Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE POLICY : REGISTER ADMINISTRATION

Aims

To achieve the best possible record of attendance and punctuality.

To comply with Government policy on Attendance and Social Inclusion.

This policy document has been written using relevant extracts from Warrington Borough Councils Guidance for Schools on Attendance Issues which is based on DFEE guidelines:

The Legal Framework

Education Act 1996:

The duty placed upon parents to ensure that their children attend school is contained in Section 7:

"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive efficient, full time education suitable to his/her age, aptidude and ability and to any special educational needs him/her may have either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."

Section 444 of the same Act states that:

" The parent of a child of compulory school age registered at school and failing to attend regularly is guilty of an offence punishable by law."

Defences open to parents to show that an offence has not been committed are of follows:

· The pupil was absent with leave

· The pupil was ill or prevented from attending by unavoidable cause

· The absence occurred on day set aside for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong

· The school is not within the prescribed walking distance of the child's home and no suitable transport arrangements have been made by the LEA.

NB The most significant of these defences is "by reason of sickness or any unavoidable cause". The courts have determined that where the pupil is marked in the register as being authorised absent this constitutes an aceptance by the school that the absence was "unavoidable".

SCHOOL DAY :-

Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2

From 9.05 to 11.55am : Morning session From 9.00 to 12.30 : Morning session

1.00 to 3.25 pm : Afternoon session From 1.20 to 3.30 : Afternoon session

Registration Procedure and the Categorisation of Absence

Effective registration practices are the underpinning of the successful mangement of pupil absence. Registration should be seen as an important part of the school day and not just an administrative routine. The emphasis put on receiving parental notes explaining

All children will be registered twice daily at the following times:

All Junior classes (Year 3 to Year 6) 9.00am and 1.20pm

All Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) 9.05am and by 1.00pm

Since 1997 there are 4 registration categories:

· Present forward or reverse oblique

· Approved Educational Activity : denoted by a letter with no circle - O

· Authorised Absence  denoted by a red circle O with the appropriate letter inside.

· Unauthorised Absence  denoted by a red cirle O with no letter inserted (except for lateness after registration.

Recommended Register codes:

Approved Educational Activity (no O)

Approved sporting activity

School visits and field trips

Authorised Absence (red O with the appropriate letter inserted)

Absent for performance licensed by LEA

Pupil attending another school/unit and being marked there

Special family circumstances not covered elsewhere

Exclusion fixed term and permanent awaiting confirmation

Family Holiday in term time

Attending interview

Illness/medical

Day of religious observance

Study leave

Traveller absence (children expected to return to school)

Unauthorised Absence

No satisfactory explanation received

Unauthorised holiday

Lateness

Late within the registration period or for an acceptable reason (present)

Late after the registration period or withoutacceptable reason (unauthorised absence)

Authorised Absence

The decision as to whether an absence is authorised rests solely with the school not with the parents.

OMR Registers should be marked using a pencil. Care should be taken in entering each term correctly. Daily and weekly totals should be entered in the appropriate boxes.

Notified authorised absences are entered daily on the staffroom noticeboards. Holiday forms should be used for holiday absence.

All notes should be sent to the office regularly and kept in a folder until the end of the school year.

If a child fails to bring a letter authorising the absence and if no telephone message has been received, please remind the child that a note is needed. If no note arrives a standard letter may be sent home by the class teacher reminding parents of the need for authorisation. If parents fail to respond to a number of letters the EWO will be informed and appropriate action taken,

Lateness

The length of time that the register is kept open is at the discretion of the Headteacher. At Barrow Hall, lateness is defined as being 15 minutes after the commencement of a school session.

If a child is regularly late the parents will be contacted in an effort to resolve the problem. If lateness persists the EWO will be informed and appropriate action taken.

The follow up of Absence

· Class teacher picks up absence.

· Parents are encouraged to confirm reason by telephone on the first morning of absence

· If no contact with school has been made a routine, friendly telephone call will be made to check the situation with the parent. This will be done by the office staff after notification from the class teacher.

· Pupil brings note on return, even if reason has ben given by telephone call.

· Any uncertainties are related to Mrs Jane Dilorenzo

· Parents of children with persistent lates and/or absence would be sent a letter inviting them into school.

· If parents do not respond referral to schools Education Welfare Officer.

JD Reviewed April 2009

Next review April 2010