Student Attendance Policy

Student Attendance Policy

Policy details

Date created - 18/09/2022

Date reviewed - 29/09/2022

Next review date - 18/09/2023

Principles

The welfare of children is paramount and remains an absolute priority for us as an academy. Parents, carers and staff share the responsibility in ensuring that student attendance at Co-op Academy Grange is maximized, and that the rates of unauthorized and unexplained absence are kept to a minimum. Every child has a right to access education and attendance plays a vital role in ensuring the positive outcomes possible are ensured for all.

Co-op Academy Grange will ensure encouraging and rewarding good attendance. We will recognise external factors which influence attendance and work in partnership with parents and carers, along with other relevant services to deal with any issues. We will take a proactive approach in promoting good attendance through setting clear expectations with students and parents/carers whilst providing effective and efficient systems for monitoring attendance in line with legal requirements.

It is very important, therefore, that you make sure your child attends regularly and this policy sets out how together we will achieve this. The Department for Education guidance states that schools should:

• Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence • Ensure every child has access to full-time education

• Act early to address patterns of absence

Parents must perform their legal duty by ensuring children of compulsory school age, who are registered to a school, attend regularly. All pupils must be punctual to their lessons.

Intent

This Attendance Strategy will set out our commitment to improving school attendance and punctuality at all phases of learning.

Aims

● To raise standards and ensure every child reaches their full educational potential, through a high level of attendance and punctuality.

● To ensure the Academy’s attendance target is achieved, through rewards and incentives for good attendance and punctuality.

● To ensure all the stakeholders, governors, parents, students and staff receive regular communication, about the importance of good attendance and punctuality.

● To keep accurate, up-to-date records and have a robust and rigorous system for analysing attendance.

Why regular attendance is important?

• As a parent/carer you want the best for your child. Having a good education is an important factor in enabling more opportunities in adult life.

• 90% of young people with absence rates below 85% fail to achieve five or more good grades at GCSE and around one third achieve no GCSEs at all.

• Poor examination results limit young people’s options and poor attendance suggests to colleges and employers that these students are unreliable. • Poor school attendance is closely associated with crime - a quarter of school age offenders have truanted repeatedly.

• Absence at any stage of your child's education leads to gaps in their learning. This in turn can − mean that they fall behind in work

− affect their enjoyment of learning

− lead to poor behaviour

− affect their desire to attend school regularly

− affect their confidence in school

− mean they miss out on the social life of school and extra-curricular

opportunities and experiences

− affect their ability to have or keep friendships.

Promoting regular attendance

Roles and Responsibilities

The Governing Body will:

• Ensure that the importance and value of good attendance is promoted to students and their parents.

• Annually review the Academy’s Attendance Policy and ensure the required resources are available to fully implement the policy.

• Identify a member of the governing body to lead on attendance matters and attend Headteacher/Governor Panel Meetings.

• Ensure that regulations and legislation are adhered to.

• Ensure that there is a named Senior Leader to lead on attendance.

The Senior Leadership Team will:

• Agree academy attendance targets and submit these to the governing body. • Lead on attendance matters and attend Headteacher/Governor Panel

Meetings • Actively promote the importance and value of good

attendance.

• Proactively form positive relationships with students and parents.

• Ensure that there is a whole academy approach which reinforces good attendance; with good teaching and learning experiences that encourage all students to attend and achieve.

• Monitor the implementation of the Attendance Policy.

• Ensure that all staff are aware of the Attendance Policy.

• Ensure that there is a named Senior Leader to lead on Attendance.

• Report Academy attendance and related issues through termly reporting to the Governing body.

• Ensure that attendance is consistently on the Senior Leadership Agenda. • Develop a multi-agency response to improve attendance and support both students and families.

Directors/Curriculum Leaders/Pastoral Leaders/Form Tutors will:

• Actively promote the importance and value of good attendance to students and their parents/carers.

• Form positive relationships with students and parents/carers.

• Form Tutors are the first point of call for parents to raise any concerns.

• Proactively contribute to a whole academy approach on reinforcing good attendance. • Contact the parents/carers of students with a Welfare Call for students that have 3 consecutive days off school.

• Implement systems to report, record and monitor the attendance of all students, including those who are educated off-site.

• Contribute to the evaluation of academy strategies and interventions.

• Document interventions used to improve and support attendance.

The Attendance Team/Pastoral team will:

• Actively promote the importance and value of good attendance to students and their parents/carers.

• Lead on and coordinate any intervention strategies necessary to support and improve a student’s attendance. This will be approved by the Lead Senior Leader in charge of attendance. Intervention strategies are progressive and evolve with the needs of the academy. • Keep accurate records of contact and interventions used.

• Contact the parents/carers of students who are absent daily. This will include telephone calls and/or home visits on days of absence. Weekly home visits will be made by the attendance team for the safeguarding of children.

• Request to see your child if a home visit is undertaken. If your child is not seen, this will be passed on the Safeguarding team on the onsite Safer Schools Police Officer.

• Hold attendance and punctuality panels for students who are causing concern. • Implement LEA Staged Intervention for Attendance raising attendance initiatives whereby parents/carers will be invited into the academy to discuss concerns. This will result in prosecution if no significant improvement in attendance is evident. • Send letters to those parents/carers whose child’s attendance has fallen below 95%. • Provide weekly attendance data to appropriate staff members. • Hold weekly meetings in relation to each Year Group’s attendance and concerns. • Co-op Academy Grange does not condone the unauthorized absence of students and will not provide work during periods of unauthorized absence (in accordance with LA guidance).

A request that Parents/Carers will

• Talk to their child about school and what goes on there.

• Take a positive interest in their child’s work and educational progress.

• Instil a value for education and regular academy attendance within the home environment. • Encourage their child to aspire to be tenacious in their actions to have an improved lifestyle. • Contact the academy if their child is absent. This contact is required each day of their absence. • Provide appropriate detail for an absence.

• Inform the academy of any change in circumstances that may impact on their child’s attendance and education.

• Try to avoid any unnecessary absences. For example, make appointments outside of academy hours.

• Take every opportunity to get involved in their child’s education and form positive relationships with school.

• Encourage routine at home, for example, bedtimes, homework, preparing for school. • Avoid taking their child out of school during term time. Where this is unavoidable and only in exceptional circumstances send a written leave request to the Headteacher. • Provide evidence of their child’s illness if attendance is below 95%.

Co-op Academy Grange uses EduLink. Please download the app via your app store for access to information about your child’s attendance, timetable, behaviour and achievements. Messages sent through the app are free.

Legal Framework

Section 7 of the 1996 Education Act states that parents must ensure that children of compulsory school age receive efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability.

Under the Education Act 1996, the Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to ensure that parents secure education for children of compulsory school age and where necessary, use

legal enforcement.

Safeguarding

Your child may be at risk of harm if they do not attend Co-op Academy Grange regularly. Safeguarding the interests of each student is everyone’s responsibility and within the context of this academy, promoting the welfare and life opportunities for your child.

Failing to attend Co-op Academy Grange regularly will be considered a safeguarding matter.

In the first instance staff will attempt to contact parents/carers by telephone or text message via EduLink. If staff are unable to determine the student’s whereabouts, then it may be necessary for the attendance team to do an unannounced home visit.

If staff are still unable to determine the student’s whereabouts and believe there is a risk to the child’s safety or wellbeing, then the child protection team will be notified, and the police may be contacted.

It is vital that parents/carers keep Co-op Academy Grange up to date with contact details – phone numbers, address, email address and additional people to contact – to ensure staff can speak to parents/carers in this situation. We will keep at least two contacts on record for each student and attempt to contact both should a child be absent.

If your child has been absent for a significant period of time and we have been unable to contact parents/carers, then the child will be considered a Child Missing in Education. Bradford LEA Education Safeguarding Team will be contacted and will undertake their own investigation to determine whether the child is on holiday, away from home or has left the area.

If a student has been absent for 20 school days or more and the school and the local authority have failed, after jointly making reasonable enquires, to ascertain where the student is, then they will be removed from roll and lose their place at the academy.

If parents/carers inform the Academy they are taking their child abroad during term time (see term time holidays and leave of absence section for more details) We may ask for proof of travel for safeguarding purposes.

Categorizing Absence

Every half-day absence from Co-op Academy Grange has to be classified by the academy (not by the parents), as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED.

An absence can only be authorised by the Headteacher and cannot be authorised by parents/carers. All absences will be treated as unauthorised unless a suitable and satisfactory

explanation for the absence is received.

Examples of unsatisfactory explanations for absence- This list is not inclusive.

• Parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily

• Truancy before or during the school day

• A student’s/family member’s birthday

• Shopping for uniforms

• Hair appointments

• Couldn’t get up

• Student’s refusal to attend school

• Family holidays

• Illness where the student is considered well enough to attend school

• Staying at home to care for siblings/parents

Attendance codes examples:

Code H: holiday authorized by the school Head teachers should not grant leave of absence unless there are exceptional circumstances. The application must be made in advance and the head teacher must be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances based on the individual facts and circumstances of the case which warrant the leave. Where a leave of absence is granted, the head teacher will determine the number of days a pupil can be away from school. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the head teacher’s discretion.

Code R: religious observance Schools must treat absence as authorized when it is due to religious observance. The day must be exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong. Where necessary, schools should seek advice from the parents’ religious body about whether it has set the day apart for religious observance.

Lateness

Poor punctuality is not acceptable. If your child misses the start of the day they will miss their first lesson and therefore any work taught affecting their achievement. Late arrival students also disrupt lessons, it can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage absence.

We expect your child to be on site by 8:20am to ensure they are ready to learn by 8:30am for Period 1. Any child arriving after 8:30am means lost learning time will result in a late mark being given by 8:35am.

If your child has a persistent late record, you will be asked to meet with a member of the attendance/pastoral team at the academy to resolve the problem, but you can approach us at any time if you are having problems getting your child to the academy on time.

It is better to be late to the Academy than to not arrive at all. However, we always encourage punctuality at Co-op Academy Grange. Not only is it a good habit to learn from an early age, but it will also help them when they come to have a job later in life.

Absence Procedures

A child not attending school is considered a safeguarding matter. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required. If your child is absent, you must:

• Contact us as soon as possible, with the reason for your child’s absence, on each day of absence, certainly no later than 8.15am.

• Co-op Academy Grange uses EduLink to enable the reporting of absence, access to information about your child’s attendance, timetable, behaviour and achievements. Messages sent through the app are free.

• Or, you can phone the Attendance absence line on 01274 779662 and follow option 2 • Medical evidence is requested for all medical appointments, please provide one of the following: 1) Appointment card. 2) Appointment letter. 3) Prescription. 4) Labelled and dated medicine bottle/packet. 5) Doctors note/letter.

*We operate a Priority call list*

1. Vulnerable and CP

1. SEN

2. At risk of/or PA group

3. All other students

If your child is absent, we will:

● Send a personalised absence text (where appropriate) to your child’s first contact, as soon as your child is marked absent on the class register and no reason for absence has been reported to the academy.

● If we do not receive a response to this text, we will ring all the contacts we have on file for your child until we are able to ascertain a reason for absence.

● If we are unable to contact anyone, we will alert the SLT Lead for Attendance, who will decide whether a home visit or other agency involvement is required for priority students and families. ● If your child has been absent for 48 we automatically conduct a home visit to carry out a welfare check and possible safeguarding concern.

Further action:

● Invite you in to discuss the situation with our attendance team

● The attendance team will also place students that are identified as being below 95% attendance on an attendance challenge and hold weekly meetings with them (See appendices 2-5).

Please note that the attendance challenge is a supportive process where we will work closely with you and your child to understand all barriers to attendance, where appropriate we will sign- post you to be nearest help/solution within the academy or in the local authority.

In cases of minor illness or ailment (cold, headache, period pains etc.), Co-op Academy Grange expect your child to attend. If parents feel unsure about a child’s ability to attend, they should be sent with a note to relevant staff within the academy. Staff with responsibility for assessing whether a student is well enough to be in the academy will see students if they become unwell during the day, and if they are unfit to stay in the academy, a member of staff will contact parents/carers to collect them. Students will not be allowed to go home unless they have made contact with a parent/carer or other person listed as a contact on the student’s record.

Students should not, under any circumstance, contact parents/carers or others to say they wish to go home. If this is the case parents are advised to contact the school to check that medical

advice has been sought. If a parent/carer arrives at without school being aware, the student will not be sent with them until an assessment has been made in school.

Persistent Absenteeism (PA)

A student becomes a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more education across the academy year for whatever reason. Absence at this level is causing considerable damage to any child’s educational prospects and we need parents/carers fullest support and co-operation to tackle this. We monitor all absence thoroughly. PA students are tracked and monitored carefully through our pastoral system, and we also combine this with academic mentoring where absence affects attainment.

Using Attendance Data

• Student’s attendance will be monitored and may be shared with the Local Authority and other agencies if a student’s attendance is a cause for concern.

• Each Half-Term, the Strategic Lead Attendance will provide the Senior Leadership Team with a detailed attendance breakdown for the school.

• The Attendance team will provide weekly attendance data for Pastoral Leaders and Form Tutors to act upon any issues arising.

Clarity of Concerns

Green Student attendance is between 100% and 95%

Light Red Student attendance is between 94.9% and 90%

Dark Red Student attendance is below 90%

• Actions will be implemented when a student’s attendance falls below 97%. See Appendix 1. • Co-op Academy Grange will share attendance data with the Department for Education and the Local Authority as required.

• All information shared will be done so in accordance with the Data Protection Action 1998. Leave of Absence in Term Time

You should NOT expect your child to be allowed leave of absence in term time. Parents do NOT have a legal right to take children out of Co-op Academy Grange. Academy terms are designed to offer opportunities for holidays to be taken throughout the academic year without disrupting the education of students.

Leave of absence is something Co-op Academy Grange strongly disapproves of during term-time as it can have serious detrimental impact on educational outcomes. Absence from Co-op Academy Grange clearly correlates with lower attainment and progress, with every day

missed possibly affecting chances of strong educational outcomes.

The Department of Education regulations state that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Parents who take their children out of Co op Academy Grange during the academy term without the headteacher’s authorisation or beyond an agreed date risk being issued a penalty notice or taken to court.

The penalty notice is £60, for each parent of each child, if paid within 21 days, and £120 if paid after this date but within 28 days. Non-payment of a penalty notice will normally trigger a prosecution (under the provisions of section 444 of the Education Act 1996 or under the provisions of S103 (3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006). The prosecution can only be for the original offence and NOT for the non

payment of the penalty notice.

Where parents/carers continue to take unauthorized leave of absences in term time, Co-op Academy Grange will implement the following strategy:

LEA Staged Intervention Process Appendices 2-4.

Where Co-op Academy Grange and the local authority will consider a prosecution under Section 4441(a) of the Education Act 1996. If the local authority decides to prosecute parents/carers based on the evidence that the school provides then parents/carers would be expected to attend court and may face a fine of up to a maximum of £2500. There is also a chance that a community order could be put in place and the possibility of a three month’s jail sentence. Parents/carers could receive a criminal record.

In ‘exceptional’ circumstances, headteachers can allow a small amount of time out of the Academy.

Special or exceptional circumstances do NOT include (this is not an

exhaustive list):

• Availability of cheaper flights

• Availability of desired/cheaper accommodation

• Poor weather in school holidays

• Overlap with the beginning or the end of term

• Trips abroad

• Seeing relatives

• Weddings

• Funerals

As a guide, any unauthorized absence in excess of 4 consecutive days, parents/carers are likely to receive a penalty notice. Co-op Academy Grange will notify parents/carers in advance if taking this course of action and then parents/carers will hear in due course from the relevant local authority once they have processed the penalty notice.

If you still feel that you wish to apply to take your child out of the academy during term time due to exceptional circumstances, please request a ‘leave of absence request form’ from the attendance office or print a copy from our website. The form should be received by the headteacher FOUR school weeks in advance of the proposed date.

Absences for sporting activities are assessed as above on a case-by-case basis and may be authorized as an ‘approved sporting activity’. A decision of whether or not to approve these requests will be made based on the student’s attendance and behaviour, and as a result, may mean that the same sporting absence may be authorized for one child and not another

Rewards

Students who meet and exceed the Academy’s attendance targets will be rewarded for this through various types of reward within their school. Attendance Rewards Policy:

● A chance to win £500 in food or Amazon voucher for the best overall attendance in Year 7-11

● A chance to win £250 in food or Amazon voucher for the best attendance in each year group

● A chance to win an IPAD Air Y7 to 11 - Attendance 96% or above/no more than 3 lates ● A chance to win £100 in food or Amazon voucher for the most improved attendance in a half term

● A chance to win £50 food or Amazon voucher Half Termly - Attendance 96% or above/no more than 3 lates

● A chance to win £20 in food or Amazon vouchers for good/improved attendance in a half term as part of a lottery identifying 10 students in each year group

● Y6 into 7 Identified PA group - successful improved attendance £10 love to shop voucher

• 100% attendance certificates on a Half-Termly basis

• Text messages home

• Phone calls home

Appendix 1 – Attendance Strategy

Attenda nce

Percent age

Lessons Missed

Responsible Responses Acknowledgement / Success

Daily Actions

100% - 

98% 

4 days 24 

lessons 

Tutors 1. Tutors celebrate during tutorial 

2. Tutor 

acknowledgements 

given (100% weeks) 

3. Tutor tracker to 

monitor, celebrate 

improvement in 

student’s attendance 

or address students 

whose attendance is 

at risk of 

falling below 98%; 

phone calls 

4. Attendance Team 

medical evidence 

request 

5. Attendance Team 

1st day call procedure 

1. 100%-week 

acknowledgements with achievement points 

2. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum certificates 3. 100% termly 

attendance 

celebration on 

plasmas 

5. Eligible for end of year prize draw 

6. Eligible for half termly attendance rewards 

1. First day absence text and call 

2. Home visit for fifth day 

3. Importance of attendance 

mentoring 4. 

Celebrate 100% 

95% 

- 

97.9% 

9 days 2 

weeks 54 

lessons 

Tutors 

and 

Attendance Team 

1. Tutor tracker to 

monitor, celebrate improvement in 

student’s attendance or address students whose attendance is at risk of 

falling below 95% via mentoring conversation 2. Tutor to contact parents; phone calls 3. Attendance Team to contact parents; 

letters, phone calls 4. Attendance Team medical evidence request 

5. Attendance Team 1st day call procedure 6. LEA Stage One Penalty Notice 

Warning Letter sent 

1. Celebrate on or above school 

target 

2. 100%-week 

acknowledgements with achievement points 

3. Positive 

communication 

home for parents to acknowledge 

improvements 4. Eligible for half termly attendance rewards 

1. Minibus home visit / pick up “At risk below 95%” 2. CP, LAC, SEN 

priority phone 

calls Other 

relevant 

professionals 

informed of 

absence 

of “at risk” students. 3. First day calling for all 

4. Third day home visit for those falling below 95%

92% 

- 

94.9% 

15days 3 

weeks 90 

lessons 

Tutors 

and 

Attendance Team 

1. AttendanceTeamto monitor,celebrate improvement in 

students’ 

attendance or 

address 

students whose 

attendance is at riskof fallingbelow92%2. Tutor to contact 

parents; 

phone calls and email HOY 3. Tutor to place student on 

Attendance Report 4. Attendance Team 1st day call procedure 5. Attendance Team Home Visits 

6. Walk in Bus, Minibus pickups 

7. AttendanceTeamto contactparentsof studentswhose attendance isatrisk offallingbelow94% 

8. AttendanceTeam medical evidence request 

9. LEAStageOne PenaltyNotice 

Warningsecond 

letter sent 

1. 100%-week 

acknowledgements withachievement points 

2. Positive 

communication 

homeforparentsto acknowledge 

improvements3. Eligible for half termly attendancerewards 

1. Minibushome visit/pickup“At riskbelow92%” 2. CP,LAC,SEN 

priorityphone 

callsOther 

relevant 

professionals 

informed of 

absence 

of “at risk” students. 3. First day calling for all 

4. Third day home visit for those falling below 95% 5. Attendance 

mentoring/tracking system conversation acknowledge or 

sanction

90% 

- 

91.9% 

19 days 4 

weeks 114 

lessons 

Attendance Team and Education Safeguardi ng 

Prosecutio n Team 

1. Attendance Team to monitor, celebrate improvement in 

students’ 

attendance or 

address 

students whose 

attendance is 

reducing 

2. HOY Attendance phone call home 

and HOY 

attendance Report, Parental meeting with Attendance Team 3. Attendance Team Home Visits 

4. Attendance Team 1st day call procedure 5. Walk in Bus, Minibus pick ups 

6. Safeguarding Home Visits where 

appropriate 

7. Attendance Team contact parents of students whose 

attendance is at risk of falling below 90% 8. LEA Stage Two enforcement letter sent 9. Attendance 

Team and 

Education 

Safeguarding 

Prosecution Team Attendance Panel Meeting 10. Attendance Team and Education Safeguarding 

Prosecution Team prepare student case file 

1. Minibus home 

visit / pick up “At 

risk below 90%” 

2. CP, LAC, SEN 

priority phone 

calls Other 

relevant 

professionals 

informed of 

absence 

of “at risk” students. 

3. First day calling for 

all 

4. Third day home 

visit for those 

falling below 95% 

5. Attendance 

mentoring/tracking 

system conversation 

acknowledge or 

sanction 

6. % of students sent 

to SLT Lead 

15

1. 100%-week 

acknowledgements with achievement points 

2. Positive 

communication 

home for parents to acknowledge 

improvements 3. 

Acknowledgment letter for reaching 92% - 94.9% group 

4. Eligible for half 

termly attendance rewards 

90% 

Below 

Appendix 2

29 days 6 

weeks 174 

lessons 

Attendance Team and Education Safeguardi ng 

Prosecutio n Team 

1. Attendance Team to monitor, celebrate improvement in 

students’ 

attendance or 

address 

students whose 

attendance is 

declining 

2. Attendance Team Home Visits 

3.Attendance Team 1st day call procedure 4. SLT attendance report 5. Walk in Bus, Minibus pick ups 

6. Safeguarding Home Visits where 

appropriate 

7. Attendance 

Team/Strategic Lead Attendance contact parents of students whose 

attendance is at risk of falling well below 90% 8. LEA Stage Two and Stage Three 

enforcement letters sent. 

9. Strategic Lead 

Attendance and 

Education 

Safeguarding 

Prosecution Team Attendance Panel Meeting 10. 

Strategic Lead 

Attendance and 

Education 

Safeguarding 

Prosecution Team prepare pupil case file 11. SLT and Strategic Attendance Lead Panel meeting for those students who can get out of PA 

1. 100%-week 

acknowledgements with achievement points 

2. Positive 

communication 

home for parents to acknowledge 

improvements 3. 

Acknowledgment letter for improving attendance above 90% 

4. Eligible for half termly attendance rewards 

16

Appendix 3

Appendix4

19

Appendix5

Attendance Management

Student has 3 consecutive days off school/ Attendance between 100-95%

Attendance Team Welfare call – Log on SIMS

Student continued time off/ Repeat offender/Attendance between 95-92%

Form Tutor Attendance Report/ Attendance team phone call home/ Attendance team Home visit/ LEA Stage One and Two letter

Student continued time off/ Repeat offender/Attendance below 91.9%

HOY phone call home/ Attendance team phone call/ Attendance team & HOY visit/ HOY Attendance Report/ HOY/Attendance Team lead arrange parent meeting/ LEA Stage One and Two letter / Attendance Panel Meeting

Student Persistent absence/ Attendance below 90%/ Safeguarding issue

Attendance Team home visit/ SLT Attendance Report/ Wellbeing & SSPO home visit/ LEA Stage Two and Three Letter/ Panel meeting/ Parent meeting with Head Teacher, SLT and Governors

Failure to improve attendance after the above actions have taken place, the Local Authority will be contacted for further advice and SLT will seek alternate arrangements for education due to lack of engagement with school attendance policy.