Attendance
Be an Attendance HERO
Together we can improve Attendance
Research has shown that regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in students achieving their full potential in education. At Moorland primary school we aim to work in partnership with parents and carers and so are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends school every day and on time. We are committed to work together with parents/carers in resolving any difficulties.
Half termly attendance reporting
Due to extremely high persistent absence across the school (34% of pupils had more than 10% of school in 21-22) we have introduced half termly attendance reports for you and your child. The national attendance target for all pupils is a minimum of 97% attendance.
Based on current attendance figures, your child will be placed in one of the following groups below.
Your child attends 99-100% of the time | Excellent –Well done! This will help all aspects of their progress and life in school. This will give them a great start in life and supports a positive work ethic. |
Your child attends 97-99% of the time | Good – Well done! This is really positive attendance and will help support your child’s academic and social development. |
Your child attends 95%- 96.9% of the time | Cause for concern – Beware that too many days off will begin to affect your child’s learning. Try and send your child in every day. |
Your child attends 93%-94.9% of the time | Serious cause for Concern – Absence is now affecting your child’s learning and your child is at risk of underachieving. This may begin to affect their wellbeing. |
Your child attends 90%-92.9% of the time
| Serious risk of underachievement – Absence has already affected your child’s learning and your child is at risk of underachieving. This may begin to affect their wellbeing. We will work with you to improve your child’s attendance. Permitting absence from school without a good reason is an offence. |
Your child attends below 89.9% of the time | Extreme risk of underachievement – Absence IS causing SERIOUS CONCERN. It IS affecting your child’s wellbeing and disrupting their learning. We will work with you to improve your child’s attendance. Permitting absence from school without a good reason is an offence. |
We monitor attendance closely and will contact you if your child’s attendance causes concern and does not improve. As a parent/carer you are committing an offence if you fail to ensure that your child attends school regularly and on time. When pupils arrive late, after register closes this affects the attendance too.
At Moorland Primary school, we reward students who attend each day and arrive on time through our Attendance hero reward shop.
1. If your child`s attendance falls below 95% the attendance lead will write to you to inform you that your child`s attendance has fallen below 95%. Parents will be reminded of their legal duty and of the school`s policy and expectations; you will be offered support by the wellbeing team;
2. If attendance does not improve after 2 weeks we will send a second letter outlining the possibility of a referral to the Education Welfare officer. We aim to support parents in getting the child to school every day.
3. If a child’s attendance does not improve after another 3 weeks and continues to fall further, the attendance lead will contact the parent/carer to arrange a meeting and when necessary involve other professionals if the need for support is identified (family support worker, school nursing team, CFP, CSC or EWO). A Parent Contract will be put in place. If persistent absence from school continues and attendance continues to fall the Head has the right to unauthorise any absence without the support of medical evidence;
4. In the event that the child’s attendance levels still do not improve action which may then be taken can include court proceedings to prosecute parents/carers or to seek an education supervision order on the child. There could be a significant financial penalty and/or imprisonment as a consequence.
Please note – we take lateness as seriously as non attendance and can not tolerate persistent lateness from parents. We will follow similar procedures as above.
We hope that you will support us in our commitment to your child’s education but If you are concerned about this new ‘Focus on Attendance’, there are important steps that you can take:
- Ensure your child attends every day, on time, ready to learn. Arrive between 8.30 and 8:55am. Gates are locked promptly. Children who arrive after 8.55am will be marked absent.
- If your child is ill, contact us on the first day of absence and keep us updated each day.
- Ensure you have given us your up-to-date address and telephone numbers. We will contact you if your child is absent and you have not contacted us by 9am. This ensures that the absence is quickly identified.
- If you do not pick up the phone we will send you a text message asking for you to call us. If this is not successful we will then come out to visit the home.
- Absence will be recorded as unauthorised if we do not receive a valid reason. Ultimately, the school is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not. Only genuine absence will be authorised. You will be asked to provide medical certificates if your child has a poor attendance record.
- Where possible, please ensure that medical appointments are made outside of school time.
- Avoid trivial absences such as, ‘buying new shoes’. This would not be accepted as a reasonable absence.
- Holidays should not be taken in term time. Any Leave of Absence can only be agreed by the headteacher and only under exceptional circumstances.
- Please respond to letters or telephone calls regarding attendance and punctuality.
- Please contact the wellbeing team if you are experiencing difficulty in getting your child into school.
Thank you for working in partnership with us to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance and punctuality at Moorland primary school.
Attendance Policy
