ATTENDANCE

The Department for Education published new statutory guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance in August 2024. This guidance summarises the expectations of parents as follows:

·       Ensure their child attends every day the school is open except when a statutory reason applies.

·       Notify the school as soon as possible when their child has to be unexpectedly absent (e.g. sickness).

·       Only request leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and do so in advance.

·       Book any medical appointments around the school day where possible.

It also recognises the importance of schools working together with families to build strong and trusting relationships, ensuring that the right support is in place where attendance is a concern.

Attendance is monitored on a daily basis by our school’s senior leadership team and by Mrs Palmer, our home-school link worker. This enables us to put support in place, often on the same day, when a child could be in school but is not.

The register is taken at 8.55am and so we ask that our pupils are in school before this time. If a child is unwell, then parents/carer should contact the school office by 9.25am on every day that they are absent (unless it is a pre-approved absence). It is possible to leave a message on our absence line at any time.

 

We categorise attendance as follows:

96% +                      Good

90% - 95%               Satisfactory - requires monitoring

Below 90%              Unacceptable (persistent absence) - requires intervention

Parents will be sent an attendance certificate for their child/children at the end of each term. Attendance may also be shared and discussed during parents’ evenings, especially where this is a concern.

The school’s attendance team meet once a month to review attendance across the school. Any concerns regarding absence and/or lateness are flagged up at these meetings and follow-up actions are identified and implemented. Mrs Palmer or a member of the school’s leadership team may contact parents/carers to talk about our concerns and offer any support as necessary. We appreciate that sometimes periods of absence are unavoidable and this will always be considered before we make any decision regarding further action. However, if following notification of our concern and any support put into place, attendance to school does not improve, then a referral will be made to the Hampshire Attendance Legal Team.

Our attendance policy and other helpful documents can be found by clicking on the links below.