Attendance policy - Wardle Academy · Attendance Policy ... To keep an accurate and up to date record of attendance. ... the case will be closed and the warning letter kept on file

1 Review April 2015 Approved by Governors

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Wardle Academy


Attendance Policy

Aim

To raise levels of achievement and personal development by ensuring high levels of attendance, punctuality and

involvement in the school.

The target for whole school attendance for 2015/16 is to be not less than 95%.

This policy complies with Rochdale Attendance and Safeguarding Team’s Penalty Notice Protocol (September 13).

Objectives

1. To keep an accurate and up to date record of attendance.

2. To liaise with parents/carers on attendance and punctuality issues.

3. To identify the causes of non- attendance and take action.

4. To improve attendance in individuals, groups and the school.

5. To take action with pupils who are persistently late.

6. To praise pupils for good attendance and punctuality.

7. To maintain and promote positive relationships with staff and peers.

Wardle Academy is committed to equality in the provision of its’ services to all pupils, their families, staff and other

stakeholders.

This ensures that all members of the school and other users will receive the highest possible standards of service from

the school, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, chronic illness, religion or beliefs.

Identifying Problems

Each Form Tutor should identify those pupils currently causing a concern with regards to attendance and punctuality

and refer to the Head of House and/or the Attendance Officer.

Is the pupil absent for long periods of time?

Is the pattern weekly on the same days?

Are there any other children absent at the same time?

Is the child unhappy in his/her form group?

Is there any bullying (including name calling and verbal bulling)?

Are the pupil’s friends aware of any problems?

Is the pupil constantly wandering around the school and going to the reception feeling ill or saying that they have hurt themselves to attempt to be sent home?

Are there any issues outside of school that are affecting their attendance?


Formal Closure of Registers

The formal closure of Registers will be 30 minutes after the start of the school day.

Pupils arriving within the 30 minutes, immediately after the Register has been taken, will be given a late mark.

Immediate detention sanctioned for that evening with a member of SLT for 30 minutes.

Pupils arriving after the 30 minutes, after Registers have closed, will receive an unauthorised absence.

20 unauthorised absences produces School Attendance Officer attention and can lead to legal proceedings.

Unauthorised absences are included for Persistent Absentees and School Attendance Officer involvement is

inevitable (see section on Persistent Absentees for further details)

Pupils arriving late due to a Medical Appointment will receive an authorised absence. Medical appointments, were possible, should be made at the end of the school day. When arriving to school late a slip will be issued by

Student Reception and this is to be handed in to the teacher to confirm the student is late to school.

Authorised Absences

Late before the Registers close

Illness

Hospital Admission

Doctors or Dentist Appointments

Exclusions

Exceptional circumstances as agreed with the Headteacher

Unauthorised Absences

Late after Registers have closed

Holidays in Term Time

Truancy

Failure to comply with After School Exclusion provision

Failure to comply with the Behaviour Policy and complete Off-Site Exclusion provision

Persistent Absentees

Attendance impacts on all aspects of school life. Poor attendance hinders student personal development, attainment

and integration with peers and staff.

The Academy consider intervention as imperative with pupils who have excessive amounts of authorised or unauthorised absences.

Persistent Absentees are worked out as follows:-

Absent for 11+ sessions up to the October half term (5.5 Days)

23+ sessions up to Christmas (11.5 Days)

30+ sessions up to the February half term (15 Days)

42+ sessions up to Easter (21 Days)

60+ sessions up to the summer (30 Days)


Please note that, in addition to the above, a minimum of 20 sessions (10 school days) lost to unauthorised absence by a

pupil during the current term or within any 12 week period may result in the issuing of a fixed penalty notice.

Signing in and out

Each pupil must sign in and out at reception and must always have a note in their planner from their parent. Form Tutors should be aware of any absence throughout the day and must keep their respective pastoral secretary informed at all times.

Pupils signing out of school on a regular basis will be referred to the Attendance Officer to review. The Attendance Officer to contact parents/carers to inform them of Wardle Academy's concern at the persistent signing out and identify

any issues that may be the cause.

Suggestions for reducing levels of un-authorised absence and monitoring attendance

Form tutors have initial responsibility for ensuring that pupils and parents comply with the need to inform the

school of any absence at any time. Form Tutor's to issue a reminder in the Pupil's Diary requesting the reason for the absence on the pupil's return to school; if a reason for absence has not already been given.

Truancy Call should be authorised by the respective pastoral secretary after appropriate checks regarding parent

telephone calls; exclusions and Headteacher authorisation of absence have been made.

Pastoral secretaries should be asked to send a letter to parents if a message of explanation has not been received by the time the pupil returns to school.

Heads of House/Year will become involved if an explanation has not been received and a more strongly worded

reminder will be sent.

If the absence has not been authorised within fourteen school days a further letter reminding parents/carers of their legal responsibilities will be sent home signed by the appropriate Head of School, the School Attendance

Officer will be notified and the absence will be unauthorised until a response is received.

Fortnightly pastoral meetings should include an item about attendance accompanied by the appropriate information.

Heads of House\Year, the Attendance Officer and Pastoral secretaries should be checking registers and absence figures

each week.

Pastoral secretaries will ensure that Form Tutors enter the correct codes into the system.

The Attendance Officer will monitor any Wardle Academy pupils who are currently participating with the Managed

Move Protocol and liaise with the holding school to support with attendance and punctuality.

Positive steps towards supporting attendance

A register should be taken every lesson so that appropriate checks can be made

Percentage attendances for Form Tutor groups should be kept weekly and the winner announced in

assembly and displayed prominently in the year area.

Students record attendance weekly in planners.

Spot checks will be made by the Attendance Officer on a daily basis to prevent pupils truanting after

registration.

Provisions will be available to access for the Additional Needs pupils who have their education interrupted because of their disabilities.


Attendance Clinic to support pupils and their families; to identify and resolve issues that prevent the pupil

from accessing school regularly.

Current and up to date contact information for school records

Requests for Family Holidays/Term Time Absence

Parents/carers are strongly urged to avoid booking family holidays or other term time absences during term time. Due to changes in Department for Education statutory guidance to schools with effect from September 2013, the

headteacher may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Most family holidays will not qualify as exceptional circumstances. The headteacher will look at each request individually.

However, the headteacher will not authorise absences, even if exceptional circumstances apply, if:-

• The student is in Year 11 (their GCSE year)

• For absences that are near examinations/tests for Year 9, 10 & 11

• If overall student attendance is under the school target of 95%

• If the absence is being taken without parents/carers

• If the absence is at the start of the academic year

Please note that any unauthorised absence will count towards the issuing of a fixed penalty notice if overall attendance is unsatisfactory.

If a parent/carer believes that their request for leave of absence is exceptional it should be submitted on a ‘Request for

Term Time Absence Form’ available from the Pastoral Office at least two weeks before the intended absence.

Changing Schools

A pupil will not be removed from the 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 name of the new school and the address

The new home address if 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 staff

have not been given the above information, the family will be referred to the Education Welfare Team of Rochdale

Municipal Borough Council.

Penalty Notice Protocol

In compliance with The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations 2007, the Academy policy complements the

Rochdale Code of Practice as laid out in their Penalty Notice Protocol – for Non School Attendance (September 2013)

Section 23 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 empowers designated Local Authority Officers, Headteachers (or Deputy Headteachers/Assistant Headteachers as authorised by the Headteacher) and the Police to issue Penalty Notices

in cases of unauthorised absence from school.

A Penalty Notice can only be issued in cases of unauthorised absence.


This includes

• Overt truancy

• Parentally-condoned absences

• Unauthorised holidays in term timem

• Excessive delayed return from extended holidays without school agreement

• Persistent late arrival to school once the register has closed

• Where a pattern of poor attendance develops towards the end of a pupil’s final year of statutory education.

This is not an exhaustive list.

To ensure consistent delivery of Penalty Notices the academy applies the following criteria.

Parents (That is, anyone who is a parent of a child within the meaning of Section 576 of the Education Act 1996) of a

child with a minimum of 20 sessions (10 school days) lost to unauthorised absence during the current term or within any 12 week period is at risk of a Penalty Notice.

The Academy will initially issue a formal warning and allow the parents a 15 school day period to effect an improvement

(See appendices 1). There is no right of appeal by parents against a penalty notice, so these 15 days allows parents time to make representations to the school. The Academy defines improvement as ‘no further unauthorised absence during

the 15 day period’. If this improvement is achieved, the case will be closed and the warning letter kept on file. If the

child subsequently has 10 sessions (=5 days) of unauthorised absence, the school may issue a Penalty Notice (see

appendices 2) if the criteria are met. This may occur without sending a second warning letter.

Procedure for issuing Penalty Notices

1 The Academy will have employed a range of strategies for dealing with poor attendance ahead of issuing a Penalty

Notice. These include:-

• Investigating the reasons for absence

• Meeting with parents, including Staff Attendance Officer home visit/s

• Invitation to an attendance clinic chaired by the headteacher/deputy headteacher/assistant headteacher with a

planned set of actions as an outcome

• Certificate of Improvement signed by the headteacher

• Warning to parents at the outset of a possible prosecution

• Consideration and completion of a Common Assessment Form where appropriate.

The Academy completes an Attendance Overview Form. See Appendices 3. This form will be completed for

headteacher/governor consideration ahead issuing a Penalty Notice. It will also be submitted to the Local Authority if a

prosecution for the non-payment of the Penalty Notice is requested.

2 In considering the issuing of a Penalty Notice, the headteacher will ensure that:-

a) all the relevant information is supplied in the specified manner.

b) the circumstances of the pupil’s absence meet all the requirements of the Academy Attendance Policy and the

Rochdale M.B. C. Protocol.

c) family circumstances to pay are set against the likelihood of securing an improved attendance by issuing a

Penalty Notice.


d) the issuing of a Penalty Notice does not conflict with other interventions strategies in place or other

enforcement sanctions already being processed.

If all the processes have been correctly followed, and having taken account of (a) to (d) above, a formal written warning

to the parents on behalf of the Academy will sent outlining the details of the offence and advising that a Penalty Notice

may be issued.

3 If the appropriate improvement has not been achieved by the end of the prescribed period a Penalty Notice will be

issued. Penalty Notices will only be issued by post and never as an on the spot action; this is to satisfy that all evidential requirements are in place and to meet Health and Safety requirements. No more than two Penalty Notices

per child will be issued in any twelve-month period to any one parent.

Criteria for the withdrawal of Penalty Notices

Once issued, a Penalty Notice will only be withdrawn in the following circumstances;-

• Proof has been established that the Penalty Notice was issued to the wrong person

• The use of the Penalty Notice did not conform to the terms of this Protocol

• The Penalty Notice is not paid in full within 42 days and subsequent checks indicate that no offence has been

committed.

• Safeguarding/Welfare concerns

Payment of Penalty Notices

Arrangements for payment will be detailed on the Penalty Notice. This payment will be made to Rochdale Metropolitan

Borough Council. Payment of a Penalty Notice discharges the parent/carer liability for the period in question and they

cannot subsequently be prosecuted under other enforcement providers for the period covered by the Penalty Notice.

The Penalties are as follows:-

• If paid within 21 days, the penalty is £60

• If paid after 21 days, but within 28 days the penalty is £120

After 28 days, the academy will formally request that the local authority proceed to prosecution.


APPENDIX

SAMPLE FORMAL WARNING LETTER FOR PENALTY NOTICES

Dear (Name)

The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations 2007

Warning of Penalty Notice

Under the Education Act 1996, parents and carers have a duty to make sure their children regularly attend school. If parents or carers fail to do this, they can be prosecuted.

Working within the Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council’s Code of Conduct the Academy can issue a Penalty Notice

to parents or carers if a child has missed twenty or more sessions (1 session = ½ day) over the current term or previous

twelve weeks without permission from the school.

(Name of child) has been absent from school for twenty or more sessions in the current term or previous twelve weeks

without prior authorization or an acceptable reason being given to the Headteacher.

This absence has, therefore, been recorded as unauthorised in the school register.

I need to inform you that the level of (Name of child) unauthorised absence places you at risk of a Penalty Notice and /

or a Court Action led by the Local Authority.

Providing there are no further unauthorised absences within the next 15 school days of the receipt of this letter a Penalty Notice will not be issued on this occasion.

I must also draw your attention to the fact that should (Name of child) have more unauthorised absences with the next 12 months, you may receive a Penalty Notice without further warning.

Yours sincerely


APPENDIX 2

FIXED PENALTY NOTICE

(Alleged offender)

(Child – Date of Birth)

I, Graham Wright, an authorised officer of Wardle Academy have reason to believe that (Name of Child – Date of Birth)

was absent from school on (x) occasions between (Dates – time period) representing total attendance in school over

that time period of (x%).

If a child of compulsory school age who is registered at a school fails to attend regularly at the school then the parent is

guilty of an offence under Section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996.

This notice offers you the opportunity to discharge any liability to conviction for the above offence by payment of a fixed

penalty. If you pay the penalty of £120 within 14 days no further proceedings will be taken. If you do not pay the fixed

penalty within that time, you may be prosecuted for the offence described above and, if convicted, could receive a much

larger fine of up to £2500 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months. It is not a defence in court to say that you did not know that your child was absent from school or that they were being bullied at the time.

You may pay the lesser amount of £60 if you do so within 10 days of receiving this notice.

Payment must be made to (Name/Title and address of Officer at Rochdale MBC) to whom payments should be sent.

G Wright - Authorised Officer (Headteacher – Wardle Academy)

Signature Date

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Serial No. 10000(x)

This slip must accompany your payment

To (Name/Title and address of Officer at Rochdale MBC)

I enclose with this letter the amount of £…

Signature Date

NAME (BLOCK LETTERS)

ADDRESS (BLOCK LETTERS)


Please make cheques payable to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Alternatively you can pay by credit or debit card:

Credit card / Debit Card ____________________

Card number ____________________

Start Date (if applicable) ____________________

Expiry Date ____________________

Issue no. (debit card only) ____________________

Signature of cardholder ____________________

(Reverse side of Fixed Penalty Notice) Prosecution for non-attendance at School

Parents are strongly advised to seek legal help at the earliest opportunity. If you require legal advice, lists of solicitors

are available at the Citizens Advice Bureau. www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

The Law

The Education Act 1996 (Section 444) states:-

‘If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school his parent

is guilty of an offence’.

The offence is called a “strict liability” offence. This means that if you are the parent of the child and that child is on roll

at a school and they have not attended regularly then the court must find you guilty of the offence unless you have a

defence.

A Parent is defined in law as:-

• All natural parents, whether married or not

• Any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a young person

Any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person.

The fact that you do not live with the child is not a defence against securing their attendance at school.

The Defences

For any case brought before the magistrates under section 444 there are only these possible defences.

• The child had leave of absence. That means that you can prove that the headteacher gave permission for your child to be absent.

• The child was too sick. This could be proved by the production of a medical certificate or letter from your doctor.

• The child was unavoidably absent. This means that there were exceptional circumstances preventing your child

from attending school. This may be difficult to prove.

• The child was absent for any day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which his

parent belongs. It is unlikely that this defence would apply to all the dates on your summons.

• The school is not within “walking distance” of the child’s home and no suitable alternative arrangements have

been made by the LA. This distance is 3 miles, and it means that the LA has an obligation to provide transport.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/


A defence would be to prove that the LA had not done so by providing copies of correspondence.

• The child has no fixed abode and the parent can prove that they were travelling for the purposes of obtaining work.

It is for the parents to prove that one or more of these defences apply.

It is not a defence to say that you did not know that your child was absent from school or that they were being bullied

at the time.


APPENDIX 3

Attendance Overview (Consideration of FPN or Request for Prosecution)

Student Name:

School:

M/F: D o B:

Home Address:

Year Group:

Ethnicity:

Siblings in school:

Current Attendance:

%

SEN Category:

School Action School Action + Statement Looked After Child

Full Name of Parents:

First language spoken:

Home Tel. no:

Work Tel. no:

Mobile Tel no:

Date the parent warned of possible FPA (Formal Warning Letter):

School Actions:

Attendance Officer involvement

Yes No

Home Visit

Initial letter of concern issued

Attendance at Attendance Clinic offered

Attendance at Attendance Clinic

Attendance Improvement Plan in place

CAF considered

CAF (if appropriate) in place

Formal Warning Letter issued


Evidence of improvement at any stage of the school based actions:

Primary parental defence for non-attendance:

Please indicate below the paperwork that will be available for the Headteacher/ Governors/LA Officers to assess

recommendation for issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice/Prosecution.

Copy of initial letter of concern

Any medical evidence (where relevant)

Records of attendance meetings held with parents

Records of home visit made by school staff or appointed representative

Copy of Attendance Improvement Plan

Electronic register history

Attendance Certificate of Improvement as signed by the headteacher

Copy of Formal Warning Letter

Please state any actions taken to support the child’s broader social, emotional & behavioural needs

Offered? Start/ End date

Common Assessment Form (CAF)

Referrals made to other external agencies

Transport assistance investigated

Reduced timetable

Alternative provision

Altered curriculum

Time out at another school

Help with catching up missed work

Motivational rewards

Behaviour support

Pastoral Support Plan

Managed move

Change of tutor group

Bullying resolution (incl. restorative justice)

Mentoring/buddying

School nurse

Counselling


Parenting help/referral

Other strategy/support – Please outline

APPENDIX 4

Attendance Improvement Plan

Name: Year: Date plan drawn up:

Present:

Current Attendance %:

Background:

Student agrees

to:

Parent (s) agrees

to:


School agrees to:

Other agency

agrees to:

Agreed Attendance Target:

Review Date:

As Parent/Carer of ………………………………… I understand that failure to meet these targets may result in legal

proceedings being taken against me.

Signed:

Pupil ………………………..…………….. School …………………………………..

Parent …………………………….………. Other …………………………………....

Documents

Attendance policy - Wardle Academy · Attendance Policy ... To keep an accurate and up to date record of attendance. ... the case will be closed and the warning letter kept on file