Policies: Attendance

WITHERNSEA JUNIOR SCHOOL

ATTENDANCE

POLICY

Reviewed October 2008

To be reviewed October 2009

WITHERNSEA JUNIOR SCHOOL

ATTENDANCE POLICY

The staff of Withernsea Junior School are committed in partnership with the parents, pupils, governors, the LEA, to building a school which serves the community commendably, and of which the community is proud.

The school staff, alongside the LEA, firmly believes that all pupils benefit from regular school attendance. To this end we will do all we can to encourage parents/carers to ensure that the children in their care achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent full attendance are identified and acted on promptly.

Expectations

We expect that all pupils will:

Attend school regularly;
Attend school punctually;
Attend school appropriately prepared for the day;
Discuss promptly with their class teacher or Mrs Huteson, home-school liaison officer, any problems that deter them from attending school.

We expect that all parents/carers/persons who have day-to-day responsibility for the children and young people will:

Encourage regular school attendance and be aware of their legal responsibilities;
Ensure that the child/children in their care arrive at school punctually, prepared for the school day;
Ensure that they contact the school whenever the child/children is unable to attend school;
Contact the school on the first day of the child's absence and send a not on their return to school;
Contact the school promptly whenever any problems occur that may keep the child away from school.

We expect that school staff will:

Keep regular and accurate records of attendance for all pupils, at least twice daily;
Monitor every pupil's attendance;
Contact parents as soon as possible when a pupil fails to attend where no message has been received to explain the absence;
Follow up all unexplained absences to obtain notes authorising the absence;
Encourage good attendance;
Provide a welcoming atmosphere for children;
Provide a safe learning environment;
Provide a sympathetic response to any pupil's concerns;
Make initial enquiries of parents/carers of pupils who are not attending regularly, express their concerns and clarify the school's and the LEA's expectations with regard to regular school attendance;
Refer irregular or unjustified patterns of attendance to Mrs Wright, EWO;
Meet, where possible, the requirements of the UN Convention - The Rights of The Child, by ensuring that children are consulted in all decisions that relate to them.

Holidays

The school holiday dates are published a year in advance and we strongly advise parents/carers to book their family holidays during the school holidays. If a family holiday in term time is unavoidable, a holiday form must be completed prior to the holiday. This can be obtained from the school office. The Headteacher will then decide whether or not to authorise the absences. Headteachers, on behalf of the Governors, can grant leave, at their discretion, for up to two weeks in any school year. No parents/carers can demand leave of absence for the child/children as a right.

The Headteacher will decide whether or not to authorise the absence having considered:

The child's record of attendance;
That the holiday does not exceed the maximum of ten school days in any one school year, (unless it is felt that the experience would be of beneficial educational value to the child or it is an exceptional circumstance);
The time of the holiday, ensuring that it would not prevent the child from missing any important examinations/assessments.

Encouraging Attendance

Withernsea Junior School encourages regular attendance in the following ways;

By providing a caring and welcoming learning environment;
By responding promptly to a child's or parent's concerns about the school or other pupils;
By marking registers accurately and punctually during morning and afternoon registration. If pupils arrive at school after the close of the register without a written explanation, the lateness will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and the pupil's name recorded in the late book in case of a fire drill;
By informing pupils and parents of their attendance and their target for the next term.
By celebrating good and improved attendance through certificates, special reward weeks and prizes.
By monitoring pupils, informing parents/carers in writing of irregular attendance, arranging meetings with them if necessary and referring the family to the Education Welfare Service if the irregular attendance continues.

Responding to Non-Attendance

When a pupil does not attend school we will respond in the following manner:

On the first day of absence, if no note or telephone call is received from the parent/carer, the school will endeavour to contact them that day. If the family are not on the telephone, a letter will be sent.
If there is no response, the school will continue to try to contact the parent/carer. If, by the end of the second day, there has still been no contact made, (third day if waiting for a response to a letter), the school will send a letter of concern to parents/carers to invite them into school to discuss their concerns. The school will tell parents that if the absence persists that a referral will be made to the Education Welfare Service.
Failure to comply with the expectations set by the EWS may result in further action, court prosecution of fixed penalty notice.

Changing Schools

It is important that if families decide to send the child/children in their care to a different school that they inform Withernsea Junior School staff as soon as possible. A pupil will not be removed from this school roll until the following information has been received and investigated:

The date the pupil will be leaving this school and starting the next;
The address of the new school;
The new home address, if it is known.

The pupil's school records will then be sent on to the new school as soon as possible. In the event that the school has not been informed of the above information, the family will be referred to the Education Welfare Service.

School Organisation

In order for the school's Attendance Policy to be successful, every member of staff must make attendance, a high priority and convey this to the pupils at all times. Parents/carers need to support these views in the home to ensure that children are receiving corresponding messages about the value of education.

In addition to this, the School has the following responsibilities:

Headteacher, Governors and Home-School Liaison Officer with overall responsibility for attendance to:

Adopt the whole policy;
Ensure that the registration procedures are carried out efficiently and that appropriate resources are provided;
Initiate a scheme for contacting parents on the first day of absence;
Ensure that key staff have time-tabled periods for liaison and follow-up work with the EWS and appropriate access to attendance data;
Consult and liaise closely with the EWS on a regular basis and take responsibility for ensuring appropriate pupils are identified and referred without delay;
To work in close collaboration with the EWS during their termly/half termly register analysis'
Institute an attendance award scheme with assemblies, certificates and rewards;
Ensure that attendance percentages/graphs are displayed around the school and to set whole school attendance targets with the EWS.

Class Teachers/HLTA's/TA's

To complete registers accurately and punctually at least twice daily;
Home-School Liaison Officer to follow-up any unexplained non-attendance;
To record all reasons for absence in the register;
To be alert to early signs of disaffection which could culminate in non-attendance and to report these concerns as soon as possible to the Headteacher at the weekly pastoral meeting