What School Does to Support Strong Attendance

• We have high expectations and aspirations for all our students.
• We make sure that there are good reasons to attend school each day. For example, our subject teachers make lessons interesting and engaging.
• We also provide lots of extra-curricular activities through our extra-time and sports clubs.
• We record and monitor every child’s attendance and punctuality closely. This then leads to constructive conversations with our students and parents/carers around attendance.
• Our attendance officer, pastoral leaders and family support workers will telephone or email on the first day of any unexplained absence. This is to keep our students safe and to offer support.
• We work closely with other professionals such as the Oxfordshire County Attendance and Engagement Team.

What Can Parents/Carers Do to Support Strong Attendance?

• Talk regularly with your child about school and how they feel about it. They are more likely to attend if they feel supported and anxieties listened to.
• Telephone us as soon as possible to tell us why your child is absent, and when you expect them to return. Save the school number to your phone to make things easy on those busy mornings.
• Encourage resilience by only granting days at home for genuine illness.
• Know routines of the school day to avoid issues, e.g. have they got their PE Kit?
• Never take holidays in school time.
• Praise and reward good attendance from your children.
• If you have any concerns… ring us – we will check attendance and be discreet with you.
• Talk to us to resolve issues. There is a strong pastoral team to support you and your child. You are not alone.

Important Information – The following information outlines some important housekeeping:

The School Day

The school day begins at 8:40am. Your child must be in their tutor room to be registered at this time if they are to avoid being marked late or absent for the morning session. Students arriving after that time must sign in at main reception. Our morning register closes at 9.15 and students arriving after that time without a valid reason will be marked as an Unauthorised absence. The school day finishes at 3:15pm.

Reporting An Absence

If an absence is unavoidable, please contact Mrs Whyte (our Attendance Officer): 01608 656854 or email [email protected]. The school absence line is a 24/7 messaging system. You can leave a message at any time. When reporting an absence please ensure the reason for the absence is clear, try to avoid using general terms such as “unwell”.

What is an Authorised Absence?

• When the school is satisfied that the absence was for a good and legally acceptable reason.
• When the school has been informed of an illness.
• When the school is informed of an intended absence, such as a dental appointment that cannot be arranged outside of school hours.
• When the absence is the result of the pupil taking part in a day of religious observance.

What is an Unauthorised Absence?

• When no reason for the absence has been provided.
• When the absence is for a reason that the school cannot accept, for example a shopping trip or looking after a younger child at home.
• When the parent takes the child away from school for a trip, visit or holiday that has not been agreed by the school.

Long periods of unauthorised absence

• May result in a fine.
• Court proceedings.

Medical Appointments

• Where possible please make these appointments out of school hours.
• In the event that medical appointments can only be made during school hours, please send your child to school with a letter which they need to show to their tutor/class teacher.
• Your child must sign out at reception (leaving the letter with the receptionist) before leaving school
• On returning to school your child must sign back in at reception.

Holidays during Term Time

The Headteacher will not grant leave of absence unless in exceptional circumstances. An application must be made in advance to the Headteacher and leave of absence is granted entirely at the Headteacher’s discretion.

If families do take holidays during term time, without consent, these absences will not be authorised and may result in a fine. If you take your child on holiday for two weeks every year, your child will miss more than six months education during the time they are of statutory school age.  Children of statutory school age are required to attend school on 190 days a year. This means that there are 175 days in a year when your child is not required to attend school.

What will happen if I take my child on holiday without permission from school?

 If a term-time holiday is taken without permission, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and a referral may be made to the County Attendance Team. This may result in the issue of an Education Penalty Notice under section 444A Education Act 1996 in respect of each absent child, to each parent/carer. Penalty notices are intended as an alternative to prosecution. 

The first Penalty Notice is a charge of £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice, increasing to £160 if paid between day 21 and day 28. Where it is deemed appropriate to issue a second Penalty Notice to the same parent for the same child within 3 years of the first notice, the second notice is charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days. If the penalty is not paid in full within 28 days, the usual consequence is a Magistrates’ Court prosecution for the underlying section 444(1) Education Act 1996 offence of failure to secure regular school attendance. A third Penalty Notice cannot be issued to the same parent for the same child within 3 years of the first notice, and so in cases where the national threshold is met for a third or subsequent time another action will be taken instead, which may include the local authority considering prosecution.

And finally

As parents/carers you have a legal responsibility to ensure that your child attends school regularly but also play an important role in encouraging your child to see the significance of education. Further information regarding attendance can be found in our attendance policy on our website.