CASTLE LOWER SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY Reviewed: September 2012 Next Review date: September 2014 Introduction Castle Lower School has a legal duty to publish its absence figures to parents and to promote attendance. Equally parents have a duty to make sure that their children attend. School’s staff are committed to working with families as the best way to ensure as high a level of attendance as possible. Principles Children should start arriving at school from 8.45am and the bell will sound for the official start to the day at 8.55am, when all children should be in school, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Permitting absence from school without a good reason is an offence by the parent. We believe that it is better that a child arrives late than not at all Nevertheless regular lateness will result in a letter home. All children are sometimes reluctant to attend school. Any problems with regular attendance are best sorted out between the school, the parents and the child. If a child is reluctant to attend, it is never better to cover up their absence or to give in to pressure to excuse them from attending. This gives the impression that attendance does not matter and may make things worse. Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school, (not by the parents), as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of each absence is always required, preferably in writing. Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason like illness or other unavoidable cause. Unauthorised absences are those, which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no "leave" has been given. This includes: • Parents keeping children off school unnecessarily • Truancy before or during the school day • Absences which have never been properly explained • Children who arrive at school too late to get a mark 2 Parents or family representatives are expected to contact school at an early stage and to work with staff in resolving any problems together. This is nearly always successful. If difficulties cannot be sorted out in this way, we may hold a pre referral meeting with the headteacher and the Education Welfare Officer( EWO) from the Local Authority This is so that an official referral might be avoided and any problems resolved at home /school level. If no noticeable improvement in attendance or punctuality is made then the EWO may intervene. The EWO will also try to resolve the situation by agreement but, if other ways of trying to improve the child’s attendance have failed, these Officers can use court proceedings to prosecute parents or to seek an Education Supervision Order on the child. The maximum penalty on conviction is a fine of £2500 and/or 3 months imprisonment. Alternatively, parents or children may wish to contact the EWO themselves to ask for help or information. They are independent of the school and will give impartial advice. Their telephone number is available from the school office or by contacting Bedford Borough. Procedures Castle Lower School applies the following procedures in deciding how to deal with individual absences: Parents are asked to inform school either by letter or phone, when they know that their child is going to be absent. Absences for illness and medical appointments will be authorised. Family holidays should, wherever possible, be taken during school holidays. There is no right for children to have a family holiday during term time. However, we will consider parental requests for holidays and the Headteacher has the statutory authority to grant a maximum of 10 school days’ leave for the purpose of a single annual holiday taken in term time. In doing so the school would take various matters into account, including the child’s overall pattern of attendance, DfE regulations and whether there are important tests and assessments to be taken during the year. The school is unable to agree to any request for a second family holiday, even if the number of days taken for a first holiday is less than 10 in total. A request must be made by completion of a holiday form 3 available from the school office. Please note that only in exceptional personal circumstances will authorisation for more than 10 days holiday be given. All other absences will be recorded as unauthorised unless special permission has been sought from the head teacher and governors. Lateness will also be recorded and, again, will be recorded as unauthorised unless the school has been informed of, and agreed to authorise the reasons given. All late arrivals must report to and sign in at the main school office on arrival. School registers will be closed at 9.05am and then all children coming to school after that time will be recorded unauthorised. Information about individual school targets, projects and special initiatives The school has adopted the following attendance targets and special projects: We have set the school target, for attendance at 96.5% for attendance. All pupils that achieve 100% (without any late arrivals) will receive a special certificate at the end of each the year. The Class with the highest percentage attendance at the end of each half term will receive an award. Those people responsible for attendance matters in this school are: members of the Senior Leadership Team, Mrs J Smith (School Administrator) and Mr M. Ridley (Chair of Governors). Summary The school has a legal duty to publish its absence figures to parents and to promote attendance. Equally parents have a duty to make sure that their children attend. Schools staff are committed to working with parents as the best way to ensure as high a level of attendance as possible. 4