Heathfield Primary School believes that in order to facilitate teaching and learning, good attendance is essential. Children cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school.
We understand that barriers to attendance are complex, and that some children find it harder than others to attend school; therefore, we will continue to prioritise cultivating a safe and supportive environment at school, as well as strong and trusting relationships with children and parents.
We take a whole-school approach to securing good attendance, and recognise the impact that our efforts in other areas – such as the curriculum, behaviour standards, bullying, SEND support, pastoral support, and the effective use of resources such as child premium – can have on improving child attendance.
We are committed to:
- Promoting and modelling high attendance and its benefits.
- Ensuring equality and fairness for all.
- Ensuring this attendance policy is clear and easily understood by staff, children and parents.
- Intervening early and working with other agencies to ensure the health and safety of our children.
- Building strong relationships with families to overcome barriers to attendance.
- Working collaboratively with other schools in the area, as well as other agencies.
- Ensuring parents follow the framework set in section 7 of the Education Act 1996, which states that the parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause them to receive efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, and to any SEND they may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.
- Ensuring our attendance policy is clear and easily understood by all staff, parents and children.
- Regularly monitoring and analysing attendance and absence data to identify children or cohorts that require more support.
The school’s attendance officer is Mrs. Renton, and can be contacted via parents@heathfield.bolton.sch.uk.
The school will only grant a child a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. The following circumstances would not be considered as ‘exceptional’:
- Relatives coming to visit / visiting relatives
- Cheaper holidays in England and abroad
- Family day trips
- Visiting family/friends who have different half terms or holidays
- Shopping
- Birthday treats
- Visa appointments
It would not be expected that ‘exceptional’ circumstances would occur more than once during a child’s time at our school.
In order to have requests for a leave of absence considered, the school will expect parents to complete the leave of absence form, which can be found on the attendance page of the school website or collected from the school office, at least two weeks prior to the proposed start date of the leave of absence, providing the reason for the proposed absence and the dates during which the absence would be expected to occur.
Any requests for leave during term time will be considered on an individual basis. Where the absence is granted, the headteacher will determine the length of time that the child can be away from school. The school is very unlikely to grant leave of absence for the purposes of family holidays.
If term-time leave is not granted, taking a child out of school will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and may result in sanctions, such as a penalty notice. The school cannot grant leaves of absence retrospectively; therefore, any absences that were not approved by the school in advance will be marked as unauthorised.
ILLNESS AND HEALTHCARE APPOINTMENTS
Parents/carers will be expected to make medical or dental appointments outside of school hours wherever possible. Where this is not possible, parents will be expected to provide medical evidence to attend such appointments. Parents/carers will be responsible for ensuring their child misses only the amount of time necessary to attend the appointment.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE
Parents/carers will be expected to request absence for religious observance. When school has deliberately altered the school year to take into consideration celebrations such as Eid, no further observance days will be authorised.
The school will only accept requests from parents/carers for absence on grounds of religious observance for days that are exclusively set apart for religious observance by the relevant religious body. The school will define this as a day where the child’s parents/carers would be expected by an established religious body to stay away from their employment to mark the occasion.
The school may seek advice from the religious body in question where there is doubt over the request.
GYPSY, ROMA AND TRAVELLER ABSENCE
Where a child’s parent/carer belongs to a community covered by this code and is travelling for occupational purposes, the parent/carer will be expected to request a leave of absence for their child at least two weeks in advance. Absences will not be granted for children from these communities under this code for reasons other than travel for occupational purposes.
SEND AND HEALTH-RELATED ABSENCES
The school recognises that children with SEND and/or health conditions, including mental health issues, may face greater barriers to attendance than their peers, and will incorporate robust procedures to support children who find attending school difficult.
In line with the SEND Policy and Supporting Children with Medical Conditions Policy, the school will ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for disabled children to reduce barriers to attendance, in line with any EHC plans or IHPs that have been implemented. The school will secure additional support from external partners to help bolster attendance where appropriate.
Where the school has concerns that a child’s non-attendance may be related to mental health issues, parents/carers will be contacted to discuss the issue and whether there are any contributory factors to their child’s lack of attendance. Where staff have a mental health concern about a child that is also a safeguarding concern, they will inform the DSL and the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy will be followed. All children will be supported with their mental health in accordance with the school’s Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Policy.
If a child is unable to attend school for long periods of time due to their health, the school will:
- Inform the LA if a child is likely to be away from the school for more than 15 school days.
- Provide the LA with information about the child’s needs, capabilities and programme of work.
- Help the child reintegrate at school when they return.
- Make sure the child is kept informed about school events and clubs.
- Encourage the child to stay in contact with other children during their absence.
The school will incorporate an action plan to help any children with SEND and/or health issues cope with the stress and anxiety that attending school may cause them. Such plans will be regularly monitored and reviewed until the child is attending school as normal and there has been signs of significant improvement.
To support the attendance of children with SEND and/or health issues, the school will consider:
- Holding half termly meetings to evaluate any implemented reasonable adjustments.
- Incorporating a pastoral support plan.
- Carrying out strengths and difficulties questionnaire.
- Identifying children’ unmet needs through the Common Assessment Framework.
- Using an internal or external specialist.
- Enabling a child to have a reduced timetable.
- Ensuring a child can have somewhere quiet to spend lunch and breaktimes.
- Implementing a system whereby children can request to leave a classroom if they feel they need time out.
- Temporary late starts or early finishes.
- Phased returns to school where there has been a long absence.
- Small group work or on-to-one lessons.
- Tailored support to meet their individual needs.