Maintain a maximum attendance for all children with a minimum of unauthorised absence

Maintain a low rate of persistent absenteeism

Maintain parents’ and pupils’ awareness of the importance of efficient and full time attendanceMaintain punctual time keeping

Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and poor attendance

Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically

Regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to cope withRegular attenders find learning more satisfying

Regular attenders settle into High School more easily and rewardingly

As a parent you can help us by:

·Ensuring your child attends school regularly. (Attendance at school on each day the   school is open for the pupils, unless there is an authorisable reason to be absent; only the school can authorise an absence

Absence should only happen

a) When your child is significantly/symptomatically ill and therefore unfit to attend school. There should be an observable symptom; ’feeling unwell’ is not enough. We may ask for medical verification where illness-absence is frequent, prolonged or where there are absences before or after a school holiday. If your child has a documented medical condition that hinders regular attendance, please let us know.  

b) If there is an unavoidable/unforeseen reason or circumstance which is causing a difficulty/period of difficulty

• Telephoning on the first morning of any absence to give us the reason and tell us when the child is likely to return to school; please keep us updated daily thereafter
• Keeping the school updated by telephone, email or letter if your child has an extended period of absence due to illness (or other reason)
• A timely reason; satisfactory to the school needs to be given for an absence; otherwise the absence will remain unauthorised
• Providing medical verification where illness-absence is frequent or prolonged or where asked to do so by the school
• Arranging all non-emergency medical and dental appointments out of school hours or during school holidays
• If you as a parent, suffer with any underlying health issue, please make arrangements in the event you are unwell and unable to bring your child to school i.e. a friend, neighbour, another parent or a family member to help you. Parental illness is legally not acceptable for a child missing school
• Making sure we always have your current contact numbers; this includes all telephone numbers i.e child minders and emergency contact details
• If you are leaving the area or changing schools, please complete a Leaver’s Form (available at the school office).    Schools and the local authority are obliged to track pupils missing from school.  This can be intrusive in the absence of reliable or confirmed information

• While we expect a parent to contact us with a reason for absence, on occasions they might forget to inform the school we will endeavour to call text or contact parents and  may follow up unexplained absences by phone calls, emails, letters as necessary.  Schools also have a safeguarding role so on occasion, home visits may be made by school staff or by the Local Authority School Attendance Officer if a parent cannot be otherwise contacted.
• Remind parents of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in our letters, the school brochure, on our website, at open evenings and in pupil’s annual reports.·
• Publish our attendance data on the school website
• Acknowledge and reward good attendance and punctuality

• If your child has a documented medical condition, we will devise a care plan with you/your GP to support your child in school; this might also require us to refer to the school nurse. 
• If your child has a documented medical condition that hinders regular attendance we will wish to discuss this with you and devise a care plan to support missed learning as necessary.
• Let you know if we have concerns regarding your child’s attendance or punctuality. 

The school will express ‘a concern’ either verbally or by letter. If attendance does not improve or explanations for absence are unsatisfactory you may be invited to a meeting. The school will also outline what the attendance expectations are and what actions will follow and we will seek to support you.   You may be asked to agree a ‘Parenting Agreement/Contract’. A referral may also be made to the Borough’s School Attendance Service, whose officers visit the school regularly to review and support attendance and punctuality issues.

Where attendance concerns persist, the school will escalate the matter to the Borough Court Officer; this includes unauthorised absence due to significant lateness.