOPE Virtual School. In other instances, where a pupil is open to Children’s Social Care for any reason, the school will also inform their allocated social worker.
The pupil must be collected from the school office by the parent or another authorised adult, and signed out in the ‘signing out’ book. No pupil will be allowed to leave the school site without parental confirmation.
From 9.10am reception staff will review registers and contact parents/carers to establish why the child is absent, if there is no response the information will be passed to the Family Link Worker to further investigate. Children in Care; children subject to Child Protection Plans; children open to Social Care as a Child in Need; children who have previously been reported missing; primary aged pupils who make their own way to school will be given priority.
Parents will be asked to supply details of at least three people who can be contacted in an emergency, and these details will be reviewed on an annual basis through Data Collection Sheets.
If the school is unable to contact any of the emergency numbers provided, and is concerned for the welfare of the pupil the Family link Worker may conduct a home visit or request a Welfare Check from the police.
Each academy within the MAT rewards good and improved attendance.
The law does not grant parents the automatic right to take their child out of school during term time.
Only exceptional circumstances warrant an authorised leave of absence. The school will consider each application individually, taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. The request must be made by the parent with whom the child normally lives, and permission must be sought in advance. The school will not grant leave of absence unless there are exceptional circumstances. The school must be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances, based on the individual facts and circumstances of the case; following consultation with other staff as required, including the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days the pupil can be away from school. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the school’s discretion.
Circumstances which could be authorised include significant family emergencies or funerals. However, parents will also be aware that, wherever possible, it can be better for children to continue to attend school normally during difficult family times.
Parents should complete a Leave of Absence Request form which is available from the school. The request should be submitted as soon as it is anticipated; and wherever possible, at least four weeks before the absence. Although such absence may be unauthorised, it is better that we know your child is safe, rather than missing. Please be aware that you may be required to provide us with additional evidence in order to support your request. If we have any concerns about possible safeguarding risks such as risk of FGM or Forced Marriage we will follow the necessary protocols. (Please see our school’s Safeguarding Policy for more information.)
Unauthorised absence is where a school is not satisfied with the reasons given for the absence.
Absence will be unauthorised if a pupil is absent from school without the permission of the school. Whilst parents can provide explanations for absences, it is the school’s decision whether to authorise the absence or not.
Unauthorised absence includes:
Unauthorised absences may result in Legal Sanctions, usually Penalty Notices or Prosecutions.
When pupils are attending educational activities off the school site that have been approved by the school, the register will be marked to show this is the case. (See DfE 2018 School Attendance guidance.)
If a pupil is attending an alternative education provider such as another school, or Pupil Referral Unit, for part or all of their education, our school will make arrangements for the pupil to be dual registered at the other setting and mark our registers accordingly.
If a pupil is attending an alternative education provider, which is not a school or Pupil Referral Unit, for part or all of their education, we will mark the sessions which the pupil attends the alternative setting as code B (off-site educational activity). The school expects the alternative provider (AP) to notify us of any absences by individual pupils, to ensure we become aware of any attendance concerns as soon as possible and take follow up action as necessary. Attendance updates will be provided on a weekly basis, or more frequently if agreed with the alternative setting.
Any attendance concerns will be followed up by us, in conjunction with the AP.
In accordance with DfE school attendance guidance, our school will record pupils as ‘Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances’ in the following circumstances (such circumstances are not recorded as absences):
Sometimes pupils can be reluctant to attend school. We encourage parents and pupils to be open and honest with us about the reason for the pupil’s absence. If a child is reluctant to attend, it is never better to cover up their absence or for a parent to give in to pressure to let the child stay at home. This can give the impression to the child that attendance does not matter and can make things worse. As a school, we need to understand the reasons why a pupil is reluctant to attend in order to be able to support pupils and parents in the best way.
When we have concerns about the attendance of a pupil, we will do our best to make the parent/s aware of the concerns about their child’s attendance and give them the opportunity to address this. However, if parents do not make use of the support offered and improve their child’s attendance to an acceptable level, this may result in legal sanctions. Where there are no genuine reasons for the absences, parents may be asked to meet with the Family Link Worker to discuss the matter.
We will show that we have warned the parent/s that they are at risk of receiving a Penalty Notice or other legal sanction. This will at least be evidenced through all communication with parents. Families can begin at different stages dependent on level of concern.
We will not usually request legal sanctions from the Local Authority in cases where poor attendance is symptomatic of complex family circumstances. In such circumstances our school will take a holistic approach to the issue, and involve other agencies as necessary. The exception to this will be where parents fail to accept or engage with support offered by the school and/or other agencies, or fail to implement the suggested changes. Again, when referring for legal sanctions, we will show that we have warned the parent/s that they are at risk of receiving a Penalty Notice or other legal sanction.
If our school has safeguarding concerns about a pupil who is absent we will share information with other agencies as we deem necessary.
Pupils are entitled to a full-time education, suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, and any special educational needs or disabilities that they may have.
If, for any reason, our school is unable to provide a pupil with a full-time education due to the pupil’s needs, we will work with the pupil, parent and other agencies where appropriate, to come to a mutually convenient arrangement. Any part-time timetables will be for the shortest amount of time possible, whilst arrangements are made to support the pupil’s return to a full-time timetable.
Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school on a regular basis. It is a criminal offence under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 to fail to secure regular attendance of a registered pupil at the school. This applies to both resident and non-resident parents who may both be subject to legal sanctions if their child fails to attend school regularly. It also applies to others who may not be the parent, but may have day to day care of the child.
Unauthorised absence from school can result in a number of different outcomes for parents and children. Each case is considered individually.
Under section 444 of the Education Act 1996, 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(s) are guilty of an offence. Parents with more than one school aged child need to be aware that each child’s irregular attendance is dealt with as a separate matter.
The school will refer cases of unauthorised absence that meet the threshold for a Penalty Notice to the Local Authority for legal action, unless there are reasonable grounds for not doing so. The outcome of a referral to the Local Authority may be a Penalty Notice or Prosecution.
Penalty Notices are intended as a sanction for low level offences and a tool to support improved school attendance. They are an alternative to prosecution, and may not be issued if prosecution is considered to be a more appropriate response to a pupil’s irregular attendance.
A pupil’s unauthorised absence from school could result in one of the following:
Prosecution could lead to fines up to £2500 and /or 3 months imprisonment. (See DfE’s statutory guidance on School attendance parental responsibility measures for more information and Bristol City Council’s Penalty Notice Code of Conduct, available here: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/education- welfare or ask the school for printed copies.)
Penalty Notices and prosecution proceedings are issued to each parent with responsibility for the child and are issued for each child with irregular attendance. For example, in the case of Penalty Notices, if two siblings had irregular school attendance, and there were two parents with responsibility for the children, four Penalty Notices would be issued. Penalty Notices cannot be paid in instalments.
Our school will add and delete pupils from roll in line with the law. The school will follow Bristol City Council’s Children Missing Education guidance, and make CME and Pupil Tracking referrals as appropriate. The school will seek advice from the Children Missing Education Officer if unsure about any individual cases: [email protected]
Where no contact has been made with the school the school will contact parents by text, email, telephone or letter to try and establish the reason for a child’s absence. When we establish the reason for the absence, we will mark it as authorised or unauthorised depending on the reason for the absence. If we are unable to establish the reason for absence, we will make the absence as unauthorised, using the O code. If we are concerned about a pupil’s absence and are unable to contact the parent/s, we may contact the pupil’s emergency contacts and/or other professionals or contacts of the family who we reasonably expect may be able to advise us of the pupil’s whereabouts.
During parent consultations, term 2 and 4, attendance registration certificates will be shared with parents along with pupil’s end of year school report.
Where a child’s attendance drops below the MAT target of 97%, for whatever reason, our schools will monitor and contact the parents to highlight this as necessary.
Include information such as how reasons for absence are recorded (e.g. on SIMS); and what is recorded. e.g. Who called who? What was said?
Vulnerable groups are monitored are reported on separately. The Board of Trustees and Local Academy Councillors.
The Trustees are responsible for monitoring attendance figures for the whole school on at least a termly basis (6 times a year). They also hold the Headteachers to account for the implementation of this policy.
The Headteacher is responsible for ensuring this policy is implemented consistently across the school, and for monitoring school-level absence data and reporting it to Trustees and Local Academy Councillors .
The Headteacher also supports other staff in monitoring the attendance of individual pupils and requests fixed-penalty notices, where necessary.
Designated Safeguarding Leads also supports other staff in monitoring the attendance of individual pupils and requests fixed-penalty notices, where necessary.
Class teachers are responsible for recording attendance on a daily basis, using the correct codes, and submitting this information to the school office.
School office staff are expected to take calls from parents about absence and record it on the school system, conduct initial absence phone call and complete PN paperwork.
This policy will be reviewed every 3 years by the Executive Headteacher or more frequently if there are changes to legislation and guidance. At every review, the policy will be shared with the Board of Trustees.
This policy is linked to our:
Anti-Bullying Policy, Behaviour Policy, Inclusion Policy, Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy.
Guidance Documents:
Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (DfE December 2015)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical- conditions–3
Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school (DfE January 2013)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-for-children-with-health-needs- who-cannot-attend-school
Keeping children safe in education (DfE September 2018) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2 School Attendance (DfE September 2018) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance
School attendance parental responsibility measures (DfE January 2015)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parental-responsibility-measures-for- behaviour-and-attendance
School census 2017 to 2018 (DfE May 2018)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-census-2017-to-2018-guide-for- schools-and-las
School Exclusion (DfE September 2017) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion Home to school travel and transport guidance (DfE July 2014)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport- guidance
Children Missing Education Guidance (Bristol City Council January 2018) https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/children-missing-education-cme Education Penalty Notice Code of Conduct (Bristol City Council September 2018) https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/education-welfare
| CODE | DESCRIPTION | MEANING |
| / | Present (AM) | Present |
| \ | Present (PM) | Present |
| B | Educated off site (NOT Dual registration) | Approved Education Activity |
| C | Other Authorised Circumstances (not covered by another appropriate code/description) | Authorised absence |
| D | Dual registration (i.e. present at another school or PRU) | Not counted in possible attendances |
| E | Excluded (no alternative provision made) | Authorised absence |
| G | Family holiday (NOT agreed or days in excess of agreement) | Unauthorised absence |
| H | Family holiday (agreed) | Authorised absence |
| I | Illness (NOT medical or dental etc. appointments) | Authorised absence |
| J | Interview | Approved Education Activity |
| L | Late (before registers closed) | Present |
| M | Medical/Dental appointments | Authorised absence |
| N | No reason yet provided for absence | Unauthorised absence |
| O | Other unauthorised absence (not covered by other codes or descriptions) | Unauthorised absence |
| P | Approved sporting activity | Approved Education Activity |
| CODE | DESCRIPTION | MEANING |
| R | Day set aside exclusively for religious observance | Authorised absence |
| S | Study leave | Authorised absence |
| T | Traveller absence | Authorised absence |
| U | Late and arrived after the registers closed | Unauthorised absence |
| V | Educational visit or trip | Approved Education Activity |
| W | Work experience (not work based training) | Approved Education Activity |
| X | Un-timetabled sessions for non-compulsory school age pupils | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y | Where the school site, or part of it, is closed due to unavoidable cause; or the transport provided by the school or local authority for pupils (who do not live with walking distance) is not available; or where a local or national emergency has resulted in widespread disruption to travel which has prevented the pupil from attending school; or a pupil is detained in custody for less than four months. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Z | Pupil not yet on roll | Not counted in possible attendances |
| # | School closed to all pupils | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Pupils Name: | Parent/Carer’s Name: | Class Teacher | Date: |
| What are we worried about | What can we do to make it better | What difference will it make | |
| 1. | |||
| 2. |
Family Link Worker Signature……….. Parent Signature………… Pupil Signature………………….
Where are you on a scale of 0-10?
1 10
0 As bad as it gets 10 As good as it gets
| Child’s Name: | Parent/Carer’s Name: | Class Teacher | Date: |
| What we were worried about | What we did about it. What went well? What could have been better? | What difference it made | |
| 1. | |||
| 2. |
Where are you now on a scale of 0-10?
Action Plan Review
| What are we worried about | What can we do about it. | What difference will it make |
| 1. | |||
| 2. |
Parent’s Signature:
Parent’s Name:
Family Link Worker Signature:
Date:
| ATTENDANCE STAGE 1: ACTION PLAN | Date: | ||
| Child:
Current Attendance: |
Year: Class: | Meeting attended by: | |
| What are we worried about? | Actions | ||
| 1 | |||
| Parent/Carer voice | |||
| 2 | |||
| Parent/Carer voice | |||
| What is working well? | Review date | ||
| ATTENDANCE STAGE 1: REVIEW OF ACTION PLAN | Date: | |
| Actions completed | Outcomes | |
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| Has this child’s attendance improved? | Stage 2 meeting required? | |
| Pupil Name: | Class: | Date: |
| Current Attendance: | PP (Y/N) | SEN (Y/N) |
| Present:
(Attendance Lead) (Senior Leadership Team) (Parent/Carer) |
||
| Current Situation:
Pupil (if appropriate): · Parent/Carer: · · Academy (consider specific concerns e.g. CME, unauthorised absence, patterns in attendance): · · |
||
| Interventions:
· |
||
| ·
· |
| Targets:
1. 2. 3. |
| Review Date: |
| Signatures:
Parent/Carer: Date: Attendance Lead: Date: Senior Leadership Team: Date: Parent/Carer (if appropriate): Date: Pupil (if appropriate): Date: |
