Attendance

We ask that if a child has symptoms and tests positive for Covid that they should remain away from others for three days (it is five days for adults). However, if they continue to have a temperature then they should isolate until that has gone. More detailed information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19#Children

Attendance Policy reviewed by the Ethos & Wellbeing Committee - March 2023

Approved by the Board of Governors: May 2023

Introduction

Regular and punctual attendance at school is important. It underpins high achievement, and it is one of the main factors in determining your child's future and opportunities in life.

Attending school ensures that students receive a coherent education programme. It supports the development of good social relationships, ensures students are safe and their welfare is being monitored. It supports health and well-being, builds confidence, and offers a sense of belonging as a member of a community. Children who are absent from school regularly do less well in achieving their academic potential and have fewer career choices. At Bishop Luffa School, we aim for every student to attend at least 96% of the school year as a minimum.

Aim

The aim of our attendance policy is to encourage and foster a positive attitude towards attendance by students, parents and carers, staff and Directors in order to generate and maintain the highest possible level of attendance by ensuring:

• all students attend school punctually and regularly
• students’ good attendance is celebrated
• poor attendance is identified, addressed and improved by working in partnership with parents and carers and outside agencies to resolve any difficulties which underpin poor attendance

What is the responsibility of parents, carers and students?

Parents and carers have legal responsibility for ensuring their children attend and stay at school. Parents and carers will endeavour to ensure their children arrive at school on time, properly dressed and in a condition to learn. Students increasingly take on this responsibility as part of their own personal development.

(See Appendix 3: Role of parents and carers)

What should I do if my child is ill?

If your child is ill, please contact the school on each day of absence using:

• the email absence@bishopluffa.org.uk
• the dedicated absence line 01243 832681
• or the main school switchboard 01243 787741 Option 1

When your child returns to school, ensure they give a letter from you to their form tutor confirming the circumstances.

What should I do if my child is late to school?

We are keen to promote punctuality. A student arriving late may not only disrupt the continuity of his/her learning but also that of others. Parents and carers and students are responsible for ensuring that students are on the school site by 8.00am in time for registration at 8.05am every day. Students who are late for school but arrive before 8.25am must attend registration/assembly. Students who arrive on school site after 8.25am should sign in at Reception. Lateness normally results in a lunchtime detention.

What is the School’s responsibility?

The School has responsibility to support attendance; we take seriously any problem that may lead to non-attendance. We will contact parents and carers whose child is absent and for whom we have not already received notification from home. This will be done as soon as is practically possible.

(See Appendix 1: Practice and Appendix 2: Roles). If absence from school is persistent then the school will need to take steps to address this issue. If the persistent absence is unauthorised, then this may lead to a referral for a Fixed Penalty Notice.

What is the responsibility of Pupil Entitlement: Investigation?

(PEI, formerly Education Welfare Service)

West Sussex County Council (WSCC), our Local Authority (LA), is charged in law with enforcing school attendance. The LA can in cases of irregular attendance, apply to the courts for an Education Supervision Order or where necessary, the LA can prosecute parents and carers. Pupil Entitlement: Investigation Officers (PEIO, formerly Education Welfare Officers) are employed by WSCC to help them carry out their statutory duties. There is also the possibility for parents and carers to be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). Heads of House liaise with the PEI and monitor students’ attendance. The School will actively and routinely pursue FPNs for unauthorised absences and seek advice from and refer poor attenders to PEI where necessary.

What impact does attendance have on a child's education?

Use the tables below to check both your attendance and your punctuality.

Here is what happens if you are regularly late for school!

How do we recognise excellent attendance?

The School is keen to celebrate good attendance through its reward system. We do this by:

• Praise to individual students from Form Tutor, Head of House, and Leadership Team
• Certificates and letters of praise
• Attendance figures published on student progress reports
• Good attendance references to Universities, Colleges and Employers

What about special occasions and reasons for absence?

Students are only in school for 190 days each year. There are 175 other days for holidays and other activities. For this reason, holidays in term time will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are where requests are rare, significant, unavoidable and short, eg parent returning from a Tour of Duty with the Armed Forces or Police annual leave embargoed over school holidays.

On 26 April 2017 the Government made it clear you can only allow your child to miss school if either:

• they are too ill to go in, or
• you have permission in advance from the school

You have to get permission from the Head Teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time. You can only do this if you:

• make an application to the Head Teacher at least a month in advance for all requests except those linked to bereavement
• there are exceptional circumstances. It is up to the Head Teacher to decide how many days a child may be away from school if leave is granted. Examples when we may authorise absence:

o close family funeral or close family wedding
o public performances by students and music courses
o representative sports

Other points

• We shall authorise absence for participation in a day set aside exclusively for religious observance as set out in the particular religious doctrine
• We will support children from Traveller families to attend school as frequently as possible whilst adopting a sympathetic and sensitive approach to their lifestyle and cultural traditions
• Fixed Term Exclusions: In the very rare instance of a student being temporarily excluded from school, the absence will be recorded as authorised

For further information

Please contact your child’s Head of House or Head of Sixth Form