Attendance
The Senior Attendance champion is Miss D Nicholson.
Attendance
Regular attendance at school is vital to help children achieve and get the best possible start in life.
Home Visits
Home visits will be carried out where we have had no communication regarding absence or where we have not physically seen a student. We would encourage parents to maintain regular contact with school where there is some anxiety based school absence. This may include the use of 'drive bys' where a parent brings a child onto school site to make contact with staff.
Punctuality
Good punctuality is important and pupils are expected to be in school by 8.25am and in registration at 8.30am. If a pupil arrives after 9.00am they will receive a U mark. This is an unauthorised absence.
Unauthorised Absences in Term Time
Due to a change in the law in 2013 we are unable to authorise any holidays in term time and we ask that pupils are not absent from school except in the most exceptional of circumstances.
All absence requests must be made in advance on the correct request form (Click Here) This is also available from Reception. If your request is not approved the school has the power to request that a Fixed Penalty Notice is sent to parents should the time still be taken off.
Medical Absences
We understand that sometimes illness may prevent your child from attending school.
We ask that medical appointments be made outside of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible appointment cards can be brought into school for the absence to be authorised.
We are usually only able to authorise half a day for appointments except in exceptional circumstances. If you are unsure whether your child is able to attend due to illness, please contact us and we will always try to help. Many medical conditions can be sensitively managed in school to enable your child to continue their learning.
Attendance Fast Tracks
If your child’s attendance falls below 95% (without good reason) the school may initiate a Fast Track as a supportive measure. Absences will not be authorised during this time period without verification. You will be notified of a Fast Track via letter. Non improvement of attendance following a Fast Track may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued by Leeds City Council.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act says that parents must ensure that their child attends school regularly & on time. If a parent fails to do this the school has the authority to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice. This is £80 and increases to £160 if not paid within 28 days. In more serious cases parents may face a fine of up to £2500 or a custodial sentence.
School Anxiety and/or Refusal
Where a child is unable to attend school through anxiety and/or refusal we would always encourage parents to access all the in school support available as well as support available online and in the community. Please see our safeguarding page and the student planner for links to support networks including Kooth.com which is an online counselling service.
Achievement
Absence for any reason stops students learning and there is a strong link between attendance and achievement at school. Statistically, pupils are likely to drop a grade at GCSE once their attendance falls below 91.6%.
