Hazelwood Integrated Primary School. Attendance Policy

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1 Hazelwood Integrated Primary School Attendance Policy Aims and Ethos Hazelwood Integrated Primary School recognises that punctual and regular school attendance is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to achieve their full potential. We believe that promoting good attendance develops positive attitudes towards school and learning. We also recognise that lateness impacts on learning not only for the individual child, but the class as a whole. This school aims to ensure that every child will want to attend school. This will be achieved by creating a warm, welcoming and secure atmosphere where the children feel valued, and a stimulating and accessible curriculum delivered in a clean, bright and attractive environment. Poor attendance can seriously affect each child s: 1. attainment and progress in school 2. relationships with peers 3. confidence to attempt new work and work alongside others Non-attendance is an important issue that is treated seriously. However, each case is different and the school acknowledges that no one standard response will be appropriate in every case. Consideration is given to all factors affecting attendance before deciding what intervention strategies to apply. Schools have a legal responsibility to report any pupil to the Education Welfare Service whose absence falls below 85% or where there has been an absence of 10 days where it has proved impossible to make contact with parents. It is hoped that parents, school staff and the Education Welfare Service can work together to overcome any problems which may affect a child s attendance and achieve a resolution. We summarise our pupils attendance as: 98%+ Very good Well done! This will help all aspects of your child s progress and life in school. This will give them a good start in life and supports a positive work ethic. 94 Satisfactory Strive to build on this. 97% 93 Needs Attention Absence is now affecting attainment and progress in school. Please work 85% with the school to improve the situation. Unacceptable Absence is causing serious concern. It is affecting attainment and progress Below and disrupting your child s learning. We will work with you and the Education Welfare 85% Officer (EWO) to improve your child s attendance. The Management of Attendance

2 Responsibilities of Parents (Throughout this policy the term parent represents one parent, both parents or carer with whom the child resides.) Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their children attend school regularly and the education and library boards work under two pieces of legislation; 1. The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 (amended by the Education (NI) Order 1996) 2. The Children (NI) Order 1995 Hazelwood Integrated Primary School wishes to remind parents that it is their statutory duty to ensure that children have an efficient education suited to their age, aptitude and any special educational needs. (Education and Libraries Order 1986) It is the responsibility of parents to: 1. ensure their child attends school daily and on time 2. keep the school fully informed on all matters that might affect attendance and their child in school 3. telephone school on the first day of any absence to inform school of the reason 4. provide a note confirming the reason for absence on the child s return to school 5. if attendance becomes an issue work with the school to improve matters 6. give serious consideration to whether it is appropriate or necessary to request term time absence Responsibilities of the Board of Governors and Principal The Board of Governors has the ultimate responsibility for school attendance and monitoring the effectiveness of the school s attendance policy and practice. However, this is delegated, on a day-today basis, to the Principal assisted by the senior teacher in charge of attendance. The Principal has the role of determining resources and staffing to deal with attendance issues and ensuring statistical information is provided as required by government. Responsibilities of Senior Management One member of the Senior Management Team, Mrs Shirley McMaw, has the responsibility for overall monitoring of attendance and coordinating attendance matters within the school. This role includes: 1. collating and reporting attendance information 1. working closely with parents and children to improve poor attendance speaking personally, making telephone calls and sending letters to inform parents when a child s attendance is giving cause for concern and is being closely monitored 2. meeting with class teachers to discuss individual pupils with irregular attendance 3. meeting with the Education Welfare Officers approximately every six weeks and making referrals as necessary 4. working with the EWO towards improved patterns of attendance for referred pupils identifying the course of action that should be taken 5. organising activities to raise the profile of school attendance and punctuality e.g. Be On Time Week

3 Responsibilities of the Class Teacher Effective practice in relation to managing individual pupil attendance depends on the class teacher but, on a daily basis, some aspects of this may be delegated to the classroom assistant. The following are some of the roles of the class teacher: 1. Developing trusting relationships with all pupils and delivering stimulating and enjoyable learning for all children 2. Promoting school attendance through the curriculum 3. Monitoring attendance, e.g. marking register at the start of morning and afternoon sessions, collecting absence notes, identifying pupils with irregular attendance patterns and bringing this to the attention of Mrs McMaw 4. Following up pupil absence if notes are not produced 5. Talking to parents about their child s attendance 6. Report percentage attendance to parents, e.g. parent interviews, annual report, Be On Time Week 7. Telephoning parents of pupils who are absent from school for several days without explanation 8. Providing support to pupils after a long absence from school Responsibilities of Office Staff The office staff has an important role to play in monitoring attendance in school. The following are some of the tasks they may undertake: 1. Operating the SIMS system and providing printouts for teachers and EWOs 2. Taking phone messages from parents about absences and passing the information on to class teachers 3. Phoning parents of pupils who are absent from school without explanation 4. Collating registration data Attendance Procedures Hazelwood Integrated Primary School welcomes children from different religious faiths and children with individual needs and consideration of these will be given with regards to attendance. Parents can apply for special leave of absence for their children by consultation with the Principal. We are required to take an attendance register twice a day. Every half day absence has to be classified by school as either authorised or unauthorised and the appropriate code recorded as advised by Department of Education guidelines. It is the responsibility of the school to authorise absence. The school does not have to accept a parent s offered explanation as a valid reason for absence. Registration Morning registration begins at 9.00 a.m. and only pupils who use the school bus may arrive after this time. Pupils who are late will be recorded as such in the register and those who arrive after registration closes at 9.15 a.m. will be recorded as late after registration has closed and will receive an absent mark for the morning session.

4 Attendance is again recorded after the lunch break. It is expected that pupils remain in school for the entire afternoon session and parents should avoid collecting children early unless this has been arranged in advance with the Principal. Absence Parents are requested to ring the school office on the first day of their child s absence with an explanation so that the appropriate code can be recorded. This should be followed up by a note on the child s return to school. Medical Appointments Parents are asked, whenever possible, to make appointments outside school hours. If an appointment has to be made during school hours a written explanation must be provided stating clearly the time of the appointment. Pupils are expected to return to school following their appointment if possible. If there are frequent absences for medical reasons, parents may be asked to provide medical evidence e.g. a doctor s certificate. If a pupil has a medical condition that may affect attendance and punctuality parents are asked to discuss possible arrangements with the class teacher. Holidays during Term Time Hazelwood Integrated Primary School strongly discourages holidays during term time due to the impact that this has on children s learning. Parents must contact the Principal prior to booking any holiday to explain the need to remove a pupil from school during term time. Policy reviewed April 2014

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