Attendance

At Oulton Academy, we expect the highest standards of attendance and punctuality. Research evidence and national statistics link excellent attendance to the success and achievement of academic and social potential. Attendance and punctuality also reflect pupil and parent commitment to achievement and to our Academy motto: Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow.

We therefore promote and emphasise the importance of strong and effective partnerships with parents/carers to achieve our aims for every single student. Full attendance maximises learning opportunities and parents/carers have a vital role in promoting good attitudes in attendance, ensuring that their children are present at every opportunity, arrive on time and avoid allowing children to stay at home unnecessarily or taking them out of school without authorisation. A child's attendance is monitored closely, and we will follow up unexplained absences with parents or carers.

Every lesson counts and it is this commitment to learning that will have a positive effect on student’s academic achievements and ultimately their futures. We encourage all pupils to work towards 100% attendance and set a minimum expected attendance target of 97%.

Excellent attendance is regularly celebrated and recognised throughout the Academic year, with a variety of rewards and incentives available for all pupils who demonstrate a commitment and dedication to their attendance at school.

Pupils with excellent attendance benefit from:

• The continuity of learning in lessons.
• Improved academic performance in examinations.
• Continued support and guidance with coursework.
• Positive mental health and support from experienced specialist staff.
• Social development and maintaining friendships.
• Developing positive habits that support them in adult life beyond the Academy.
• References for further education or employment highlighting their reliability.

We therefore ask for your support to keep absenteeism to a minimum, so that we can prepare students effectively for their future.

Children with over 90% attendance are more likely to gain 5 or more Level 4+ GCSE’S or equivalent qualifications.

However,

• An attendance record of 90% might seem ok but is equal to 1 day missed per fortnight. If this continues from Years 7 to 11, a total of six month’s education will be lost.
• An attendance record of 80% might seem acceptable but is equal to 1 day missed per week. If this continues from Years 7 to 11, a total of one year’s education will be lost.

Parents and Carers can help their child by:

• Booking routine medical and other appointments out of school time, where possible.
• Developing effective home routines that support your child’s punctuality and attendance – established night time routines, morning routines, including uniform and equipment preparation.
• Ensure your child is punctual; students should be in the academy before 8.25 am, in order to be ready to start learning in their first lesson which begins at 8.30am.
• Not allowing your child to have time off for minor complaints or illnesses: if they are well enough to be up and about they are generally well enough to attend the academy.
• Encouraging full attendance and stressing the importance of attendance to your child. Please check your child’s planner on a regular basis to monitor their weekly attendance.
• Book holidays and other events outside of calendared school days - the government strongly urges parents or carers to avoid taking a child out of school for family holidays as this will disrupt their education. Please also note that absence will not be authorised for reasons such as shopping for uniform, birthdays, day trips, weekends away etc.
• Speak to the attendance team or your child’s Learning Manager if there are any issues that are affecting your child’s attendance.

If your child is ill:

Please contact the academy on the first morning of all absences with the reason why and indicating when the child will return – please continue to call each day with progress if the absence exceeds more than one day.

Please provide medical evidence where possible.

Safeguarding and Attendance

Attendance is the first form of safeguarding. We take our safeguarding responsibility seriously and calls are made daily to the contact numbers of a child's parents or carers if the child is absent, and we have received no reason for absence.

We make calls on a daily basis, even where a child has been absent due to illness on previous days. We cannot assume that a child is still ill if we have not been notified and we would not wish to put a child at risk by failing to contact their parents or carers.

Please note that for Safeguarding reasons we operate a 48 hour visual policy during absence. After this timescale a student must be seen by a professional, which includes Academy staff and the Schools Safer Police Officer. Therefore, the Academy will conduct a home visit in these situations. If we are not able to physically see the child, a call to an appropriate agency, such as the Police, Children’s Social Work Services or 101 will be made.

Where a child's attendance record reaches a concerning level, we will contact the child's parents or carers to discuss ways in which we can support all parties to help improve their child’s attendance.

Figures relating to attendance

1. It is proven that EXCELLENT attendance is linked to EXCELLENT academic outcomes.
2. The Academy’s attendance target is 97% for every student.
3. We reward STUDENTS WITH 100% attendance.
4. Students achieving 97% or above will be eligible for Academy trips, experiences and celebration events.
5. The academy reserves the right to withdraw students from trips and experiences when attendance is below 97%.
6. 97% is equivalent to 6 days absence in a whole academic year.

EXCELLENT Attendance = More Learning Opportunities = More Qualifications = More Life Chances

Research shows that excellent attendance equates to nearly 90% chance of achieving potential at gcse level. 93% attendance equates to 74% chance of achieving potential. Below 90% attendance the chance of achieving potential drops to 35%. Attend today, achieve tomorrow.

Oulton-Attendance-and-Punctuality-Policy.pdf