Attendance
Attendance policy annex for Covid 19 |Attendance policy annex for Covid 19 : Adobe Acrobat file (653.5k)
The use of online learning in schools |The use of online learning in schools : Adobe Acrobat file (273.1k)
The attached guidance document details how online learning can be used to support improved attendance.
Attendance policies and frameworks |
Below you will find examples of some attendance policies and frameworks.
It is important to make your policy fit the needs and attendance profile of your school.
The most effective policies are those that have clear roles and responsibilities and a staged approach to attendance intervention. Early intervention and high quality mentoring can bring about rapid improvement to school attendance rates.
Example attendance policy |Example attendance policy : Word file (54.5k)
Example attendance policy |Example attendance policy : Word file (73.2k)
Attendance panels and attendance contracts |Attendance panels and attendance contracts : Word file (37.4k)
Attendance panels should be used following informal intervention with parents. These panels should occur around 85- 90% attendance and should in most cases precede the use of a legal intervention.
Panels can often be used to make the decision to no longer authorise absences without medial evidence. Parenting contracts can also be set in place via an attendance panel.
Panel composition should lend a formal tone to the meeting. Senior staff and in some cases school govenors should sit on the panel.
A 4 week review following an attendance panel should be held. Where pupils have failed to make significant improvement a Penalty Notice may now be requested from the Court Officer. See the legal interventions section of this site for more detail.
Attendance contract example 2 |Attendance contract example 2 : Word file (348.2k)
Leave in term time |Leave in term time : Adobe Acrobat file (181.2k)
Regulations with regard to holiday absence change from September 2013.
All requests for holiday or leave of absence in term time MUST BE DECLINED unless they are considered to be exceptional circumstances.
Absences cannot be authorised retrospectively.
Schools should amend their attendance policy, letters and website in the light of this change to guidance.
The attached leave request form may be used by schools.
It is possible that in certain situations a school may consider the nature of the request exceptionl but may feel that the time scale requested is too long. In this case the school may decide to authorise only part of the leave.
School should communicate their decision in writing to the parent. If the request is declined the school should explain why this is the case.
In cases where a school suspects that leave has been taken but the absence has been explained by the parent as illness the school may ask the parent to provide evidence of absence.
Schools may request a Penalty Notice in cases of unauthorised leave which hit the LA trigger.
Penalty notices can be used when parents take a holiday that has not been authorised by the school. More detail can be found in the legal intervention area of this website.
Example leave in term time policy |Example leave in term time policy : Word file (28.2k)
Requests for extended leave |
Extended leave from September 2013 will no longer be a separate consideration. Any request can only be granted in exceptional circumstances. The school is able to set an expected return date. In some instances schools request sight of the return flight tickets. Penalty Notices can in some circumstances be used for parents who fail to return by the due date.
Pupils on extended leave cannot be taken off roll. Pupils should be provided with a work pack. Absence must be recorded as G or H dependent upon if it has been authorised.
Workforce remodelling |
The document below indicates the tasks agreed regarding attendance. There is often misinterpretation and confusion regarding the role of the Form Tutor. Systems which remove any involvement at all from the FT in chasing letters of absence can sometimes have a negative impact on attendance as few conversations regarding attendance then ever take place in form time.
Under the agreement it is not possible for form tutors to be asked to send letters home or make phone calls home regarding absent pupils. It is possible for form tutors to prompt pupils on reasons for absence.
24 tasks