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Attendance and Absence

Regular attendance at school is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to extend their potential. The attendance pattern for all children is monitored weekly by the school.
We seek to work actively with parents to ensure a regular pattern is maintained.

Non-attendance is an important issue that is treated seriously. However, each case is different, and the school acknowledges that no one standard response will be appropriate in every case. Consideration is given to all factors affecting attendance before deciding what intervention strategies to apply.
In every case, early intervention is essential to prevent the problem from worsening. It is essential that parents keep the school fully informed of any matters that may affect their child's attendance.

If a child is absent they cannot learn.

A holiday, visiting relatives and other similar reasons however are unacceptable reason for absence and will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Continued unauthorised absences are always followed up by the school and/or Local Authority Attendance Service. Every time a child is missing from school the absence will be followed up immediately by telephone or a home visit.

Holidays In School Time

Children need to be in school to learn. There is no right to time off for holidays or visits during term times. Families are asked to take their holidays during the times when the school is closed. The Beeches Primary School is a very popular school. Many of our classes are full and often extra families would like their children to come to the school. If you decide to take your child on holiday during term time, please be aware that after twenty days of unauthorised absence your child’s place at the school could be lost if another child is waiting to join that year group.

Our Attendance Policy highlights the importance of requesting time off in advance using the leave of absence request form. The absence request form is available from the school office or from our website. A penalty notice can be issued for any time off school without prior authorisation by the Headteacher

Parental Responsibility

Throughout this policy the term 'parent' represents one parent, both parents, or carer with whom the child resides.
Parents are informed of their responsibility to ensure their children attend regularly, in the school prospectus. 
Punctuality is also stressed as lateness impacts on learning not only for the individual, but the class as a whole.
Attendance is discussed with each parent at consultation evenings, with the current percentage attendance being reported.
Parents have a legal obligation to ensure their children receive a full time education. This is achieved by regular attendance at school and arriving at school on time.
Lateness of more than 20 minutes after start time, results in an unauthorised absence for the whole morning session. This has an effect on the child's overall attendance percentage. 
When a child is unwell, parents should contact the school by 9am on each day of absence informing the school of the reason for absence. The school's telephone number is 209877 option 1, where a voicemail can be left.

School Responsibility

The Senior Management Team and all teaching staff work to ensure a high level of enjoyment and commitment to learning as a means of ensuring regular attendance.
The School’s Attendance Officer holds responsibility for attendance matters.
Where school attendance problems occur, the school will endeavour to work with parents in the interests of the child to achieve a resolution.
Attendance is recorded and data stored and analysed using the Scholarpack Attendance system.
It is a statutory duty for class teachers to call and maintain accurate registers; these are legal documents, and may be called for as evidence by the court. Class Teachers are legally responsible for marking their class attendance register twice per day at the start of each session.
The Headteacher, not parents, authorises absence; 
Absence for any reason during term time is discouraged.
Absence known to be for the following reasons may be authorised:

  • Illness
  • Religious observance
  • Attendance at medical appointments which can not be made outside school hours. Please provide evidence of appointments in advance, where possible.

When it has become necessary to make a referral to the Peterborough City Council Attendance Service all further absences will be unauthorised pending investigation. A representative liaises with the school regarding absences following contact with the parents.
Calls from parents regarding absence are logged. After registration, checks are made to ensure that all children are accounted for. Telephone calls are made, or text messages sent to parents of children who are not in school to ensure that children are safe; this forms part of our Child Protection procedure. If no contact is made with parents, the absence will be marked as unauthorised.

Family Holidays during Term Time (Updated September 2013)

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England)(Amendment) Regulations 2013 come into force on 1st September 2013.

  • Parents and carers do not have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and have to apply for permission in advance. Such permission can only be granted in exceptional circumstances to the person with parental responsibility, and only if made in advance.
  • The time for the payment of Education Penalty Notices will be reduced. From 1 September 2013,  parents  will be required to pay £60 within 21 days and £120 within 28 days.

Statutory instruments 2013 No. 756 

EDUCATION, ENGLAND

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment)

Regulations 2013

Made - - - - 26th March 2013

Laid before Parliament 4th April 2013

Coming into force - - 1st September 2013

The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by

sections 434(3), 551(1) and 569(4) of the Education Act 1996(a).

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Pupil Registration) (England)

(Amendment) Regulations 2013 and come into force on 1st September 2013.

Amendments to the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006

2.—(1) The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006(b) are amended as

follows.

(2) In regulation 7—

(a) after paragraph (1) insert—

“(1A) Subject to paragraph (2), leave of absence shall not be granted unless—

(a) an application has been made in advance to the proprietor by a parent with whom

the pupil normally resides; and

(b) the proprietor, or a person authorised by the proprietor in accordance with

paragraph (1), considers that leave of absence should be granted due to the

exceptional circumstances relating to that application.”;

(b) omit paragraphs (3) and (4);

(3) In regulation 8(1)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (f)—

(i) omit “exceeding ten school days for the purpose of a holiday”;

(ii) for “regulation 7(3)”, substitute “regulation 7(1A)”;

(b) for sub-paragraph (k) substitute—

(a) 1996 c.56 (“the 1996 Act”). There are amendments to sections 551(1) and 569(4) of the 1996 Act not relevant to these

Regulations. See section 579(1) of the 1996 Act for the definition of “Regulations”.

(b) S.I 2006/1751, as amended by S.I. 2007/603, S.I. 2010/1725, S.I. 2011/1625 and S.I. 2012/1033.

“(k) that the pupil will cease to be of compulsory school age before the school next

meets and—

(i) the relevant person has indicated that the pupil will cease to attend the school;

or

(ii) the pupil does not meet the academic entry requirements for admission to the

school’s sixth form.”.

Elizabeth Truss

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

26th March 2013 Department for Education

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (“the

2006 Regulations”).

Regulation 7 of the 2006 Regulations is amended to prohibit the proprietor of a maintained school

granting leave of absence to a pupil except where an application has been made in advance and the

proprietor and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the

application.

Regulation 8(1)(k) of the 2006 Regulations is amended to provide that the name of the pupil must

be deleted from the school’s admissions register where the pupil will cease to be of compulsory

school age before the school next meets and either the pupil (where they are 18) or their parent has

indicated that they will no longer attend the school or where the pupil does not meet the academic

entry requirements for the school’s sixth form.

An impact assessment has not been provided for this instrument as no impact on businesses or

civil society organisations is foreseen. The instrument has no impact on the public sector.

Rewards

The prime benefit derived from regular attendance is that continuity and progression in learning are ensured.
Certificates are awarded at the end of each term for 100% attendance. This is celebrated in assemblies.
Where positive impact is required, all staff in contact with the child must take extra care to welcome the child each morning, praise punctual attendance and acknowledge the effort the child has made. 
It is also appropriate to recognise the effort the parent has made to secure the child’s attendance.
Individual sticker rewards are sometimes employed as an additional incentive where appropriate; these are designed according to the child's particular need.

Penalty notices

Penalty notices for absence from school can be issued by the Attendance and Behaviour Service based on requests from schools and the police.
The following circumstances are considered as appropriate reasons for the issuing of Penalty Notices:

  • Truancy, including truancy sweeps
  • Parentally-condoned absences
  • Unauthorised holidays in term time
  • Delayed return from extended holidays

A period of 2 days unauthorised absence (since January 2015), will result in school applying to the Attendance Service at the Local Authority for a Penalty Notice. 

Following a request by the school for the issuing of a Penalty Notice a check is made by the Attendance Service that the request meets the conditions of the Code of Conduct. A letter from the Attendance Service will inform the parents about the issuing of the Penalty Notice. Where a Penalty Notice is issued, each parent is required to pay a fine to the Local Authority.