Attendance Matters

Why attendance matters

Regular attendance helps students to make good progress and enjoy learning. We take a whole school approach to maintaining excellent attendance; it is the joint responsibility of parents/carers, students and staff. Being at school is an important part of any young person’s life. It enables them to learn to make friends and to gain important qualifications and to develop a variety of skills which will prepare them for adult life. School and parents/carers are partners in making this a success. As parents/carers it is your responsibility to make sure that your child makes the most of this opportunity by ensuring a high level of attendance is maintained.

The school is required by law to record and publish rates of absence to include unauthorised absence. It is therefore imperative that registers are accurately marked and unexplained absences are investigated.

What constitutes good attendance?

Stage 1 +95%

Assessment expectations
Tutor monitoring praise and welcome back positive communications.

Stage 2 <95%

Assessment expectations
Tutor phone call to offer support. Green attendance letter sent home.

Stage 3 <93%

Assessment expectations
Amber attendance letter sent home. HOY approved. Meeting to support.

Stage 4 <90%

Assessment expectations
Red attendance letter sent home and meeting with HOY. Attendance contract, Education Welfare Officer informed.

Stage 5 <90% No improvement

Assessment expectations
Education Welfare Officer intervention.

Medical evidence

Where students have had 10 sessions or more of absence a medical evidence letter will be sent for authorisation of absence. We are mindful that children will get poorly and at times doctors visits are not essential. However where frequent absences occurs we will be asking for your support in providing evidence where possible.

Persistent absence/suspicious absence

If attendance is persistent or suspicious contact will be made with parents/carers outlining the importance of good attendance and offering support.

95% = 47 LESSONS MISSED EACH YEAR
9.5 days missed : 19 sessions missed : 1.5 weeks missed

90% =  95 LESSONS MISSED EACH YEAR
19 days missed : 38sessions missed : 3 weeks missed

85% =  142 LESSONS MISSED EACH YEAR
28.5 days missed : 57 sessions missed : 4.5 weeks missed

80% =  190 LESSONS MISSED EACH YEAR
38 days missed : 76 sessions missed : 6 weeks missed

Punctuality ̶Arriving at School on Time

8:25AM
A warning bell sounds, students should be outside their classroom ready to enter.

8:30AM
Teachers and students should be in their classrooms to register and start learning.

8:40AM
Students arriving on or after 8.40 am must sign in with the Attendance Officer. If a student arrives after 8.50am  this will result in a ‘U’ code and unauthorised absence.

3:00PM
School ends at 15.00 pm. If leaving the premises before the end of the day,  students must sign out with the attendance officer or Reception.

Illness
In the event of illness in school no student is permitted to sign out without first seeking permission from First Aid in the first instance.

Your role as parent/carer

You play a very important role in ensuring the good attendance or your children.

All parents/carers want the best for their children and a good education helps to ensure that children have the best start in life. School equips them for succeeding both academically and socially so that they can achieve in their exams and learn how to make and manage relationships.

As a parent/carer you have a legal responsibility to ensure that your child attends school regularly and punctually.

8:30AM
Parents should notify the school of the reason for an absence before 8.30am.  This can be done by phoning 01884 256655 or by emailing studentabsences@tiverton.devon.sch.uk. Parents are expected to contact the school for each day of absence.

Authorised & unauthorised absences

Authorised absences

Absence for the following reasons is authorised but patterns of absence will be monitored and investigated if necessary.

• Illness
• Medical appointment
• University visits
• External examinations
• Study leave
• Funerals

Unauthorised absences

Examples of unauthorised absence are shown below:

• Looking after younger children/sick relatives
• Attending concerts/events
• Holiday during term time
• Birthdays (student/relative)
• Relatives visiting/visiting relatives
• Resting after a late night
• Truancy
• Any absence school not informed about and not approved

Holidays in term time

School holidays are published well in advance and parents are expected to plan and take family holidays at this time so as not to disrupt their children’s education. In exceptional circumstances the Headteacher has the discretion to authorised leave in term time but parents should be aware this is not a legal entitlement.

With only 190 statutory school days in the year, this means there are 175 days (weekends and school holidays) left for family visits, non-urgent medical/dental appointments, holidays etc.

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which became law on 1 September 2013, states that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

At THS we take school attendance very seriously and are committed to engage every child with the school environment and education.  We consider ourselves a very supportive school, and will try and make considerations for students who need extra support.  We are, however, bound by law to ensure that each student attends school.