Bellemoor School | Southampton

Vision

Regular attendance is an important feature of Bellemoor School.  Without it our best efforts will come to nothing.  Education provides a means of advancement for all our students.  They need to attend regularly and punctually in order to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them.  Irregular attendance undermines those opportunities and may place students at risk.

Aims

• To maximise our attendance rates by encouraging, recognising and rewarding good attendance.
• To investigate individual absences and ensure that students and parents are clear that unauthorised absences are not acceptable.
• To work closely with students and parents, along with other professional agencies, to help them overcome problems which may prevent students from attending regularly.

The Legal Framework

• Under Sections 444(1) and 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996, parents of students are required to ensure that they receive full time education; in most cases children do attend school.  Parents are thus responsible for ensuring that children attend, and stay at, school.  It is the responsibility of the school to support attendance and to take problems seriously, which may lead to non-attendance.
• Penalty Notices may be issued under Section 23 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act and in accordance with the LEAs Code of Conduct for the use of Penalty Notices in Cases of Non-Attendance at School.  A copy of this Code of Conduct can be obtained from the school office or the Education Welfare Service.
• The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 specify the arrangements covering holidays during term-time.
• The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995.

Approach to Non-Attendance

Attendance is checked daily.  Students who are absent without explanation will be contacted by the third day of absence or, in the case of the students with known attendance problems, on the first day of absence.

Upon return to school parents must provide a letter of explanation for the absence.  Those students whose attendance is causing concern may be asked to provide medical notes for absence.  Tutors will collect the notes and send them to the Attendance Officer.

The authorisation of any absence is at the Headteacher's discretion.  If the legitimacy of the absence due to illness is in doubt, the school reserves the right not to authorise the absence and to consult with the School Health Service or contact the pupils GP.

In the case of those students whose level of attendance is causing concern, the Attendance Officer will send home letters and a copy of their child's attendance to date.  If there is no improvement the student will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) who visits the school on a weekly basis to monitor student attendance.

All unauthorised absence puts a parent at risk of being issued with a Penalty Notice, or of legal proceedings being instigated for failing to ensure their childs attendance at school.

Strategies to Address Poor Attendance

The school employs a range of strategies to address the problems of students who have unacceptably low levels of attendance.  The Pastoral Manager, who is responsible for attendance and tackling individual students, keeps a 'concern sheet'.  This details the hierarchy of intervention, progressing from the House Tutor, to Head of House, to Pastoral Manager and finally the Headteacher.  Strategies include telephone calls, letters home and meetings in school.

If the problem has still not been successfully dealt with, the student's case will be referred to the EWO.  We work closely with the EWO to support the student and parent(s) in overcoming the student's problem.  Through home visiting, the EWO may be well placed to assess a non-attender's problems in the wider family context.

As a final measure, where the non-attendance of a student is not solved the LEA can apply to the courts for an Education Supervision Order and, where necessary, they can prosecute parents.

Where there have been issues of long-term absence we also work closely with the EWO and parents to ensure the student is re-integrated into school.

Penalty Notices

The Local Education Authority (LEA) is introducing Penalty Notices (Section 23 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act) in September 2005 as an alternative to prosecution under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.  It is hoped that Penalty Notices will prove to be a suitable intervention in circumstances of parentally condoned truancy.

A full copy of the LEAs Code of Conduct for the use of Penalty Notices in Cases of Non-Attendance at School can be obtained from the school or Education Welfare Service.

Strategies to Encourage Good Attendance

We believe that students who do achieve good attendance should be recognised and rewarded; thus providing them with positive reinforcement and providing other students with further incentives to improve their attendance.

Rewards are issued for excellent attendance half termly, both for individuals and tutor groups. 

Recognition is made through:

• Personal congratulations from the Pastoral Manager and Senior Management.
• Letters home.
• Notices in the Newsletter.
• Form prizes for the best attendance each term and for the year.
• Certificates for the Record of Achievement.
• Reward trip at the end of the year for those achieving 97% attendance and above.

The positive message of good attendance is always to the forefront of tutorial sessions, assemblies and meetings with parents.  Up-to-date attendance data is always available from the Admin Office.

Parents' Responsibilities

• Parents are under a legal duty to send their children to school regularly.
• It is the parents' responsibility to inform the school of the reason for a child's absence as soon as possible.
• Parental contact should be made by telephone on the first day of absence.
• Parents should resolve any in-school problems with the Head of House or Headteacher without any adverse affect on attendance.
• On return from the absence, a letter should be provided, explaining the absence.
• Parents should discuss any problems with the school at the earliest opportunity so that a joint effort can be made to address them.
• The School Prospectus, website, newsletters and occasional letters provide the parents with details of our expectations.

The Importance of Registration

Under Regulation 7 of The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995, all schools must keep an attendance register in which, at the beginning of each morning and afternoon session, students are marked present or absent.  Absence must also be denoted as authorised or unauthorised.   

It is essential that the registers are accurate and secure.  Inappropriate authorisation of absences may compromise court proceedings.

Class teachers are expected to take a class register at the beginning of each lesson.  This helps minimise post registration truancy.

Registration and Punctuality

In order to receive a present mark, students should arrive in time to attend registration at 8.30 am and at 1.40 pm.  Registers will close 10 minutes after these times and students will be recorded as having arrived late.  

Latecomers, before close of registers, will be marked present, indicated with an 'L', and receive a detention after school to make up the time (no longer than 10 minutes).

Students who arrive after 8.40 am or after 1.50 pm, when registers have closed, must sign in at Reception.  The late arrival will be marked present with a @ and statistically this code counts as an unauthorised absence.  The student will receive a detention after school to make up the time (no longer than 10 minutes).

Persistent lateness will result in a one-hour pastoral detention.  If it continues the student will be placed on an attendance report and a letter sent home.  If there is no improvement after two weeks the student will be referred to the EWO.

Students who are persistently late to lessons will be required to make up the time and may be placed on attendance report.

Persistent lateness also places parents at risk of a Penalty Notice being issued.

Family Holidays

The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 allow Headteachers to grant up to 10 school days of authorised absence, in any academic year, for the purpose of family holidays during term-time.  The 10 day allowance is not an automatic entitlement and is entirely at the discretion of the Headteacher therefore parents should not expect that, as a right, the school will agree to family holidays in term time.

The Headteacher will consider each request on its merits, the most important considerations being:

•  Any adverse affect on the pupil's continuity of learning.
•  Whether the holiday could be taken during periods of normal school holiday.
•  Whether the pupil is subject to any examinations during the academic year concerned and achievement may be   adversely affected.
• Whether due consideration has been given to the timing of the holiday e.g. at the start of a new term.
• The pupil's current level of attendance.

Parents must apply in writing to the Headteacher three weeks in advance of the planned holiday.  An application form is available from the school office which, once considered, will be returned to the parent indicating whether or not the period of leave has been agreed and will therefore be authorised.

Holidays in Years 10 and 11 and in Year 9 after Christmas, taken during term-time, WILL NOT be authorised unless there are extenuating circumstances.  This is at the discretion of the Head of House and Headteacher. 

Any requests for leave for the purposes of a term-time holiday that have not been agreed by the school, but are subsequently taken, put parents at risk of a Penalty Notice being issued, as the absence would remain unauthorised, or a prosecution being pursued by the LEA.

In cases where a holiday request is declined the school will enter a Z code in the register which denotes an unauthorised absence.

If a pupil granted leave of absence for up to 10 days does not return to school on the agreed date following the period of authorised absence, the school may remove the pupil from roll after a period of not less than four weeks, providing that the school and the LEA have failed, after reasonable enquiry, to locate the pupil.  The school should then make a referral to the Tracking Officer.

Extended Term-time Leave of Absence

National research indicates that visits to extended family members who live overseas can offer educational and cultural rewards for pupils.  Such rewards can include enhancement of self-esteem and personal and cultural identity.  Pupils knowledge of world issues and skills in their home language can also be broadened and shared experiences can be beneficial across various curriculum areas on their return.  Parents should be aware, however, that extended leave can result in:

• Insufficient coverage of the national curriculum.
• Pupils failing to reach their potential.
• Pupils falling behind with their school work.
• Pupils suffering re-entry problems in terms of social integration which may affect a childs confidence and in-school relationships.

The approach of Bellemoor School is that the maximum period allowed for extended leave of absence is 10 days in any school year, in addition to the discretionary 10 day allowance the Headteacher may grant.

Parents should adopt the following approach to any planned extended leave for their child:

• Discuss with the school the most appropriate time of year and point in their childs education for the visit to take place. 
• Endeavour to utilise existing periods of school holidays for as much of the trip as possible.
• Complete the necessary documentation, ensuring that the return date is clear.
• Leave should be planned well in advance and no arrangements should be made until permission has been granted by the school.
• Ensure that they leave with the school contact phone numbers for other family members in the UK, in case of problems at the end of the period of leave.

The school will consider each application on its merits, taking into account the following:

• Any special educational needs.
• The structures within the school which may prevent them being able to offer additional support on the childs return.
• The childs knowledge and skill levels, particularly in relation to core subjects.
• Tests during years 9 & 11 (end of Key Stage and GCSEs).
• That the amount of time missed from school has kept to a minimum.
•  Any exceptional circumstances.

The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 state that if your child does not return to school within 10 days of the agreed return date following a period of extended leave of absence, and the school is satisfied that absence is not due to sickness or unavoidable cause, your child may be removed from the school roll.  Examples of unavoidable causes are; serious illnessaccident, death of a family member, warcivil unrest or severe weather conditions.

If your child is removed from role, a referral will then be made to the LEAs Tracking Officer.

Any requests for extended leave of absence that are declined by the school, but subsequently taken, leave parents at risk of a Penalty Notice being issued, as the absence would remain unauthorised.

With regard to registration markings in cases of extended holidays, the first 10 days of leave would be marked as H , which counts as an authorised absence.  The remaining days, up to the agreed date of return, would be marked as C (authorised absence).

Excluded Students

A student who is temporarily excluded remains on the school roll and his/her absence is authorised.

Where a student has been permanently excluded, his absence should be treated as authorised while any review or appeal is in progress.  If the permanent exclusion is confirmed he will be removed from roll.

The school will provide work during any exclusion, but parents must collect it from the main reception.

Truancy

Students who truant lessons are placed on attendance report and a letter is sent home.  Students will be required to make up the lost time with the head of department and persistent truancy will result in the student being referred to the EWO.

EWOs and the Police conduct truancy sweeps throughout the city.  Students may be brought back to school and letters sent to parents.  Those conducting the sweep may visit the student's home if they are absent without explanation.

Pupils identified on truancy sweeps, or returned to school by the Police having been caught truanting, place their parent(s) at risk of a Penalty Notice being issued.

In cases where a parent has contacted the school and reported their child to be absent due to sickness and the absence has been authorised, but the pupil is subsequently identified on a truancy sweep, or, the pupil is returned to school by the Police, the school reserve the right to de-authorise the absence.

This would then place parents at risk of a Penalty Notice being issued or legal proceedings being instigated, as the absence would be unauthorised.

EWO Referrals

We work closely with the EWO to support students whose attendance is causing concern.  This includes the reintegration into school of students with long term absence.  The EWO may instigate home visits and, therefore, will be able to assess a non-attender's problems in the wider family context, offering advice and solutions where possible.

As a final measure where the non-attendance of a student is not solved, the Local Education Authority (LEA) can apply to the courts for an Education Supervision Order and, where necessary, they can prosecute parents under the Education Act 1996, Sections 444(1) and 444(1A).

Year 11 Attendance

If any student has below 90% attendance their exam entry is discussed between the Exam Officer and Pastoral Manager.

School Leaving Date

The school leaving date for all students is the last Friday in June of the school year in which they reach their 16^th birthday.

School Attendance Policy

This policy is monitored as a matter of course by those responsible for its day-to-day operation and is reviewed annually.

Criteria for Success

•  Attendance rate.
•  Authorised absence rate.
•  Unauthorised absence rate.
•  Improvement in individuals' attendance.
•  The profile of good attendance within the school community.

Progressive steps to betaken for a student whose attendance is causing concern.

Student:                                  Form:                                                  Check             Date

1.    Tutor recorded issue on their record sheet                                      Yes/No

2.    Tutor spoken to student about the problem. 

       Monitors.  (Tutor may decide to phone home)                                 Yes/No

3.    Pastoral Manager for attendance made awareof the problem.           Yes/No

The following actions may be taken in varying order:

Attendance Officer to contact home, either by letter or phone.

Pastoral Manager to contact home to arrange a meeting.

Pastoral Manager meets with parents to discuss the problem.

Request help from various outside agencies:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Headteacher involved

Student referred to EWO

Other measures taken (pto).

This sheet to be kept confidentially by the Pastoral Manager.  No copies should be made.