Attendance and Punctuality

When a pupil is absent from school the absence will be recorded as either ‘authorised’ or ‘unauthorised’.

Only school can decide which absences are authorised and this is based upon the information you provide.

Authorised absences are granted only for valid reasons such as:

• Illness which is severe enough to warrant time away from school
• Medical or dental appointments that cannot be made outside of school hours
• Religious observance
• Family bereavement for a close relative

If the absence is recorded as authorised no further action will be taken against you, however we may still contact you to discuss ongoing causes of absence to see how we can support your child’s learning.

If the reason provided for absence is not regarded as essential or unavoidable; or if no reason is provided at all, the sessions, your child has missed will be recorded as unauthorised.

Unauthorised absences can include:

• Shopping trips
• Waiting in for a delivery
• Family birthdays
• Visiting relatives/visits from relatives
• Family outings
• Not having the correct school uniform (school can provide support)
• Family holidays/leave of absence without exceptional circumstances

We rigorously monitor the attendance of all pupils and have a duty to pass on any concerns to the Local Authority who may take legal action against parents if attendance does not improve.

Our aim is to work with you and your child to overcome any issues that are a barrier to regular attendance and to prevent further action from being taken against you.

Pupils should only be absent from school if they have an illness that is severe enough to warrant staying at home. School can be a helpful distraction for pupils who are experiencing minor symptoms, and attending school often provides students with a sense of pride and resilience needed in later life.

We ask that you encourage your child to attend school and inform us of any ways we can support them in doing so, for example issuing prescribed medication in line with medical advice.

If your child has had a number of previous absences caused by illness we may ask for medical evidence, for example, a doctor’s appointment card, site of prescribed medication etc, to support the absence. We may also arrange for a member of staff to visit your child at home in line with our >>attendance guidlines<<.

Unfortunately, some students will say that they are ill when they do not want to attend school for other reasons, for example when they have fallen out with a friend or haven’t completed their homework. If you feel this may be the case and there are no apparent signs of illness please talk to your child and bring them to school. You will be able to inform our receptionist of your concerns and they will past the information on to the relevant member of staff who can speak with your child and contact you as necessary.

If you are certain your child needs to stay at home, you can contact the Academy in any of the following ways:

• contact the Academy on 0121 558 8086 and choose Option 1 to leave voicemail
• report the absence via Arbor
• email the Director of Attendance, Mrs Beasley on sbeasley@shirelandcat.net

You must provide your child’s name, their year group, the cause of the absence and their expected return date. We may organise a home visit to see your child in line with our attendance procedures.

We believe that good attendance begins at home.

Below are some ways that you can support your child with attending every day.

• Take an interest in their learning, know their timetable, and support them with getting their equipment ready each evening
• Make sure your child understands that you do not approve of unnecessary absence from school
• Encourage your child to avoid unnecessary absence, for example taking time off due to minor illnesses that could be managed in school
• Don’t be tempted to ‘cover up’ for your child if they are taking time off school for a reason that you do not agree with – be honest with us and talk to us about what support we may be able to provide
• Avoid taking holidays/leave of absence during term time
• Arrange medical appointments outside of school hours. If this is not possible please support their learning by ensuring they attend school before and after the appointment
• Contact your child’s Session 1 teacher, Head of Year, or the Attendance Manager if your child is experiencing issues that are preventing regular attendance

Good punctuality is crucial for students to achieve their full educational potential. It is vital for students to form good habits for later life. Punctuality records form part of references passed onto colleges, universities, and employers.

All students are expected to arrive on time to the Academy each day and to each lesson throughout the day. A register is taken at the start of the day during Session 1 and at the start of each subsequent lesson.

Students arriving late are recorded and sanctions will be issued to students who are persistently late. If this is a cause for concern for you child we will contact you to discuss any issues that may be preventing your child from arriving to school on time and offer support where appropriate.

The chart below shows the amount of lost learning caused by lateness.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s punctuality please contact your child’s Session 1 teacher, Head of Year or our Attendance Manager, Mrs Beasley who will be happy to provide support.

Section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996 states:

If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his/her parent is guilty of an offence.

Section 444 (1A) goes on to state:

If in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) the parent knows that his child is failing to attend regularly at the school and fails to cause him to do so, s/he is guilty of an offence.

Therefore, once you have registered your child at a school, you are legally responsible for ensuring that your child attends school regularly. Failure to do so can result in legal action being taken against you by the Local Authority.

A Penalty Notice may be issued to each parent/carer, for each child at:

First offence: £80 if paid withing 21 days, which will then increase to £160 if paid withing 28 days. 

Second offence (within 3 years of the first offence): where it is deemed appropriate to issue a second penalty notice to the same parent for the same pupil within 3 years of the first notice, the second penalty notice will be charged at £160 to be paid within 28 days. please note that if the fine is not paid within 28 days or the Local Authority proceed straight to court action you are likely to be prosecuted under Section 444.1 of the Education Act 1996. The maximum fine the court can impose for the first offence is £1,000 per parent, per child. 

Subsequent offence (within 3 years of the first offence): The Local Authority will proceed straight to court action where you are likely to be prosecuted under Section 444.1 of the Education Act 1996. The maximum fine the court can impose for a first offense is £1,000 per parent, per child. 

If you have a history of offences of this nature you may be prosecuted under Section 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996 and the court can find you up to £2,500 per child, order payment of the prosecution costs, impose a Parenting Order and/or sentence you to a period of imprisonment of up to 3 months. This reflects the seriousness of unauthorised absence from school. 

A change in education law states that Principals can no longer grant permission for any student to take a holiday/leave of absence during term time, unless:

• Permission has been applied for in advance by the parent with whom the student usually resides,

and

• There are exceptional circumstances surrounding the application

All leave of absence requests must be made in writing to the Principal no later than 15 working days before the proposed leave is due to take place. If permission is not requested by this time your child’s absence will automatically be recorded as unauthorised, as permission cannot be granted retrospectively.

In order to meet the criteria of ‘exceptional circumstances’ the request should be for rare, significant and unavoidable reasons. The period of absence being applied for should also be as short as possible. Reasons such as travel costs, weather conditions, or family work patterns are not classed as exceptional circumstances.

We ask that you do not make any travel arrangements for your child without making a leave of absence request first, as permission is rarely granted.

The Local Authority will issue fines to anyone with parental responsibility for a child, even if they are not the person who takes their child out of school without permission.

We understand that booking family holidays during term time can be cheaper, even when taking the cost of fines into consideration. However, we ask that you consider the hidden costs of leave during term time. Taking just five days out of school means that your child will miss out on valuable learning which will not be repeated. ‘Catching up’ on work is difficult for all students, regardless of their current achievement levels. It can also affect their confidence and negatively influence their relationships with their friends.

We have a duty to work closely with the Local Authority regarding any pupils whose attendance is causing a concern. Our aim will always be to work with families and provide support where appropriate in order to prevent further action being taken.

We rigorously monitor the attendance and punctuality of every pupil on roll and will contact families to discuss concerns and work with you to overcome any barriers that are preventing regular and punctual attendance.

Our staff have the ability and expertise to offer a range of support strategies designed to assist families and effect positive outcomes. Staff can also signpost families to relevant external agencies and assist them in the process of accessing that support.

We are able and willing to support any family at any time and ask that you contact your child’s Session 1 teacher, Head of Year, or our Director of Attendance, Mrs Beasley, if you are experiencing any difficulties or issues that we are not aware of.