Attendance Hub

The Academy recognises the importance of having an effective inclusion team structure. Our carefully considered structure ensures there is a wide variety of specialist professionals in the inclusion team to effectively support and meet the individual needs of all our pupils, especially our vulnerable pupils and those with additional needs. The Principal ensures the inclusion team structure is carefully considered when reviewing the overall Academy structure and the CLFP, supporting the Academy to maintain a large inclusion provision.

In addition to the Attendance Team (an Attendance Leader, Educational Welfare Officer, Attendance Admin and Attendance Lead AAP), the inclusion team at Oulton Academy consists of: five non-teaching learning managers (each dedicated to a year group); an Inclusion Manager; Senior Child Protection Officer; Family Support Worker; Schools Safer Police Officer; SENDCO; Deputy SENDCO; Haven Manager; Personalised Learning Centre Manager; Senior Mental Health Lead AAP; Inclusion Intervention Workers; Teaching Assistants with specialist designations (e.g. ELSA Practitioner); and an Inclusion Administrator. The Vice Principal (and Designated Safeguarding Lead) line manages and strategically coordinates the Inclusion Team.

Many of these key members of staff share workspaces, or are strategically located within close proximity to one another, enabling effective communication, which is essential when providing a comprehensive and holistic approach to support.

Upon arrival to the Academy, the first priority for our Attendance Assistant is to take calls/listen to voicemails from parents/carers informing the Academy of pupil absences. The Attendance email inbox and IrisReach Absence communication inbox is also checked. Where further information is required, the Attendance Assistant will make calls to parents/carers. Dependant on the individual pupil and the reasons for absence, Parents/Carers may be informed that the absence will not be authorised and that their child is expected to attend school. This process, along with completed registers, informs the list of home visits that will be conducted that day. The prioritisation of visits is reflective of the vulnerable register and additional information provided by the Inclusion Team, especially those in the Safeguarding Team.

The first bell rings in the Academy at 8:25am with the expectation that all pupils are in their lesson and being registered at 8:30am. All teachers are expected to complete their registers within 5 minutes of the start of their lesson. Within 10 minutes, any missing registers are identified and promptly actioned with the support of SLT and the Inclusion Team. This process continues for all 5 lessons of each day, identifying absent pupils and any anomalies in attendance marks, which are quickly responded to and actioned.

This process ensures that pupils absent from the Academy are identified, and messages are sent to parents/carers for these pupils requesting information as to why their child is absent. This is also an integral part of the Academy’s safeguarding procedures and is essential for the accuracy of fire registers.

A tracker is kept showing all teachers and records of missed/late/incomplete/inaccurate registers. At differing thresholds staff receive different levels of support/challenge/action. This tracker and any staff hitting thresholds is reviewed as part of the SLT standing agenda item ‘Attendance’.

Oulton Academy operates a 48 hour visual policy, which requires all pupils to be seen by a professional for every 48 hours absent. The Attendance Lead and Education Welfare Officer conduct home visits every day which are prioritised by the vulnerable list and other safeguarding priorities. Therefore, identified pupils will be visited in their first day of absence to ensure the child is safe and well, and offer additional support to ensure the pupil returns to school as soon as possible.

Further home visits are then grouped strategically through postcode analysis, maximising efficiency of the home visits. Where pupils are not seen after 48 hours, the Attendance Team refer to the ‘Oulton Absence Safeguarding Flowchart’. The flowchart refers to additional actions that should be taken including contacting other approved contacts on the Sims system for that pupil, additional visits to the named contacts addresses and visits supported by the Safer Schools Police Officer, members of the Safeguarding Team and SLT. Where appropriate and necessary, the Academy will liaise with other external agencies, such as Social Workers and Leeds Children’s Social Work Service.

Staff approach all visits with the view that their role is to support the pupil returning to the Academy as soon as possible, including the same day where appropriate. Visits can include having challenging conversations with parents/carers and pupils, as well as offering a large range of support available for both the pupil and their family to ensure the pupil is supported to return to the Academy as soon as possible. For every visit completed, an overview of the visit is recorded on our CPOMS system, including if a visit has taken place and the pupil has not been seen. Where a pupil/family is subject to Casework or there is social care involvement, a detailed account of the visit will be recorded. The Safeguarding Team review all home visit records and will also provide guidance and support to the Attendance Team of additional actions that can be taken. A visit card is posted for all visits where a pupil is not seen, requesting the parent/carer make contact with the Academy as soon as possible, outlining possible actions if contact is not made. Communication with relevant external agencies will be conducted throughout the day and the outcomes of visits shared.

The Academy has a staged approach to managing pupils’ absences, facilitated through rigorous monitoring procedures. If a pupil’s attendance drops below 97% (a high threshold to ensure support and monitoring are initiated very early) then parents/carers receive a cause for concern letter outlining that improvements are needed, and monitoring will take place by the Attendance Leader.

If during the monitoring period attendance is still deemed unsatisfactory, with further absences from school, the pupil will enter the Fast Track process in line with Leeds Local Authority procedures. The immediate monitoring and intervention at this early stage provides a valuable opportunity for parents/carers to raise any potential barriers to strong attendance and identify support that is needed, before absence becomes prolonged.

If a pupil subsequently fails to improve their attendance, they move to a formal monitoring period for 20 academic days. At this point, a letter is sent outlining the monitoring period and when this will begin (any absence early in the plan is considered an immediate failure to improve and the pupil and their parent/carer move to the next stage immediately, as opposed to after the full period and potential further absences).

Further absences will initiate a School Attendance Panel (SAP) meeting whereby a plan is formalised with the pupil and their parent/carer. The meeting provides an opportunity for the family to discuss any current issues and outline any additional support required. Realistic and achievable targets are set with a review date agreed. If the pupil does not meet the agreed targets set in the plan, the pupil moves to the next stage without delay. At this stage, the Academy is also very clear of the potential legal outcomes if the attendance improvement plan is not successful and the pupil’s attendance does not demonstrate improvement. The Attendance Leader will be explicitly clear that the plan needs to have input from all adults, and everyone involved must work together to secure immediate impact.

If a pupil’s attendance falls below 70%, the pupil and their parent/carer become subject to Casework, with intensive input from the Education Welfare Officer to support the improvement of the pupil’s attendance at school. Whilst additional support is initiated, the EWO will also be explicitly clear that it is crucial at this stage that attendance must improve and not regress, stressing that failure to improve will result in legal proceedings.  

Pupils who demonstrate significant improvements in attendance are identified and appropriately rewarded, whether this be through whole school initiatives or bespoke reward systems specifically for the pupil in line with agreed targets.

Effective multi-agency working is essential throughout each stage of the attendance process to provide the support required, for both the pupil and the family, to effectively improve attendance.

Failure to successfully complete the final stage of the Academy procedures outlined above will lead to a referral to the Local Authority to initiate formal legal proceedings. The Academy continues to work with allocated LA officer and still retains responsibility for many of the support strategies within the new plan. The Academy also continues absence calls; communication with parents/carers; home visits; and all forms of internal support mechanisms to support attendance.

The academy uses extensive partnership/multi-agency work with a range of specialist services including, but not exclusive to, Cluster; MindMate; CAMHS; Children’s Social Work Service; Medical Needs Teaching Service, LA Specialist teams; Virtual School; Educational Psychologists; Police; etc. and always endeavours to make referrals and follow up caseload impact and professional challenge where applicable.

All pupils who have allocated social workers or external agency involvement are recorded on the Academy’s vulnerable register and are monitored during Year Group review meetings and weekly Inclusion meetings.

There is a rigorous and robust approach to monitoring and tracking pupil attendance in the Academy. The Vice Principal and Attendance Lead AAP monitor attendance from the start of the day, which is then repeated at intervals throughout the day. The Attendance Lead or Education Welfare Officer will be on the morning minibus collection, a timebound intervention designed to support pupils to return to education and develop patterns of good attendance. Whilst the daily attendance information is being collated by the Attendance Admin, priority visit lists are prepared with additional input from the Academy Safeguarding Team.

There are ongoing actions throughout the day, with an initial focus on safe and wellbeing checks, and the subsequent actions focused on improving the PM attendance and therefore the overall daily attendance %. All attendance actions and updates are recorded daily on CPOMS and the Fast Track and Casework trackers updated as required. Attendance is a standing agenda item on the weekly SLT meeting, Year Group Review meetings and weekly Inclusion meeting.

Pupils record their weekly attendance in their planner during a designated tutor period. Pupils are also informed of their year to date attendance figure and are issued stickers reflective of a RAG rated system: red under 93%, amber 93%-97%, green 97-99.9% and a 100% attendance sticker. Improvements in attendance are also identified and a separate sticker for improved attendance is issued in recognition, which is also displayed in the pupil’s planner. The sticker system encourages opportunities for further discussion between pupils and staff about attendance, as all pupils have their planners open at the relevant week in accordance with lesson routines and expectations.

There is a standing agenda item in all SLT meetings focused on Attendance. The Vice Principal, supported by the Attendance Lead AAP, presents up to date statistics for cumulative and weekly attendance, broken down by key groups e.g. year groups, PP, SEND, SEND and PP etc. This is also repeated for Persistent Absence. The Attendance Lead AAP circulates lists for key pupils at risk of becoming PA or, those who with targeted support and no absences for 2 weeks, are able to move from PA. This also highlights an increased focus on key target groups. SLT year group links are expected to have spoken to all pupils in their year group who were absent for any reason.

SLT carry out this task throughout the week whilst on duty/learning walks. This greatly reduces the likelihood of some pupils missing school for poor reasons, as they soon realise a Senior Leader will want to ask them why they were off and support/challenge if needed.

The Inclusion Team meet formally on a weekly basis and follow a set agenda with Safeguarding and Attendance as standing items. Th meeting is chaired by the Vice Principal, supported the Inclusion Manager and Deputy Safeguarding Leads. All of the Inclusion Team are expected to attend and contribute to the meeting. All year group learning managers attend at the same time so we can identify and discuss concerns that extend beyond one pupil across the family. Pupils who are considered as vulnerable are discussed during the meeting, as well as information being shared regarding any new pupils where there are emerging concerns. This meeting is in addition to the weekly Year Group Review meeting led by the Attendance Lead AAP and Senior Mental Health Lead AAP, attended by the relevant year group Learning Manager, Attendance Lead and PLC Manager. The information gathered during these meetings contributes to the RAG rating system for  each pupil on the Vulnerable Tracker.

All meetings are fast paced, solution focused and always apply the ‘4i model’ of gathering the necessary information, identifying the key issues, implementing effective bespoke intervention and then monitoring the impact. Where there is no impact, new interventions are identified and actioned and a multi-agency approach adopted as soon as possible. This also includes working with Primary schools where younger siblings are known to attend.

The Academy provides a substantial amount of support through the internal provisions available to support the pupils during times of difficulty. All referrals into these provisions are agreed during the weekly inclusion meeting, or in times when an immediate response is required, via direction from the Vice Principal.

The Haven is a quiet, nurturing and calm space which primarily supports pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities but is also available for pupils with other additional needs such as those who have school phobia and anxiety, family or peer issues, bereavement or medical needs. Each pupil has an individual bespoke timetable and allocated set times in the Haven. The length of the intervention in Haven is also unique to each pupil and their specific needs. We also offer provision in Haven Plus, where a series of interventions are led by Teaching Assistants with specialisms, such as ELSA (Emotional Support Literacy Assistant), Nessy, Lego Therapy, Zones of Regulation and Social Stories. The Haven and Haven Plus also provide a safe space for pupils who become overwhelmed in social situations, such as in the morning before school and during break and lunch times. Breakfast is always available in the Haven which also provides an essential opportunity for pupils to check in with key staff and regulate to be able to settle into the school day. Only a small number of pupils (usually 6-8) will access the Haven provisions at any one time, with the exception of social times which supports and encourages the development of relationships and socialisation between pupils who are similar in nature.

Elevate is a Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) focused provision. The Elevate Manager works with pupils one to one or in small groups, dependant on the requirement of the individual pupils. The interventions offered cover a wide variety of needs on the SEMH spectrum, including Emotional Regulation (anger management), Positive Mindset, Resilience and Self-Confidence using techniques such as Drawing and Talking Therapy. Elevate supports with reintegrating pupils who have been absent from school for a period of time, building their confidence to attend school and providing the reassurance of a safe space and trusted adult in school. The Senior Mental Health Lead AAP is also based in Elevate.

The Pathways provision provides specialist support for pupils who are at risk of suspension and therefore regularly absent from school and/or their education as a result of this. Pathways provides an essential bridge between mainstream education and pupils who are not engaged with their learning. Pathways offer bespoke and intensive holistic and academic support, identifying barriers and implementing interventions to re-engage pupils in their education, supporting the development of socially acceptable conduct. Pathways also works closely with parents/carers who are integral to the development of pupils’ attitudes, perception of education and aspirations, instilling future ambitions.

Pupils in all provisions have access to the mainstream curriculum offer which is supported by the development detailed curriculum maps, curriculum overview documents and teaching resources, which are robustly quality assured by the Vice Principal, Quality of Education. Staff in these provisions are also encouraged to have regular communication and open conversations with class teachers and Heads of Department.

Oulton Academy uses a wide range of initiatives, wider school experiences and cultural aspects to ensure that pupils want to attend. The Academy has also deeply invested in developing the curriculum and teaching and learning practices to excite and inspire pupils about their learning, developing not only excellent attendance habits but also promoting a desire to learn, inspiring ambition. The ethos of the Academy is to motivate our pupils and build good character, recognising the importance of developing intrinsic motivation, whilst supporting the development of this using rewards and other incentives.

Good attendance is recognised, praised and rewarded in the academy. The best reward for all pupils is an outstanding educational experience, and whilst this is promoted, we do implement traditional style material rewards to recognise those with rapid improvement or maintaining outstanding levels. This includes weekly, half termly, termly and yearly awards such as the Oulton Winter Wonderland, Vouchers; Pizza Parties; Ice Cream events; ‘Spin the wheel’ competition; Form rewards e.g. Krispy Crème Doughnuts; ‘Play your cards right’ game; Themed Discos; iPads; and the Oulton Summer Festival, including the opportunity to win a ride in a helicopter.

Attendance is a key priority at Oulton Academy, a priority emphasised and encapsulated in our Academy motto: Attend today, achieve tomorrow.