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Child Friendly Attendance Policy
Attendance Policy September 2024
As a Rights Respecting School we believe that all pupils have the right to an education and that pupils should be encouraged to go to school – article 28. Children cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school.
Last year’s attendance figure – 93.8%
Whole School Attendance Target – 96%
Persistent Absence – 9.9% (the percentage of children whose attendance was below 90%)
Monitoring Procedures
1) Whole school and class attendance is shared weekly in our Praise worship and then discussed in classes with attendance ambassadors leading the discussion.
2) Contact is made with parents on the first day of absence for any pupil absence not reported.
3) If a pupil’s attendance becomes a concern, the class teacher will speak to the pupil in school to discuss any issues or problems to ascertain how the school can help to improve their attendance.
4) If your child’s attendance figure falls below 90% a letter will be sent home. These will be sent out when a child’s attendance falls below 90%. Attendance clinics will be booked and if needed Penalty Notice Warning Letters (PNWL) will be issued.
5) If attendance doesn’t improve a further letter will be sent explaining the need for medical evidence to cover all illness absences.
6) If there is still no improvement parents will be invited to an attendance clinic held with our EWO.
7) If poor attendance continues after the above interventions penalty notice warning letters will be issued by the LA and fines could be issued if attendance still continues to be an issue.
8) Improvement letters are sent for families whose attendance improves as a result of the monitoring.
9) A record of all concerns, correspondence and meetings will be kept in school
10) Termly attendance percentages will be reported to the LAC via the Principal’s report and to parents via newsletters.
11) Parents are informed of attendance targets and kept up to-date of classes’ achievement via Praise Worship, dojo and regular newsletters. This includes a weekly how many children are attending today.
12) Individual and class average attendance is reported to parents each term via the termly report.
13) Weekly attendance (and the rolling from September) is monitored each week and shared with children at the Praise Worship. This is also shared with parents via dojo in the form of a RAG rated graph.
14) Personalised attendance targets and attendance trackers will be given to pupils whose attendance is causing concern, below 90%. The HSLW will share these with the pupils.
15) All children’s attendance is rated red (below 90%), yellow (between 90% and 96%) and green (96% or above) and shared with parents as part of the termly parent’s meetings.
16) Door knocks will be made to families of absent children.
17) Each class, year 3 – year 6, has two Attendance Ambassadors. It is their job to:
a) make sure that the class attendance display is always up to date
b) meet with the HSLW at least half termly to discuss current whole school percentages
c) feedback this information to their class
d) be involved in the prize draws each half term
Attendance Rewards for Pupils
• Two Dojos each day. One for arriving on time and one for wearing full school uniform
• Trophy awarded each week for the classes with the highest attendance: EYs/KS1 and KS2
• The class with the highest attendance will look after Maximus Mouse for the week, get 15 minutes extra play and will receive a certificate
• If a class achieves 100% attendance for the week they will get a prize.
• 100% attendance certificates awarded at the end of each term;
• Certificates for 100% attendance for the whole year;
• Every month, if you have achieved 96% attendance or above, you will be entered into a prize draw;
• Every half term, a £10 gift voucher (for a local supermarket) will be presented to the child’s family drawn out of all of those who have attended 96% or above
• All children who have achieved 100% attendance up to the Friday before May Half Term will receive a special in school treat
• Spot prizes to children with 100% – 3 per half term
• Prize draw for a tablet every term – children with 100% attendance