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Attendance & Punctuality

Being the best you can be.

It is vital we work to teach our students the value of attending the Academy at 8.40am each day. We do understand that on some occasions children may be ill and unable to attend. 

Please make sure you report the absence via the Edulink App.

Why is attendance so important?

  • 1 day off per month = 2 weeks off per year
  • 17 days off a year = 1 grade lower at GCSE

KSA is a great place to be and all students must attend every day. Simply put – students with high levels of attendance make better progress, achieve higher grades and give themselves the very best chance in life.  

There are 175 non-school days per year for holidays, shopping and appointments. There is no need, except in extreme circumstances to miss a day’s education. One session missed in a week is only 90% attendance. This may look impressive but it means 19 days of education in a year are lost, with a risk of dropping one grade in GCSEs.

We take absence very seriously. We target intervention with students whose attendance falls below the Academy target of 97%. Parents/carers have a legal duty to ensure that their child receives an education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude and any special needs. The only reasons for absence should be through illness or an exceptional circumstance. Every absence must be explained by the parent/carer. No more than three consecutive days of absence will be authorised without supporting medical evidence.

The only reasons for absence should be through illness or an exceptional circumstance

  • Unavoidable medical or dental appointments; students should return to school after the appointment (evidence may be required). Where possible, appointments should be arranged out of school hours
  • Days of religious observance
  • Exceptional family circumstances, such as bereavement
  • Interview with a prospective employer or college/Academy (evidence may be required).

If your child is having difficulties attending school, you should contact the school sooner rather than later, as most issues can be dealt with very quickly.

Parents/Carers Responsibilities

Make sure your child arrives at school on time by 8.40am as lessons start promptly at 8.45am.

If your child arrives after register has closed, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence for that session unless evidence is supplied that the lateness was due to a medical appointment.

Persistent lateness is monitored and affects the overall attendance figure for each student. Consequences are the same for those students with low attendance.

Reporting Absence

Parents or carers should contact the Academy on each day of their child's absence before 8.30am. To report an absence Please use the Edulink App

Absences of 3 or more days may require a home visit to conduct a welfare check. Medical evidence will be needed to authorise absences longer than 3 days.

Lateness

Make sure your child arrives at school on time by 8.40am at the latest as lessons start promptly at 8.45am. Any student who arrives after 8.40am is late.

If your child accumulates 20 minutes late across the week, this will include lateness to lessons as well as morning registration, they will be expected to attend a detention.

Persistent lateness is monitored and affects the overall attendance figure for each student.

Monitoring Absence

Student attendance is monitored on a daily and weekly basis. If your child’s attendance remains unsatisfactory despite support from Academy staff, a referral will be made to the Education Inclusion Partnership Team (Local Authority). This may be considered for legal action and could include a prosecution or a Penalty Notice being issued.

Penalty information update - May 2017

http://www.brookewestontrust.org/news/?pid=9&nid=3&storyid=307

Parents/carers can make contact with the Education Inclusion Partnership Team directly for a general enquiry using the following link

https://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/councilservices/children-families-education/schools-and-education/Pages/attendance-and-behaviour-support-for-parents.aspx

Further advice and guidance on this matter can be located through the Department of Education.

Non-attendance and the law

Failure to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school is a criminal offence. If with support from the school's attendance team and/or the Local Authority, your child’s attendance does not improve, the Local Authority will consider one of two actions:

  • Penalty Notice. The Local Authority can give each parent a fine of £60, which rises to £120 each if you do not pay within 21 days. If payment is not received within 28 days from the issue of the penalty notice, you may be prosecuted for the offence of 'irregular attendance'. You could then be subject to a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction.
  • Prosecution in the Magistrates' court. Both parents could get a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or a jail sentence up to three months each. Failure by the child to follow these directions could lead to the statutory involvement of social care

The offence will apply to each child individually. Both parents are liable for the offence. The Education Act considers each 'responsible adult' as a 'parent'. This includes a family friend or relative if the child lives with them and they provided day-to-day care.

Attendance Team

Mr Mark Taylor

Vice Principal

Mrs Hannah Todd

Education Welfare Officer

Mrs Judy Hills

Attendance Officer

The academy works with Local Authority Attendance Officers from North Northamptonshire Council. The Local Authority attendance team is made up of different professionals who work together to support families, children and young people.

Use the following email to contact the Local Authority Attendance Officers:

eiptriage.ncc@northnorthants.gov.uk

Student sickness policy – In School Protocol

If a student feels unwell they must report to their teacher who will email the Student Support Officers. A student Support Officer will consider the situation and contact will be made with the parent/carer if they feel the student needs to go home. The student will only be allowed to go home if they are collected by an adult, who is named on the student's contact list.

Please note: if a student has already phoned home, without following the In School Protocol, the absence will not be authorised. The student will be unable to leave until a member of the pastoral team has spoken with the student and parent.

Request for term time absence

BEFORE BOOKING A HOLIDAY, remember you could be at risk of a fine if you take your child out of school during term time.

Penalty Notice information

North Northamptonshire Council have amended the Penalty Notice code of conduct to take into account the Supreme Court Judgement (Isle of Wight v John Platt) which clarified the meaning of “regular” school attendance as outlined in Section 444 Education Act 1996. Brooke Weston Trust schools will “expect attendance at school to be 100%, unless there are exceptional or unavoidable reasons for absence”, which may then be authorised.

In light of this judgement, the criterion of “historical holiday taken” has been removed and referrals for Penalty Notices will be accepted and issued for absences of at least 5 school days or more where these absences are unauthorised. This will be implemented with effect from 1st September 2017.

PENALTY NOTICE

  • Penalty fine of £60 per adult per child (if paid within 21 days) rising to £120 (if paid after 21 days but before 28 days have elapsed). Failing to pay will result in prosecution.
  • Prosecution in the magistrates’ court. If convicted, both adults will be punished by the courts, resulting in a fine for each adult and / or up to 3 months custodial sentence.

Click here for a term time absence request form.