HINCHINGBROOKE

SCHOOL

Policy Statement

on

ATTENDANCE

Drawn up by:                                              CJH

Date:                                                           September 2007

Date adopted by Governing Body:              14.11.07

Revised:                                                       Review every 2 years

Successful schools:

• Treat attendance as a priority within the whole school community
• Have a clear policy on absence
• Use robust systems for monitoring attendance
• Use Data and other information to improve school and pupil performance
• Promote the importance of good attendance to pupils and their parents/carers
• Intervene early when individual pupil absence gives cause for concern
• Have support systems in place for vulnerable pupils
• Reward and celebrate good and improved attendance
• Make use of additional support for pupils and parents with greatest need

Principles

Every child has a right to access the education to which he/she is entitled.  Parents and teachers share the responsibility for ensuring that attendance rates at Hinchingbrooke School are maximised and that rates of unjustified and unauthorised absenteeism are kept to a minimum.

Aims

• To address the Every Child Matters Agenda
• Encourages a positive approach
• Challenge and reduce levels of authorised and unauthorised absences
• Promotes a consistent approach by all staff
• Recognise and reward good attendance
• Acknowledges the link between attendance and attainment

Ethos

• The school recognises that punctual and regular attendance alongside high standards of  behaviour is an essential prerequisite to effective learning and is therefore committed to improving levels of attendance, punctuality and positive behaviour
• The school actively promotes a teaching and learning ethos which encourages all pupils to attend whatever their level of ability or need
• Build on clear values principles and beliefs
• In accordance with other school policies, members of the school community should be able to thrive, feel respected, safe and secure

Working in Partnership

• Parents are responsible in law for ensuring the regular and punctual attendance of their children as stated in the Home/School Agreement
• Parents and school staff should work closely together to overcome any problems which may affect a child’s attendance
• The school will encourage and value high attendance rates
• The school will recognise the external factors which influence pupil attendance and will work in partnership with parents, the Education Welfare Service and other relevant services to deal with any issues 
• The school will take a proactive approach to the promotion of good attendance by defining expectations with students and their parents and will provide an effective and efficient system for monitoring attendance in accordance with legal requirements

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Headteacher has overall responsibility for whole school attendance

The Attendance Leader

• Sets annual school attendance target with Leadership Group and returns to Local Authority
• Ensure that whole school attendance policy is implemented (and regularly reviewed)                        
• Ensure that the policy is communicated to pupils staff, parents and Governors
• Ensure detailed attendance data is regularly collected and used to inform strategic planning on attendance matters    
• Report to Governors on attendance matters
• Liaise and inform LG on attendance matters eg Self Evaluation Form

Attendance and Pupil Support Manager

• Process registers/absence forms and signing in and out book
• Recording of telephone absences onto Bromcom system
• Produce absence lists on a weekly basis to Heads of Year to disseminate to Form Tutors and produce summary attendance data for Attendance Leader and Heads of Year
• First day response calls home
• Weekly meeting with Heads of Year and Education Welfare Officer
• Support individual student needs re attendance
• Liaise with Attendance Leader on a regular basis
• Induct new staff on the use of Bromcom
• Requesting Doctor’s letters to cover persistent medical absence
• Manage Reward Scheme for students who have consistently high attendance and those who have shown a significant improvement
• Issue Reconciliation of Absence Forms to be provided on a weekly basis to Head of Year for distribution to Form Tutors to be actioned

Heads of Year

Heads of Year are responsible for monitoring the attendance of their year group. 

They should:

• Induct new staff in the year team on attendance procedures
• Monitor attendance on a regular basis setting targets for improvement as appropriate
• Monitor the performance of individual tutor groups, following up with individual tutors instances where patterns of absenteeism are not being effectively addressed
• Review registers and attendance and punctuality figures on a half-termly basis
• Regularly put attendance onto the Agenda of year meetings
• Ensure that contact is made with parents of poor attenders
• Meet with the EWO and Attendance and Pupil Support Manager on a weekly basis in order to discuss students who have not responded to the school’s strategies/interventions and when necessary to make referrals
• Follow up internal truancy with appropriate punishments
• Promote good attendance and punctuality through assemblies

Form Tutor

At Hinchingbrooke School the Form Tutor is seen as the key figure in promoting regular punctual attendance. 

The Form Tutor should:

• Provide a good example by always being responsible for registration
• Carry out electronic registration in a prescribed manner
• Ensure that students who are late are recorded on the system
• Ensure that all notes from parents regarding absences are scrutinised and recorded on the system
• Monitor patterns of absence for individuals within their Tutor group
• Alert the Head of Year when there is an attendance problem
• Offer praise to individual students whose attendance and/or punctuality is good or improves
• Reconcile the weekly absence report and return to the Attendance and Pupil Support Manager

Head of Department

The Head of Department should:

• Provide a good example by always being punctual
• Ensure that members of their Department take their register at the beginning of every lesson
• Put attendance on the Agenda of every Department Meeting in order that members of the Department may query any anomalies in students’ attendance eg patterns

Subject Teachers

Subject Teachers should:

• Provide a good example by always being punctual
• Take a Register at the beginning of every lesson (and ensure that the students know that the register is being taken)
• Follow up any suspected internal truancy by informing the Head of Department and Attendance and Pupil Support Manager
• Should monitor progress of pupils with poor/good attendance and how it relates to their attainment

Education Welfare Officer

• Supports the regular school attendance of pupils at Hinchingbrooke School and help remove any barriers which may be preventing a pupil from fully accessing the education to which he/she is entitled
• In some cases of poor attendance a system of Fixed Penalty fines are applied
• In extreme cases parents and students may be subject to Court action

Governor

• The Governor will monitor and review the school’s attendance figures with the Head and Attendance Leader

Parent/Carer

• Parent/carers should ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually. If their child is not coming into school they should inform the school as soon as possible.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

In order to improve levels of attendance and punctuality the School will employ six key strategies:

• Ensure that all telephone communications from parents/carers about non-attendance are formally recorded
• To address non-attendance strategically through ‘first day absence’ contact 
• School through the work of the Tutor/Head of Year will analyse attendance data to assess patterns of absence and lateness.  Once patterns have been established contact will be made with parents/carers
• When prolonged absence is recorded, maximum one week without notification of reason, the EWO service will be notified.
• Have clear supportive strategies to address levels of attendance below 90%
• Produce a Persistent Absentees Register by summer 2008

PROCEDURES

It is the parents' responsibility to inform the School of the reason for a child's absence as soon as possible (as listed in the students’ planner and on Parentmail)

Where we suspect that students are taking unauthorised absences, we ask parents to inform us on the first day of absence so that we are immediately alerted to possible problems.

The School's expectations about the reporting of absence are:

If a child is not coming into school, Parents/carers should call the Absence Line: 01480 375700 Ext 5701 on the first morning they are absent or if they have a Doctor or Dentist appointment at the beginning of the school day.

REGISTRATION

The Bromcom register is a legal document, which could be used as evidence in cases where parents are being prosecuted for school attendance offences.

It is of vital importance that all registers are completed punctually and accurately. Tutors during morning registration and the subject teacher periods 1 - 6. Staff using PDAs should follow the same procedure.  Particular attention to accuracy is vital for fast track to prosecution and the termly DCSF Attendance Census.   

LATENESS

When a student arrives late to school they should sign in at the designated area, entering the time of arrival and reason for lateness.

When a student arrives late to class, the register must be updated to include the amount of minutes late.  All such lateness must be recorded and dealt with by the Tutor/subject teacher.

Serious or persistent lateness will be dealt with by detentions: lunch-time or after School.

These procedures must be adhered to in order to conform to Health and Safety Regulations.

FAMILY HOLIDAYS AND EXTENDED TRIPS DURING TERM TIME

The DCSF recommends that no term time holidays are granted and therefore as a rule requests for term time leave will not be approved.  

ENCOURAGING GOOD ATTENDANCE

Good attendance improves peer relationships, allows students to achieve their potential and therefore contributes positively to the school community

Students with good and improved attendance receive letters of congratulations and/or a reward which may be presented in assembly

Students’ attendance is included on all school references and is requested by prospective colleges and employers and used as part of their admissions and interview procedure.

DATA COLLECTION- MONITORING AND REVIEWING

Data is collected  directly from the school system on a fortnightly basis by the LA.

All students’ attendance is reviewed daily and intervention strategies take place as appropriate.

The Heads of Year review the attendance of their year group on a weekly basis with the Education Welfare Officer.  Students with attendance concerns are highlighted and intervention put in place.

REINTEGRATION OF PUPILS AFTER ABSENCE

It is vital that students who have been absent feel welcomed back into school.

Students who have been absent for long periods may be supported by an Integration programme.  This may include a flexible timetable that may include time spent in the Inclusion Room.

TARGET SETTING

Whilst we would hope for all students to have 100% attendance, we recognise the fact that this is not possible in all cases.  Individual students with lower than expected attendance will be given a realistic target for improvement, which will be monitored on a regular basis.  Significant improvement or an effort to do so is recognised and often rewarded.

The school has to submit an annual attendance target to the DCSF and the whole school community should strive towards achieving this.

COMMUNICATION

Hinchingbrooke School’s Attendance Policy will be communicated through:

• A précis in the parents’ prospectus
• A key point summary in the student planner
• Pupil review and guidance meetings
• Assemblies
• In the home/school agreement
• Guidance and Advice in the Staff Handbook
• School website