Attendance Policy

1st September 2024

This model policy was approved by the Trust Board on 4 July 2024

Next review date - summer term 2025

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks

Upper Nidd Street

Bradford

BD3 9ND

Telephone Number: 01274 773977

Email Address: penn-office@coopacademies.co.uk

Website: pennyoaks.coopacademies.co.uk/

Contents

1. Policy Statement and Purpose        2

2. The Importance of School Attendance        2

3. Legislation and Guidance        4

4. Roles and Responsibilities        4

5. Reporting Absence        7

Reporting and Requesting Planned Absences        8

6. Recording Absence        8

Lateness and punctuality        9

Persistent lateness        9

Recording Attendance at off site provision / dual registered pupils        10

7. Authorised and Unauthorised Absences        10

Fines and Sanctions        11

8. Promoting and Supporting Attendance        12

9. Attendance Monitoring        14

Analysing attendance        14

Using data to improve attendance        14

Identifying and supporting Persistent and Severely Absent Pupils        14

Reintegration after significant absences        15

Identifying and supporting Children Missing in Education        16

10. Links with other Policies        16

Appendix 1 - Coding        17

Appendix 2 - Removing Barriers Flowchart        21

Appendix 3 - Data monitoring and analysis        22

Appendix 4 - Thresholds and Interventions        23

Appendix 5 - Responsibilities        24

Appendix 6 - Legal Interventions        25

Appendix 7 - Templates Letters and Texts        26

Appendix 8 - Attendance Principles        29

1. Policy Statement and Purpose

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks is committed to providing a full education to all pupils that embraces the concept of equal opportunities for all.  We provide a welcoming and caring environment where every pupil feels safe and valued. Regular attendance and excellent punctuality are essential in ensuring pupils make sustained academic progress and social development.

The academy works in partnership with pupils and their parents or carers to promote the importance of regular and punctual attendance. Regular and punctual attendance is vital in ensuring that all children have full access to the curriculum, as valuable learning time is lost when pupils are absent or late.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure excellent attendance for all, that maximises pupil potential. As an academy, we recognise that regular attendance has a positive impact on the motivation and attainment of pupils. As such, this policy serves to give clear guidance to all stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities; provide advice and information on statutory duties of parents / carers and the Academy and demonstrate how the Academy will work in partnership with families, the local authority and other organisations to support the best possible attendance of all pupils.

Through this policy we will demonstrate our commitment to:

• Setting high expectations for the attendance and punctuality of all pupils
• Promoting good attendance and the benefits of good attendance
• Reducing absence, including persistent and severe absence
• Ensuring every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled
• Acting early to address patterns of absence
• Building strong relationships with families to ensure pupils have the right support to attend school

Co-op Academies Trust believes there are fundamental principles behind great school attendance. These have been laid out here in our Attendance Principles - and underpin the spirit and content of this policy. In our whole school approach to raising and maintaining excellent attendance, we aim to work with pupils and families to listen, understand, empathise and support families - whilst continuing to challenge poor attendance and maintain the highest of expectations of all of our pupils.

2. The Importance of School Attendance

Regular attendance at school is vital to support pupils to achieve and help them get the best possible start in life. Good attendance is central to pupils’ academic achievement and personal development.

Research shows that going to school is directly linked to improved exam performance which should in turn lead to further learning opportunities and better job prospects.

As well as this, going to school helps to develop:

• friendships
• social skills
• team values
• life skills
• cultural awareness
• career pathways

We know that 90% of persistent non-attenders do not achieve expected levels of development at KS1 and KS2 and do not gain five or more good GCSEs. Around one third achieve no GCSEs at all.  At KS2, pupils not meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths had an overall absence rate of 4.7%, compared to 3.5% among those meeting the expected standard. At KS4, pupils not achieving grade 9 to 4 in English and maths had an overall absence rate of 8.8%, compared to 5.2% for those achieving grade 4. The overall absence rate of pupils not achieving grade 9 to 4 was twice as high as those achieving 9 to 5 (8.8% compared to 3.7%).

Young people who regularly miss school without good reason are also more likely to become isolated from their friends, to underachieve in examinations and/or become involved in anti-social behaviour. In addition, Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2024 makes clear the fact that Children Missing Education are at significant risk of being victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation, and becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) later in life.  For the most vulnerable pupils, research has shown associations between regular absence from school and crime (the proportion of children that had been cautioned or sentenced for any offence that had ever been persistently absent was 81% and for serious violence offence was 85%).  Regular attendance is therefore one of the most important protective factors and the best opportunity for needs to be identified and support provided.

Attendance and Punctuality - Lost Learning Hours

3. Legislation and Guidance

This policy meets the requirements of the statutory guidance:  Working Together to Improve School Attendance from the Department for Education (DfE), and refers to the DfE’s statutory guidance on School Attendance Parental Responsibility Measures. These documents are drawn from the following legislation setting out the legal powers and duties that govern school attendance:

- Part 6 of The Education Act 1996

- Part 3 of The Education Act 2002

- Part 7 of The Education and Inspections Act 2006

- The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 amendments)

- The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

It also refers to:

         School census guidance

         Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2024

         Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools

4. Roles and Responsibilities

Trust Board

The Trust Board is responsible for:

• Setting Trust-wide policy, ensuring that this meets statutory requirements and is adopted by all of the Trust’s academies
• Setting high expectations of trust leaders in relation to student attendance
• Regularly reviewing and challenging Trust-wide attendance data and holding Trust leaders to account around the application of the Trust policy

Trust Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

The Trust's central SLT is responsible for:

• Promoting the importance of student attendance across the Trust
• Making sure school leaders fulfil expectations and statutory duties
• Holding school leaders to account for the application of this policy and the impact of this on attendance data
• Reviewing and challenging attendance data on a regular basis

The Headteacher and Academy Senior Leadership Team

The Headteacher and SLT will offer a clear vision for attendance, underpinned by high expectations, the Co-op Ways of Being and our core values, which are communicated to and understood by staff, pupils and families. SLT will make sure staff, pupils and families understand that absence from school is a potential safeguarding risk and understand their role in keeping children safe in education. SLT  will actively promote great attendance at all levels of the organisation to build up a culture of great attendance.

To do this, the Headteacher and all of the senior leadership team will be responsible for:

• Implementation of this policy at the school
• Monitoring attendance figures for the whole school and reporting these to the Trust’s SLT
• Making sure staff receive adequate training on attendance so they understand:

• The importance of good attendance
• That absence is almost always a symptom of wider issues
• The school’s legal requirements for keeping registers
•  The school’s strategies for tracking, following up on and improving attendance

• Making sure dedicated training is provided to staff with a specific attendance function in their role, including in interpreting and analysing attendance data
• Using detailed and granular data analysis to lead on all universal strategies and interventions
• Supporting staff with monitoring the attendance of individual pupils
• Monitoring the impact of any implemented attendance strategies
• Issuing fixed-penalty notices, where necessary
• Working with the parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• Communicating with Local Authority when a pupil with an (EHC) plan has falling attendance        
• Communicating the school’s high expectations for attendance and punctuality regularly to pupils

Senior Attendance Champion 

The senior attendance champion is the strategic lead for attendance and  is responsible for leading attendance across the school including:

• Leading, championing and improving attendance across the school
• Setting a clear vision for improving and maintaining good attendance
• Evaluating and monitoring expectations and processes
• Having a strong grasp of absence data and oversight of absence data analysis
• Regularly monitoring and evaluating progress in attendance
• Establishing and maintaining effective systems for tackling absence robustly QAing
• Liaising with pupils, parents/carers and external agencies, where needed
• Building productive relationships with parents to discuss and tackle attendance issues
• Creating intervention or reintegration plans in partnership with pupils and parents/carers
• Delivering targeted intervention and support to pupils and families

Attendance Officer

The school attendance officer is responsible for:

• Ensuring absence procedures are followed in line with this policy and the Trust Principles
• Entering codes accurately and keeping the attendance register in line with legislation
• Keeping records of reasons for absence for detailed analysis
• Monitoring and analysing attendance data (see section 7)
• Benchmarking attendance data to identify areas of focus for improvement
• Providing regular attendance reports to school staff and reporting concerns about attendance SLT
• Working with education welfare officers / attendance support to tackle persistent absence
• Working as part of the safeguarding team to report and follow up concerns
• Advising the Headteacher when to issue fixed-penalty notices

Class Teachers

Class teachers are responsible for

• Recording attendance on a daily basis, using the correct codes
• Recording all attendance, accurately, on ARBOR (MIS)
• Recording registers in a timely manner
• Giving attendance a high profile and emphasising the importance of school attendance
• Making pupils feel welcome and supporting them after an absence or when late to school
• Helping pupils catch up on missed subject content after absences

School Office Staff

School office staff may be responsible for taking calls from parents/carers and pupils about absence on a day-to-day basis and recording it accurately. They will also transfer calls from parents/carers and pupils to the correct pastoral staff, attendance officers or  SLT in order to provide them with more detailed support on attendance. They will input codes accurately and ensure that late students and students leaving during the day are accounted for. Office staff work closely with the attendance and safeguarding team.

Parents/carers

Parents/carers are expected to:

• Provide up to date contact numbers and changes of address
• Notify the school when their child is unable to attend, with a reason, on the first day of the absence, preferably before 09.30 a.m.
• Contact the school after the first day of absence to advise the school if the absence is continuing
• In cases of lengthy absence, keep the school well informed so that work can be sent home in certain cases and in order for the school to be prepared for the child’s return
• Provide a note indicating attendance at the dentist, doctor or optician 24 hours before the arranged appointment unless an emergency situation has arisen
• Provide a doctor’s note when the child returns from an absence because of illness (if the child’s attendance is under review or being monitored.) This should be on the first day of the child’s return to school
• Ensure that their child arrives at school on time each day
• Let the school know if their child is going to be late e.g. if a car breaks down or if an urgent appointment has been made
• Understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality and promote this with their child

Pupils

Pupils are expected to:

• Attend school every day on time
• Attend every timetabled session on time
• Call the school to report their absence before (insert time) on the day of the absence
• Let school staff know if there are any difficulties at school or home to allow school to support

5. Reporting Absence

Parents/Carers will be expected to provide an acceptable reason for every absence and will be able to report an absence on the day by contacting:

The attendance officer before 9.30 a.m. on 07938742883 to explain the reason for absence.

Parents/carers are requested to make contact on each day of absence even where pupils are absent for consecutive days, unless otherwise agreed with one of the Attendance Officers.

If absence reasons are medical, evidence will need to be provided such as a stamped medical card, appointment text message, hospital letter or prescription in order for the absence to be authorised. We will mark absence for physical or mental illness as authorised unless we have a concern about the authenticity of the illness. If the school is not satisfied about the authenticity of the illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents will be notified of this in advance or at the time.

For a full list of authorised and unauthorised reasons for absence please see section 7.

Where communication is not made with the Academy about the reason for pupil absence this will be deemed as ‘unauthorised absence’. The parent/carer will receive contact from the Academy to ascertain reasons for absence. Calls will be made from the beginning of the school day and will be completed by 11 am on the same day. Follow up will be based on the following timescales:

• If a pupil is absent without communication, the attendance officer will attempt to contact parents. You will receive a phone call from a member of the attendance team. If the attendance officer is unable to contact you, you will likely receive a home visit - even if it is the first day of absence in order to check that both you and your child are ok
• If, after home visits and phone calls, the attendance team is still unable to get a reason for absence within 5 days, the attendance team will request the Safer Schools Officer to carry out a ‘safe and well’ home visit. We may also contact childrens’ social services.
• For extended periods of absence without reason, we may also contact the Child Missing Education Team at the Council and/or sibling primary schools to support with enquiries about the whereabouts of the child.
• If a child is absent from the Academy for 20 days (or 10 days after an authorised holiday) and their whereabouts are unknown or they are reported to have left Bradford, a referral to the Child Missing Education Team will be made and the child will be removed from roll.
• Where pupils are identified as vulnerable, or we have a safeguarding concern,  if communication is not made on day one of absence, procedures will be followed through more swiftly with welfare checks requested on day one if deemed necessary

Reporting and Requesting Planned Absences

Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised as long as the pupil’s parent/carer notifies the school at least 24 hours before the appointment.  You will need to show your appointment text or letter to verify your appointment. However, we encourage parents/carers to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary by returning promptly to school following their appointment and also attend prior to appointment if not first thing in the morning. The appointment should be made at the start/end of the academy day to minimise disruption to learning.

The pupil’s parent/carer must also apply for other types of term-time absence as far in advance as possible of the requested absence. Go to section 7 to find out which term-time absences are authorised.

6. Recording Absence

Attendance register

By law, all schools are required to keep an attendance register. The academy uses an electronic system (ARBOR) to accurately record attendance and punctuality to every lesson on a daily basis.

The attendance register marks whether every pupils is:

• Present
• Attending an approved off-site educational activity
• Absent
• Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances

By law, all schools are required to close their register 30 minutes after they open, and are required to record a U code for any pupils arriving after this point.

Any amendment to the attendance register will include:

• The original entry
• The amended entry
• The reason for the amendment
• The date on which the amendment was made
• The name and position of the person who made the amendment

We will also record:

• Whether the absence is authorised or not
• The nature of the activity if a pupil is attending an approved educational activity
• The nature of circumstances where a pupil is unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances

Lateness and punctuality

The school day begins at 08.50 a.m. when the register is taken. Children may come into the Breakfast Club from 08.00 a.m.. Children arriving after 8.50 a.m. must enter through the main entrance where the attendance officer will record the time they arrive.

Parents of children who persistently arrive late receive a phone call and are reminded of these times and their obligation to comply. It will be explained that the lateness not only interrupts their child’s education but also that of others in the class.  If the child carries on being let then the parents will be invited into a meeting with the headteacher and attendance officer.

If a child arrives more than half an hour late, with no acceptable reason given by their parent, this will constitute an unauthorised absence.

If parents know their child is going to be late for any reason, they should let the school know. If a regular pattern of lateness is observed, a note will be sent home asking the parent to explain the lateness or to ensure that punctuality is maintained.

In rare circumstances, where the school is made aware of an exceptional situation, an arrangement allowing a degree of flexibility can be agreed with the Headteacher.

Persistent lateness

It is not acceptable for pupils to persistently arrive late to school (whether before or after the register has closed) as this not only hinders their progress but also disrupts the learning of others.

Pupils need to arrive at the academy on time in order to be ready for the day ahead. If they are late numerous times across the week, the following phone calls will be made:

• 3 lates – phone call home by Attendance Officer
• 5 more lates – invited to a meeting with Headteacher and Attendance Officer
• 5 more lates – invited to a meeting with Attendance support from the Bradford Authority

All lates and conversations with parents will be logged centrally by the academy.

To support all students to attend and be punctual, all Co-op Academies run a breakfast club (free to pupil premium students) before school,  to ensure that pupils can start the day positively and be on time. If a pupil is persistently late, they may be referred to breakfast club to support punctuality.

If all the above are unsuccessful, the Academy will use legal channels in accordance with the local authority policy. This may mean that court action is taken. Every U code counts as half a days unauthorised absence and may result in fixed penalty action or prosecution.

Recording Attendance at off site provision / dual registered pupils

• pupils will be given a ‘B’ code on Arbor when they have attended external alternative provision. Any absences will be recorded using the appropriate absence code.
• Some provisions, as well as managed moves, are used on a dual-registration basis - the Attendance Officer will oversee this and will give the pupil the appropriate enrolment status. In these cases pupils will be given a ‘D’ code when they are on roll with the provision for all periods where the pupil is expected to attend the other provision/school.
• pupils who are Guest Pupils at another school will remain as ‘single registration’ at Co-op Academy Penny Oaks. Where the pupil has attended the other school, a ‘B’ mark will be recorded. All absences will be logged with the appropriate code.
• the Attendance Officer from the Co-op Academy Penny Oaks will conduct home visits where appropriate.
• the Attendance Officer will provide daily/weekly attendance figures to key staff
• Once a placement is set up, pupils must attend. Failure to do so will carry the same consequences as non-attendance within the Academy.
• the Attendance Officer to request regular attendance certificates for pupils attending  dual-registration provisions/schools.

Reporting to parents/carers

• All new parents are provided with information on attendance procedures during an induction meeting.
• School newsletters are used as a vehicle to promote this aspect of school life and to serve as a reminder
• Individual parents are approached when there is concern about their child’s attendance or punctuality and invited to a meeting to discuss attendance
• Attendee Bear is presented to the class with the best attendance during Friday’s Celebration Assembly
• Attendance certificates and books are awarded to children with over 98% attendance every term.
• Red, amber and green slips are used to display weekly class attendance – green slips prize draw at the end of each half term
• Half-termly letters sent to parents detailing child’s attendance
• Work with LA to issue fixed penalty notices as necessary
• Work with LA to issue holiday fines as necessary

7. Authorised and Unauthorised Absences

Medical and Illness

Children should attend school on every possible day they can. Mild illnesses such as colds and coughs should not prevent a pupil from coming to school. Guidance for school leaders on authorising absence for mild illnesses, or mild anxiety, from the chief medical officer can be found here and details when parents or carers should make sure pupils attend.

Approval for term-time absence

The Government’s amendments of the Education Regulations 2006 removed the right of Headteachers to authorise family holidays and extended leave. The academy policy, therefore, reflects this legislation.

• If an unauthorised holiday is taken and pupils do not return to school within ten days of the agreed return date or after twenty days of unauthorised absence and there is no good reason for the non-return, the pupils will be removed from roll, and parents will need to reapply for school places.
• Ensure that parents will complete a Leave of Absence during Term Time form (appendix 1).
• Arrange a meeting between the headteacher and parents to discuss potential extended leave plans due to exceptional circumstances.
• Explain to parents that if they take extended leave/holiday in term without the permission of the school OR take additional days in excess of the agreed number of days, the school will request that Children’s Services issue a Penalty Notice under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996. This may lead to a fixed penalty notice being issued and a fine of £80 per child per parent if paid within 21 days and £160 per parent per child if paid after this time but within 28 days.or ultimately a fine of £2,500 per child per parent and a criminal record issued through the magistrate’s court. You may also lose your child’s place in the school. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in a prosecution in the Magistrates Court. This will be confirmed by letter once the meeting has taken place (appendix 2)
• Promote the positive impact of not taking extended leave in term time.

• Parents/carers must notify school where a child is unable to return to school by the agreed date with evidence (permissible circumstances may include: serious illness/accident; death of a family member; flight delays; severe weather conditions; war/civil unrest).
• The Attendance Officer will follow up individual circumstances of non-return and action in accordance with school policy and the legal position.
• A parent may seek authority for extended leave retrospectively, where sudden departure occurs.

• When a pupil has more than 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a six-week period, this will trigger a staged intervention approach: If the attendance does not improve through stage one then stage 2 will be triggered.    

Absences can be authorised only for illness (exceptions apply – see below), religious observance, or absence following the death of a close member of the family.

 The ultimate responsibility to authorise absence, or not, rests with the Headteacher. If the Headteacher is not satisfied with the reasons provided, the absence will be categorised as unauthorised.

 An absence will be classified as unauthorised when:

• A child is kept off school because a parent is ill
• A child is absent because a sibling is ill
• The parent cannot get the child to school
• The child is taken on a shopping trip
• The child is taken to the airport
• The child is absent because of a birthday/family treat
• A child is absent because of family work patterns
• The child refuses to come to school or wants to stay at home
• A child is more than half an hour late without a satisfactory explanation
• A child is taken on holiday
• Absence for the following illnesses will not be authorised: sneezing, injury (for example leg aches), tiredness, hay fever, feeling sick (but not actually vomited), temperature, headache, runny nose or a cough.

It is a legal requirement for a school to report percentages of authorised and unauthorised absences to parents in the School Profile and to the DCFS.

Fines and Sanctions

The school or local authority can fine parents/carers for the unauthorised absence of their child from school, where the child is of compulsory school age. The school is obligated to pass information about unauthorised absence to the local authority. This can lead to a fixed penalty notice issued from the authority. If issued with a fine, or penalty notice, each parent/carer must pay £80, per pupil within 21 days or £160 within 28 days. The payment must be made directly to the local authority. Fines are issued per pupil and per parent so in a family of four, you could receive up to four fixed penalty notices.

Penalty notices can be issued by a headteacher, local authority officer or the police.

The decision on whether or not to issue a penalty notice may take into account:

• Whether the national threshold for considering a penalty notice has been met (10 sessions / 5 days of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks)
• Whether a penalty notice is the best available tool to improve attendance for that pupil
• Whether support, a notice to improve or other legal intervention would be more appropriate
• Whether any obligations the school has under the Equality Act 2010 make issuing a penalty notice inappropriate

A penalty notice may also be issued where parents allow their child to be present in a public place during school hours without reasonable justification, during the first 5 days of a suspension or exclusion (where the school has notified the parents that the pupil must not be present in a public place).

If the payment has not been made after 28 days, the local authority can decide whether to prosecute or withdraw the notice.

If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent in respect of the same pupil, within a three year period, the parent must pay £160 if paid within 28 days.

A third penalty notice cannot be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within 3 years of the date of the issue of the first penalty notice. In a case where the national threshold is met for a third time within those 3 years, schools will have to consider prosecution in a magistrates court and a potential fine of £2500 - as well as a possible criminal record for the parent.

Notices to improve

If the national threshold has been met and support is appropriate, but parents do not engage with offers of support, Co-op Academy Penny Oaks may offer a notice to improve to give parents a final chance to engage.

Notices to improve are issued in line with processes set out in the Bradford Authority guidance. They will include:

• Details of the pupil’s attendance record and of the offences
• The benefits of  attendance and duty of parents under section 7 of  Education Act 1996
• Details of the support provided so far
• Opportunities for further support, or previously provided support not engaged with
• A clear warning that a penalty notice may be issued if attendance doesn’t improve within the improvement period, along with details of what sufficient improvement looks like, which will be decided on a case-by-case basis
• A clear timeframe of between 3 and 6 weeks for the improvement period
• The grounds on which a penalty notice may be issued before the end of the improvement period

8. Promoting and Supporting Attendance

The Academy recognises that poor attendance can be an indication of difficulties in a child’s life. This may be related to problems at home and/or in school. Parents should make school aware of any difficulties or changes in circumstances that may affect their child’s attendance and or behaviour in school, for example, bereavement, divorce/separation, incidents of domestic abuse. This will help the school identify any additional support that may be required.

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks also recognises that some pupils are more likely to require additional support to achieve excellent attendance, for example, those pupils with special educational needs, those with physical or mental health needs, and looked after children.

Part of promoting and supporting great attendance at Co-op Academy Penny Oaks is to ensure that the pupils receive the best possible experience on a day to day basis - to ensure that they are excited to attend, feel a sense of belonging and are supported to experience success in their learning. As a school, therefore, we put on a range of extra curricular activities on each day of the week. We also ensure that each and every day, pupil’s feel warmly welcomed into the academy - and that they are offered a broad and exciting curriculum. Part of our universal offer is also to provide a breakfast club each morning; access to a trusted adult during the day; high quality teaching; a fair and proportionate policy for positive behaviour and regular communication with parents. In addition, to support and encourage pupils who might find attendance at school more difficult, we also implement a range of strategies:

• Give attendance and punctuality a high priority
• Provide and promote a welcoming and positive atmosphere so that children feel safe and their presence is valued
• Raise awareness of the importance of full attendance and punctuality using newsletters and other communications to parents
• Encourage parents to support fully the policy as a vital contribution towards their child’s education
• Encourage pupils to have a positive attitude towards attendance and punctuality so that they can retain this into adult life
• Ensure that attendance is monitored effectively and absences are followed up promptly (First day absence contact, followed with a home visit if no response)
• Communicate effectively with other agencies (Traveller Service, Health, Social Services etc.)

• Meet the legal requirements with particular reference to authorised and unauthorised absence
• Ensure that all members of staff comply with the school policy and deal consistently with absence and punctuality
• Ensure information is available for Governors and parents
• Ensure good liaison where a change of school occurs
• Provide incentives for good attendance and punctuality
• Share good practice with other schools
• Have procedures in place to help children settle in after a long absence

As a very last resort - and only in exceptional circumstances, the Academy may implement a part time timetable to support regular attendance. This would only be as a very last resort, for as short a time as possible and with regular, weekly reviews between school and home.

Rewarding Attendance

Recognising strong attendance is key and celebrating improvements in attendance is important. Positive points on Arbor, will be given to all pupils to acknowledge good attendance, and will be awarded at regular intervals for those who have achieved good attendance or have improved their attendance.

• Attendee Bear is presented to the class with the best attendance during Friday’s Celebration Assembly
• Attendance certificates and books are awarded to children with over 98% attendance every term.
• Red, amber and green slips are used to display weekly class attendance – green slips prize draw at the end of each half term
• The class with the best punctuality will have a play session on the Trim Trail.

Attendance achievements will be communicated to families regularly through the newsletter, on the website and through social media.

9. Attendance Monitoring

The Academy will monitor attendance and absence data weekly, half-termly, termly and yearly across the school and at an individual pupil level. Through this analysis we will Identify whether or not there are particular groups of children whose absences may be a cause for concern

Pupil-level absence data will be collected each term and published at national and local authority level through the DfE's school absence national statistics releases. The underlying school-level absence data is published alongside the national statistics. The school will compare attendance data to the national average, and share this with the academy governing council and Regional Director..

Analysing attendance

The school will analyse attendance and absence data regularly to identify pupils or cohorts that need additional support with their attendance, and use this analysis to provide targeted support to these pupils and their families. We will look at historic and emerging patterns of attendance and absence, and then develop strategies to address these patterns.

Using data to improve attendance

The school will provide regular attendance reports to form tutors and class teachers and to school leaders, to facilitate discussions with pupils and families and use data to monitor and evaluate the impact of any interventions put in place in order to modify them and inform future strategies.

Identifying and supporting Persistent and Severely Absent Pupils

Persistent absence is where a pupil misses 10% or more of school, and severe absence is where a pupil misses 50% or more of school. Research shows that missing 10% or more of school dramatically reduces a pupil’s ability to go on to get great qualifications and to be a healthy and happy individual. The academy will work with parents/carers, staff, agencies and pupils to prevent children from falling into either of these categories.

The school will use attendance data to find patterns and trends of persistent and severe absence. We will hold regular meetings with the parents/carers of pupils and all adults who are listed as holding parental responsibility, who the school (and/or local authority) considers to be vulnerable, or are persistently or severely absent, to discuss attendance and engagement at school. We will provide access to wider support services to remove the barriers to attendance.

Pupils with attendance of less than 90% will be identified by the attendance team and referred to the Academy Attendance Improvement Officers (AIO) for more intensive casework. Preventative intervention work will be done to avoid pupils reaching PA status.

In order to prevent pupils from falling into Persistent Absence category, the following strategy will ensue:

• Use attendance data to find patterns and trends of persistent and severe absence
• Consider potential safeguarding issues and, where suspected or present, address them in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Hold regular meetings with the parents of pupils who the school (and/or local authority) considers to be vulnerable or at risk of persistent or severe absence, or who are persistently or severely absent, to:

o   Discuss attendance and engagement at school

o   Listen, and understand barriers to attendance

o   Explain the help that is available

o   Explain the potential consequences of, and sanctions for, persistent and severe absence

o   Review any existing actions or interventions

• Provide access to wider support services to remove the barriers to attendance, in conjunction with the local authority, where relevant
• Consider alternative support that could be put in place to remove any barriers to attendance and re-engage these pupils. In doing so, the school will sensitively consider some of the reasons for absence

If, after all the above processes are unsuccessful and pupil attendance drops below 70%, we will consider the legal sanctions. If there is another, underlying cause of absence, we will refer to other agencies e.g the SEND team; Educational psychology; Children’s social work services; CAMHs; Early Help. We always aim to work with families to improve attendance and through all of the interventions in place. Where families are not engaging with the support we will have to take more punitive actions including:

• Fast Track Initiative
• Formal Casework
• Referral to educational welfare officers
• Referral to Bradford City Council for legal work

Reintegration after significant absences

Every effort will be made to re-integrate pupils successfully back into the Academy following long periods of absence. This might include:

• Phased returns and reduced timetables, in exceptional circumstances
• Bespoke timetables
• A ‘catch up’ plan with teachers to support with accessing missed curriculum
• Morning check-ins and welcomes and end of day check-ins
• Mentoring from the pastoral team
• An attendance support plan agreed with pupils and Parents
• Identified safe space and trusted adult
• Weekly reviews on progress

Identifying and supporting Children Missing in Education

We recognise that a child going missing from education is a potential indicator of abuse or neglect. A pupil is counted to be ‘Missing in Education’ if they have been absent for 20 consecutive days from the academy (with no reason for absence given) or if they have not returned for 10 consecutive school days after returning from an authorised absence. Where a child is identified as missing education we will comply with our statutory duty to inform the local authority of any pupil who falls within the reporting notification requirements outlined in Children Missing Education – Statutory guidance for local authorities (DfE September 2016) and follow the LSCP - Local protocols for Bradford practitioners

School and college staff members must follow the Bradford Children’s Services LA protocols

Contact: cme@bradford.gov.uk.

Children who are absent, abscond or go missing during the school day are vulnerable and at potential risk of abuse, neglect, CSE or CCE including involvement in county lines. Academy staff members must follow the academy’s procedures for dealing with pupils who are absent/go missing, particularly on repeat occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect including sexual abuse or exploitation and to help prevent the risks of going missing in future.

10. Links with other Policies

This policy links to the following policies:

• Academy Safeguarding Policy
• Behaviour policy
• Exclusions Policy
• Co-op Academies Trust Attendance Principles

Appendix 1 - Coding

The following codes are taken from the DfE’s guidance on school attendance.

Appendix 2 - APPLICATION FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

 Meeting with parents

 Date: ___________

APPROVED                     NOT APPROVED            

Agreed date of return: _______________

Failure to return your child/children on the agreed date could result in unauthorised absence being recorded. This may lead to a fixed penalty notice being issued and a fine of £80 per child per parent or ultimately a fine of £2,500 per child per parent and a criminal record issued through the magistrate’s court. You may also lose your child’s place in the school.

Parent’s signature: _________________________________            Date: ____________

Headteacher’s signature: ___________________________              Date: ____________

N.B.  Shaded areas to be completed by school

Appendix 3 - staged intervention flowchart stage 1

Appendix 4 – Stage 1 letters:

Template Letter N

Dear <name of parent / carer> 

According to our records, <name of pupil> has recently been absent from school.  You will be aware that it is the parent’s responsibility to notify the school on the first day of a pupil’s absence to explain the reasons why the <s/he> is unable to attend school and an expected date when <s/he> should return.  Unfortunately, we have not received any contact from you.

 I am therefore writing to you to give you an opportunity to explain the recent absences.  Please complete the tear off slip below and return it to the school as soon as possible.  Any absence that hasn’t been explained within two weeks will be categorised as “Unauthorised” Absence – an explanation of this term and the possible consequences are attached. 

If you wish to discuss this letter further, please contact me on <school telephone number>.

Yours sincerely

<School Contact>

Please complete this slip and return to <location> as soon as possible.

 Dates of unexplained absence:

<Dates of N Codes>

 Explanation for the above dates of unexplained absence:

Parent/Carer Signature…………………………             Date………………………. 

 Template Letter 1

Dear <Name of Parent>

As part of our commitment to improving the attainment of our pupils we monitor pupil attendance on a regular basis.  During our regular monitoring of pupil attendance, we identify any pupil whose attendance causes concern.  We then issue a first Letter to register our concern with parents.  We are therefore writing to you due to <Name of pupil>’s current level of attendance:

The information below shows how attendance can affect your child’s future progression.

If you have any queries or would like to talk to anyone about attendance, please do not hesitate to contact <named school person> on <telephone number>

 Yours sincerely

 <School contact>

 Template Letter Medical

Dear <name of parent / carer> 

Since we wrote to you on <date of 1st letter>, <name of pupil>’s attendance has failed to improve significantly, and is now <attendance percentage>%.  This is below what we expect and to put this into perspective 90% attendance is equivalent to missing 19 days of school per year.

When looking into the reasons why <name of pupil> has been absent from school, we noticed that the majority of the absence was linked to illness and/or medical reasons.

 Due to the level of illness and/or medical absence, I must ask that if any further absence occurs, evidence must be received by the school that shows that the pupil has been absent and is being supported by a Doctor. Some examples of evidence that could be used are: Prescriptions, Appointment Cards, Doctor’s Notes, e.t.c.

 If this evidence is not supplied when your child returns after an illness or medical absence, your child’s absence will be recorded as “unauthorised”.

We would appreciate your support to make sure <name of child>’s attendance improves.  The school will continue to monitor the situation and will be in touch again if it does not improve.

Thank you for your cooperation

Yours sincerely

<School Contact>

Template Letter 2

Dear <name of parent / carer> 

Since we wrote to you on <date of 1st letter>, <name of pupil>’s attendance has failed to improve significantly, and is now <attendance percentage>%.  This is below what we expect and to put this into perspective 90% attendance is equivalent to missing 19 days of school per year – your child will spend more time at home than at school this academic year!

 Ongoing low attendance is a factor often linked to low levels of academic success.  It is important that low attendance is dealt with as early as possible to prevent poor habits of attendance forming with <name of pupil>.  Poor attendance habits now will make it increasingly difficult for you to ensure your child attends school regularly as they get older.

 We wish to help <name of pupil> to improve <his/her> attendance.  If you would like to discuss <name of pupil>’s attendance, please contact <school contact> on <school contact number> and I will be happy to talk with you and if required arrange a meeting. 

 We would appreciate your support to make sure <name of child>’s attendance improves.  The school will continue to monitor the situation and may refer your child’s absence to Bradford Council for consideration of a fixed penalty notice fine or legal action if unauthorised absence continues to occur.

Thank you for your cooperation

Yours sincerely

<School Contact>

Template Letter 3

Dear <name of parent / carer> 

As you will be aware from our previous two letters, we have concerns with regard to <name of pupil>’s attendance of <attendance percentage>%.  Unfortunately, we have not received a satisfactory reason for <name of pupil>’s absence and their attendance has failed to improve significantly.

 I enclose your child’s most recent registration certificate for your information.

 Ongoing low attendance is a factor often linked to low levels of academic success.  It is important that low attendance is dealt with as early as possible to prevent poor habits of attendance forming with <name of pupil>.  Poor attendance habits now will make it increasingly difficult for you to ensure your child attends school regularly as they get older.

 We wish to help <name of pupil> to improve <his/her> attendance.  I would like you to attend a meeting in school with me on <date> at <time> to discuss what we can all do to help <name of pupil> attend more regularly.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, please contact me as soon as possible so we can arrange another time and date to meet.  In the meantime, the school will continue to monitor the situation and may refer your child’s absence to Bradford Council for consideration of a fixed penalty notice fine or legal action if unauthorised absence continues to occur.

Yours sincerely,

<School Contact>

 Template Letter: Lates

Dear <Name of Parent>

As part of our commitment to improving the attainment of our pupils we monitor pupil attendance on a regular basis.  During our regular monitoring of pupil attendance we identify any pupil whose attendance causes concern, including those pupils who have arrived late to school on a number of occasions. We are therefore writing to you due to <Name of pupil>’s current number of late sessions:

Being late to school can have a considerable impact over the whole school year. The table below shows you just how much time can be missed over a year just by being 5 minutes late to school every day

We understand that the school mornings can be hectic, but when your child is late for school they are missing out on vital parts of their education.  If your child arrives 30 minutes after the register has been taken, they will have an “unauthorised” late mark – this is the same as an “unauthorised absence” - an explanation of this term and the possible consequences are attached.         

 If you have any queries or would like to talk to anyone about attendance, please do not hesitate to contact <named school person> on <telephone number>

 Yours sincerely

 <School contact>

Appendix 5: Stage 1 - Record of meeting with parents

Appendix 6: Stage one tracking form

Next Steps:

1. If through contact with parent/carer(s) it becomes apparent that the family have unmet needs that require additional/intensive support then consider:

Requesting Stage 2 School Attendance Intervention from your Attendance Improvement Officer (if school has Service Level Agreement with Education Safeguarding Team) or conduct Stage 2 School Attendance Intervention Process – Attendance is below 90% in the last 12 weeks and unauthorised absence has been recorded

Completion of Early Help Assessment - please refer to EHA guidance on Bradford Schools Online - https://bso.bradford.gov.uk/content/prevention-and-early-help

Referral to Children’s Social Care - https://www.bradford.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/safeguarding-children/safeguarding-children/

2. If the parent/carer has failed to engage with you, or the pupil continues to record unauthorised absence and no satisfactory reason for absence has been provided consider:

 ·         For low levels of attendance – Request for Poor Attendance Penalty Notice - https://bso.bradford.gov.uk/content/penalty-notices

 ·         Requesting Stage 2 School Attendance Intervention from your Attendance Improvement Officer (if school has Service Level Agreement with Education Safeguarding Team) or conduct Stage 2 School Attendance Intervention Process – Attendance is below 90% in the last 12 weeks and unauthorised absence has been recorded

Appendix 6: Stage 2 intervention request form

Appendix 7:

Stage 2 intervention flowchart:

Appendix 8 - Stage 2 intervention letters:

 Warning Letter 1 / Enforcement Letter 1

Dear <Name of Parent>

 Name of Child:  <name of pupil>                                       DOB: <date of birth>

 Attendance Percentage: <attendance percentage>%.

Regular attendance at school is a major focus for the Department for Education (DFE) and Bradford Council. In an effort to improve pupil’s school attendance, schools and the council work together to challenge parents who fail to ensure their children attend school regularly without any known justifiable cause.

 <name of pupil>’s attendance this academic year is currently <attendance percentage>%. This is considerably below what our school, the government and Bradford Council considers to be a level of attendance recommended for children to achieve their educational potential. Please note that parents are advised to provide an explanation for their child’s absence. Absences through illness will no longer be authorised without medical evidence, for example a letter from your doctor, a copy of your child’s prescription or an appointment card.

 I will be monitoring your child’s attendance for the next 3 weeks. Should there be any further unauthorised absences I will invite you to an Attendance Panel Meeting. It is the Headteacher’s decision as to whether to accept any parental explanation for absence. Please be aware that pupils arriving to school after the official close of registers will be marked as ‘unauthorised absent’ unless there are legitimate reasons for your child’s late arrival.

Every day in school counts towards <name of pupil>’s future, and I thank you in advance for supporting <name of school> in ensuring excellent school attendance.

If you are experiencing any difficulties, or do not understand aspects of this letter, please contact me on the above telephone number.

 Yours sincerely

<School contact>

Attendance Panel Meeting Invite / Enforcement Letter 2

 Dear <Name of Parent>

 Name of Child:  <name of pupil>                                 DOB: <date of birth>

 Attendance Percentage: <attendance percentage>%.

 You will recall that I wrote to you on <date of Enforcement Letter 1> regarding <name of pupil>’s poor attendance at school. I enclose a copy of <name of student>’s registration certificate, showing that since (date), <name of student> has had <number of unauthorised sessions> sessions of unauthorised absence. You will notice that further unauthorised absence has occurred.

Unfortunately, <name of pupils>’s attendance has failed to improve sufficiently. <name of student>’s current attendance is <attendance percentage>%. I am therefore inviting you to attend an Attendance Panel Meeting. The meeting is scheduled to take place at <name of school> on <date> at <time>. You will be asked to agree to a parenting contract to support <name of student>’s attendance at school. If you are unable to attend the meeting or require an interpreter, please contact me as soon as possible.

Absences through illness will no longer be authorised for your child without medical evidence, for example a letter from your doctor, a copy of your child’s prescription or an appointment card. It is your responsibility to ensure that you inform the school of any absences through illness and to provide the appropriate medical evidence.

 I must remind you that it is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that their children receive an education. This is stated in Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act:

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

Should you be prosecuted for failure to ensure <name of student>’s regular attendance at school, you may be sentenced to a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a 3-month custodial sentence.

If you are experiencing any difficulties, or do not understand aspects of this letter please contact me on the above telephone number.

Yours sincerely

<school contact>

 Enforcement Letter 2A - Parent did not attend Attendance Panel Meeting

Dear <Name of Parent>

Name of Child:  <name of pupil>                                 DOB: <date of birth>

Attendance Percentage: <attendance percentage>%.

I am sorry you were unable to attend the Attendance Panel Meeting today. However, the importance of this meeting cannot be stressed enough as <name of pupil>’s school attendance continues to be irregular with many unauthorised absences. I enclose a copy of <his/her> registration certificate, which shows that <name of pupil> has attended <attendances made> out of a possible <sessions available> sessions at school; <unauthorised sessions> of which are classed as unauthorised absence.

 The decision has therefore been taken to continue to monitor your child’s attendance until <date of review>.  At that point your child’s attendance will be reviewed, and if they are still causing a concern, a decision will be made as to what further action will be taken.

The school may continue to unauthorise future absences unless medical evidence is provided.  Medical evidence may include appointment cards, copies of prescriptions, letters from specialists etc

I continue to be available to you to offer support regarding <name of pupil>’s school attendance, therefore please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss the situation further.

 Finally, I must remind you that the Education Act 1996 states that it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure that their child regularly attends the school at which they are on roll.  A failure to do this could result in legal action being taken by Bradford Council.

Yours sincerely

<school contact>

 Final Warning Letter / Enforcement Letter 3

 Dear <Name of Parent>

 Name of Child:  <name of pupil>                                 DOB: <date of birth>

 Attendance Percentage: <attendance percentage>%.

Despite previous attempts to improve <name of pupil>’s poor attendance at <name of school> I remain concerned at the level of unauthorised absence. I enclose a copy of <name of pupil>’s registration certificate, showing that since (date), <name of pupil> has had <unauthorised sessions> sessions of unauthorised absence. You will be aware from previous contact from me that you are legally responsible for the regular attendance of your child at school.

 Following a thorough assessment of this case, the decision has been made to refer your child’s poor attendance to Bradford Council.  Bradford Council will now be conducting a criminal investigation and considering whether or not to instigate legal proceedings against you for an offence under Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act:

“If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, their parent is guilty of an offence”

The Local Authority will be in contact with you shortly, and in the meantime I would urge you to ensure your child attends school regularly.  If you are experiencing any difficulties or you do not understand aspects of this letter, please contact me on the above telephone number.

Yours sincerely

<school contact>

Appendix 9

Parenting Contract

Parents’ consent to information sharing

By signing this parenting contract, we understand and agree that information about me/us has been and will continue to be collected so that we, the School and Bradford Council can assess and provide appropriate assistance and services.  The School and Bradford Council may also use this information for service planning, monitoring and research purposes and may share the information with external agencies and providers of relevant services that they need to work with, to ensure that we are provided with the most appropriate services.

We understand that this information will be stored either electronically or in the manual records by the School/Bradford Council for case management purposes, to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.  The School/Bradford Council will keep the information updated and notify anyone who is given the information of any changes to ensure corrections are made.

Appendix 10:

Stage 2 tracking form 

  NB:

• The amount of Early Help/Support and enforcement action undertaken by the school (or their traded Attendance Improvement Officer) should be judged on a case by case basis, but there is an expectation that Early Help/Support underpins any Enforcement Action, and vice-versa.
• Therefore prior to a child’s attendance being progressed to stage 3 school attendance statutory intervention, there should be evidence that initial enforcement action has been undertaken (letters 1,2 and 3 have been sent, and APM/Parenting Contract attempted), and welfare support put in place where unmet need has been identified.  There should also be evidence that the parent/carer(s) have failed to effectively engage with Stage 1 and 2 interventions.

Next Steps:

Stage 3 School Attendance Statutory Intervention – Criminal Investigation Request:

• When all attempts to engage with the family at intervention stages 1 and 2 have failed, and the criteria has been met, the school can refer to the Education Safeguarding Team to undertake a criminal investigation in line with the Criminal Investigation Process
• To ensure that the investigation is as speedy as possible, the school should ensure the Statutory Intervention request is completed thoroughly, ensuring as much information and evidence of previous intervention is included, as well as naming any other practitioners who are currently involved with supporting the family.

• At any point during the Criminal Investigation process an unmet need is identified that was not identified previously, or support for an unmet need has not been sought, then the investigation will cease and the case returned to the school for Early Help/Support to be attempted.

• If the Education Safeguarding Team proceeds with legal action, a witness statement may be taken from the school outlining what intervention has preceded the stage 3 statutory intervention request.  In instances where schools have a traded Attendance Improvement Officer who provides Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 intervention, the Attendance Improvement Officer would provide the witness statement.  

 Appendix 11 : Stage 3 intervention request form

 Please email the completed Statutory Intervention Request together with 1) Attendance Certificate for the last 12 weeks signed by the headteacher/proprietor AND 2) Stage Two Tracking Form to Attlegal@bradford.gov.uk