Attendance
Attendance
Introduction
This is a successful school, and your son/daughter plays their part in making it so. We aim for an environment, which enables and encourages all members of the community to thrive for excellence as we believe it can be done.
The school is committed to ensuring that all students attend school regularly. Regular school attendance is vital if students are to benefit from the experiences which the school offers them; we believe that students should attend school regularly because this is where they learn, and this is where they are safe. Employers and other reference seekers value attendance and punctuality as an indicator of reliability; in an ever-competitive world it is crucial that our students are equipped to compete with others by having outstanding attendance and punctuality.
Education lays the vital foundations of a child’s life. Regular and punctual attendance at school is key to both academic and social development, which in turn will improve the life chances of our students. Students who do not attend school regularly are at a greater risk of becoming involved in crime or becoming a victim of abuse.
Encouraging regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success, both in school and in life. When you make school attendance a priority, you help your child to get better grades, develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behaviour, and have a better chance of achieving their full potential.
Students who attend school regularly also feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to leave school with food qualifications, setting them up for a strong future.
At 96% attendance – 73% of students achieve five good graders at GCSE (99-4) including English and Maths, however even at 96% attendance a student would have missed 45 hours of learning.
19 days off per school means that a pupil has approx. 90% attendance. At 90% attendance your child will have missed 97 lessons in one year! If this trend went throughout the 5 years a child is at secondary school, this would equate to half a year of missing school time in total.
Broadway Academy is a benchmark school for attendance which is well supported by the DfE website and our recent Ofsted inspections.
WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE?
Here are some of the things that your child can do to ensure that they achieve and maintain outstanding attendance and punctuality:
- Have an evening and morning routine that allows a minimum of 8 hours sleep.
- Limit digital technology use – e.g. gaming, social media, apps etc. and finish at least one hour before bed.
- Allow enough time in the morning for your child to get ready, have breakfast and travel to school and arrive on time.
- Have their own alarm clock.
- Get a reliable friend to call for them in the morning.
- Get their equipment and bag ready the night before.
- Have a regular study time each evening.
- Not waiting for friends in the morning before school.
- Learn bus timetables in advance if travelling via public transport.
It will also help if parents/carer:
- Take an interest in schoolwork.
- Work with and support the school.
- Praise their child’s efforts.
WHY IS GOOD ATTENDANCE IMPORTANT?
- To avoid gaps in learning.
- To help achieve excellent exam results.
- To help with getting to sixth form, college, an apprenticeship, or university.
- To help get a good job.
- To get a good reference for school attendance
- To prevent court action.
WHAT IS A ‘PERSISTENTLY ABSENT (PA) PUPIL’?
You should not keep your child from school or allow them to be absent:
- Your child becomes a ‘persistently absent’ pupil when attendance falls below 90%.
- A PA pupil will be monitored by your child’s SSM/SSA and our Attendance Manager. If your child’s attendance is under 90%, we will not authorise any absence without medical evidence (e.g., prescriptions, stamped appointment cards).
- As a school we monitor attendance very closely. If your child’s attendance drops below 93%, they will be monitored very closely and we will put the necessary steps in place to support you and your child to improve.
WHAT ABSENCES ARE NOT APPROPRIATE?
- To look after the house or other members of the family.
- To go shopping or to visit relatives.
- Because they are menstruating.
- Because they got up late.
- Because they don’t want to come to school.
- For family birthdays or to go on family outings.
WHAT ABOUT HOLIDAY?
The Department of Education has introduced amendments to holidays taken in term time. The Headteacher will not be able to grant any leave of absence during term time, for any purpose unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you decide to take a holiday in term time and it has not been authorised by the school, we will pursue the legal route in partnership with the local authority.
WHAT IF ABSENCE IS ESSENTIAL?
It is important to get a message to school – it is the responsibility of parents/carers to let the school know the reason for their child’s absence as soon as possible, before 9am on the first day of absence.
Your child deserves an exceptional educational experience and all the opportunities that Broadway Academy has to offer. Coming to school every day is essential for your child’s academic and personal development.
WHAT ARE PARENTAL/CARER RESPONSIBILITIES?
You must make sure he/she attends school regularly and stays in school. This is law. You can be taken to court for breaking this law (Section 444 of the Education Act 1996).
Parents should ensure their children arrive at school on time, properly dressed in school uniform and ready to learn.
This means pupils should wear school uniform. They must have their books, pens, pencils, PE kit etc, and not be too tired, worried, or hungry. Parents must also make sure that student’s complete homework on time and keep to school rules about behaviour.
WHAT IS AN AUTHORISED ABSENCE?
Parents and carers can explain absences, but they cannot authorise them our Attendance Manager Mr Sembhi will make the final decision. Only the school can decide whether explanations about absences are acceptable and can be authorised. For persistent absence, the school will insist a doctor’s note or medical evidence is provided. All other absences will be coded as ‘O’ and will not be authorised.
WHAT ABOUT ABSENCE FOR DENTAL/MEDICAL TREATMENT?
Your child may have to be absent from school for medical or dental treatment. The school must be informed if during school time, but where possible appointments should be arranged before/after school.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A PUPIL MISSES TOO MUCH SCHOOL?
If a pupil does not attend every day, this is what happens:
- They will not know how to complete the work set.
- They may feel left out and get left behind.
- Friendship groups may change.
- They lose touch with coursework and other important information.
- Creates anxiety for your child.
- They will underachieve.
WHAT REWARDS ARE THERE FOR EXCELLENT ATTENDANCE AND EXEMPLARY PUNCTUALITY?
All pupils in school with 100% attendance on their record (termly) are placed in a raffle to have the chance of winning a £10 voucher and school trips. Best tutor groups get chocolate box weekly. Regular attendance and punctuality assemblies take place throughout the year so plenty of opportunities to win rewards.
REMEMBER
- 7 sessions (3 and a half days) missed in each half term = a persistently absent (PA) pupil.
- Missed lessons = Missed opportunities.
- Being on time shows that pupils are reliable and organised and know that school matters.
- Employers want good timekeepers.
WHAT HAPPENS IF PUPILS ARE LATE?
- Your child will be at a disadvantage.
- They may miss important notices in Form and interrupt lessons.
Any pupils arriving onto school site after 8.40am will be marked as late and receive a late detention.
- If your child arrives after close of registration, it is an unauthorised absence and will be coded as ‘U’ (arrived after registration closed)
ATTENDANCE AT EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS
- All pupils must attend external exams on time as these dates are set by the examination’s boards and cannot be changed.
ATTENDANCE AND PASTORAL TEAM
Broadway Academy attendance and pastoral team may complete Safe and Well visits for pupils, where they attend the family home. These visits can take place for a range of reasons e.g., the pupil is not in school, and the parents/carers have not contacted the school to inform them of the reason. This is a procedure that the school must follow by law to ensure that all its pupils are safe. If students cannot be located, we will have to follow child missing from education route.
Due to the exceptional pastoral care we provide to our students with the focus being on early intervention any barriers to learning are removed at the earliest opportunity, so that all students can excel and reach their full potential and take advantage of the exceptional educational experience and rich extra-curricular activities that re on offer at Broadway Academy.
If you require any additional support with your child’s school attendance or any matters related to family support, please do not hesitate to contact me on 0121 566 4334 option 1.
Mr G Sembhi
Attendance Manager, Family Support Manager and DSL