Attendance
Punctuality and good attendance are life skills which really support your child’s education. School is open from 8:25am, and children need to be in class ready for a prompt 8:45am start. The school day ends at 3:15pm and all children should be picked up at this time – if you are delayed for any reason, please let the office know as soon as possible.
New DfE statutory attendance guidance - ‘Attendance Counts’
There has been growing national concern regarding declining school attendance rates across the UK. In response, the Department for Education has introduced new statutory guidance, effective from August 2024, aimed at reducing term-time holidays and unauthorised absences, deand supporting families whose children are struggling to attend.
‘Support First’
As the DfE notes, 'Improving attendance is everyone’s business’, and it is important that we, as your child’s school, work together in partnership with you, your family, your child, and the wider community.
The new 'Working Together to Improve School Attendance' Guidance emphasises a ‘Support First’ ethos, and recognises that ‘the barriers to accessing education are wide and complex,both within and beyond the school gates, and are often specific to individual pupils and families... [It] is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances.’
If you are concerned about your child’s attendance, then please contact Mrs Ballard, Attendance Officer, as soon as possible so that barriers to attendance can be understood, and appropriate support can be put in place to support you, your family, and your child to prevent further absences.
What YOU need to do:
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Telephone the school before 8.30am each day of your child’s absence.
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Tell the school in advance, of any medical appointments and bring in appointment cards/letters.
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If you are not sure whether your child is well enough to attend school, send them in anyway as they often perk up on arrival.
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Have a backup plan for your journey to school, eg call on a family member, neighbour or friend.
If you and your child are experiencing difficulties with school attendance then talk to us as a first step so we can offer support and work with you.
What WE will do:
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Check your child’s attendance every day – if a child is not in and we don’t know why, we will follow this up;
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Phone home to discuss your child’s attendance with you;
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Organise attendance meetings with parents or carers where we are concerned;
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If we cannot establish a reason for absence, then we may make a welfare home visit.
Formalising and intensifying the support
Where voluntary support has not been effective and/or has not been engaged with, we will work with partners, including the local authority, to formalise and intensify the support.As part of the measures introduced, if a pupil has 10 or more unauthorised absences within 10 school weeks, the pupil’s parent(s)/carer(s) may receive a ‘Notice to Improve’ notification sent via email on behalf of the school and issued by the local authority (LA). Each day of absence is
recorded as two sessions (morning and afternoon). Unauthorised absences include:
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unauthorised absence (where there is no reasonable circumstance for the absence taking place);
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arriving late after the register has closed;
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or a combination of these with holidays taken during term time.
These 10 weeks can span different terms, academic years, and even different educational settings, such as transitions to secondary school or in-year school changes. For instance, if your child misses 3 days of school for a holiday in July (6 sessions) and is late after the register closes on 4 occasions (4 sessions) between September and October, you may be issued a ‘Notice to Improve’ notification.
The ‘Notice to Improve’ notification will set out the expectations and period notice for the improvement of attendance such as 'no further unauthorised absences'. Should the expectations not be met in the improvement period, then a Penalty Notice may then be requested by the school and issued by the LA to each parent/carer responsible for the child.
Any holiday-related absence taken that includes 10 sessions in 10 weeks, may result in a Penalty Notice. In this instance, a ‘Notice to Improve’ notification will not be issued beforehand.
The process for penalty notices and prosecution for low attendance has changed. The new process is outlined below and came into effect in August 2024.
The penalty amount is increasing to £160 (reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days for the first offence). If a parent receives a second penalty notice within a rolling three-year period, the fine is £160 and there is no option to pay the fine at a reduced rate.
Parents with parental responsibility, and adults residing with the child, including for example, stepparents who have day-to-day responsibility for the child, may be fined, and this applies to each child who is absent. For example, if two adults take two children out of school, the total fines would be £640 (reduced to £320 for a first offence paid within 21days).
If a Penalty Notice is not paid within the time limits set out in the letter to the parent, the Local Authority may proceed the case to court.
We recognise that these Penalty Notices may be unpopular with families, but it is important to inform you of these changes promptly.
Nationally, Headteachers are:
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not permitted to approve term-time holidays except in genuinely exceptional circumstances;
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are to consider each application for a leave of absence individually before making our decision.
The law clearly expects Headteachers to enforce these penalties strictly.
The new policy also states that all schools must consider issuing Penalty Notices if the criteria is met. This is a national statutory process and will be followed by all English state funded schools. The draft policy is available on our website and we will be presented to the Local Governing Committee (LGC) for ratification in the Autmn term.
The primary goal of these measures is to ensure that children do not miss out on their education. Every lesson is a crucial part of your child's learning journey, and frequent absences can significantly hinder their progress. Thank you for your continued cooperation in supporting your child's education.