Attendance
Attendance
Attending every day gives your child the best chance of success. Those who attend every day, on time, attain higher grades and will be able to go on to attend the best universities, or a real alternative.
It is the law that parents or carers must make sure their child of compulsory school age receives a full-time education. As a parent or carer, you are responsible for making sure they go on time every day.
All students are expected to attend school every day. Whilst occasional sickness is unavoidable, it is of key importance that the attendance of every student is kept above 97%.
If a student is regularly absent, they will fall behind with learning, this makes attendance fundamental in making sure young people become successful learners.
A child who misses school for at least 10% of the time is considered a persistently absent child and prolonged or frequent absenteeism is treated seriously. Parents are breaking the law when their child regularly misses school and can therefore be fined. New statutory attendance guidance details below
Penalty notices will be issued by the local authority for each student absent from the Academy.
For Example: If 3 siblings are absent from the Academy, this would result in each parent receiving 3 separate fines.
Penalty notices can be issued for the following reasons:
- 5 consecutive days of term time leave.
- 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10-week period. Penalty notices will be considered when there have been 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10-week period.
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First offence |
The first time a penalty notice is issued for term time leave or irregular attendance, the amount will be £160 per parent, per child to be paid within 28 days issued to and to be paid to the local authority. The fine will be reduced by the local authority to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days. |
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Second offence (within 3 years) |
The second time a penalty notice is issued for term time leave or irregular attendance, the amount will be £160 per parent, per child to be paid within 28 days issued to and to be paid to the local authority. |
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Third offence and any further offences (within 3 years) |
The third time a penalty notice is issued for term time leave or irregular attendance, a penalty notice will not be issued. Instead the case will be presented at the Magistrate’s court. A Magistrates fine can be up to £2500 per parent per child. Cases found to be guilty in Magistrates court can show on a future DBS certificate due to failure to safeguard a child’s education. |
Types of Absence
Unauthorised absence is when children miss school without permission. For example, a birthday treat, a day trip, over sleeping, taking a long weekend or shopping.
Authorised absence is when the Headteacher gives permission for a student to be absent. Parents must complete a Term Time Leave Request in advance explaining the reason and providing supporting evidence for any exceptional circumstances.
We define exceptional to mean very rare, unusual or unforeseeable circumstances. A form can be found by clicking the link below. However, please be advised that holidays in term time will not be authorised by the Academy and will result in a penalty notice being issued by the local authority.
If you wish to request term-time leave, then you should collect a Leave of Absence form from the school and return it.
Illness
If your child is genuinely too ill to attend school then you need to contact school every day of absence to give reason for the absence via Studybugs. If your child has a long-term sickness, please contact us to discuss additional support we may be able to provide.
Medical evidence may be required and the Headteacher will have final decision as to whether the absence is authorised or unauthorised.
REMEMBER: regardless of whether absence is authorised or not, absence is absence and your child’s attendance will be affected. We can only give a present mark when students are in the Academy.
Ways to report absence from the Academy:
As you may already be aware, we use the student absence reporting system called Studybugs. This system is quick and easy to use. The only way you will be able to inform the school of your child’s absence will be via Studybugs.
If you have not signed up to Studybugs, use the following link: Studybugs website
Reminder, please only register student absence only through the Studybugs app. Please do not use this app to report that your child is late. When a student is late for school, when they arrive they will sign in via our check-in system at reception and will be marked on the register as late.
Thank you for your support.
Studybugs frequently asked questions:
What time should parents/carers report an absence by?
As early as possible, only on the day of the absence. You cannot mark an absence for a future day in the week.
What happens if a parent/carer does not report an absence?
An automatic Studybugs message will be sent out to the parent/carer. After 2 days of absence, the form tutor will phone the parent/carer.
Can parents/carers still phone in to report absence?
No, we all encourage all parents/carers to use the Studybugs app.
Top 3 reasons to use Studybugs
- It’s integrated with our systems, so we know right away if your child is unaccounted for.
- It’s quick and easy to register and use and automatically reminds you to keep us posted.
- You’ll be helping the NHS and other public health organisations improve children’s health. (Studybugs website)
Click to download the studybugs parent/carer help guide
How can you support outstanding attendance?
- Make any appointments outside school hours or during school holidays wherever possible.
- If this cannot be done please book these at the start or end of the Academy day to minimise the impact of lost learning. Evidence such as appointment confirmation texts or appointment cards / letters must be provided to the Academy.
- Attending appointments does not mean your child should have a full day off. Ensure your child attends the Academy before or after appointments.
- The NHS pharmacies first scheme can also support and are accessible outside of Academy hours
- Figure out the reasons for absence as this can help you understand where your child needs support in overcoming barriers to attending school
- Establish a good routine so that your child gets into good habits e.g. getting plenty of sleep, setting the alarm to allow plenty of time to get ready, prepare uniform and school bag the night before.
- Offer support with homework and take an interest in their learning
- Attend Academic Review Days to discuss your child’s progress
- Take trips during school holidays not in term time
- Do not allow days off for minor illness or ailments use the NHS website for additional guidance Is my child too ill for School?
- Ensure your child has a good understanding of why attendance is important
- Keep in regular contact with the Academy and discuss any issues as soon as possible