Attendance Policy

Prepared by: Signature: Date:

Deputy Executive Officer

Approved by:

Chief Executive Officer

Dennis brown

Chair of Trustees

_________________________________

JULY 2025

Dennis ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
JULY 2025

Statement for the house:

1. Introduction.......................................................................................................Page4 1.1 Promoting regular school attendance ............................................................ Page 5 1.2 Definition of parent ........................................................................................... Page 6 1.3 Attendance in Early Years ................................................................................ Page 6 1.4 Understanding types of absence ......................................................................Page 6 1.5 Persistent Absenteeism (PA) and Severe Absenteeism SA) ......................... Page 7 1.6 Understanding barriers to attendance ............................................................Page 7

2. Expectations ............................................................................................................... Page 8 2.1 Responsibilities & expectations of parents/carers ........................................ Page 8 2.2 Absence procedures .......................................................................................... Page 9 2.3 Medical evidence to support absence ........................................................... Page 9 2.4 Responsibilities of school .................................................................................. Page 10 2.5 Expectations of school staff .............................................................................. Page 11 2.6 Expectations of the Local Authority and Wirral Attendance Service ..........Page 11 2.7 Link with Safeguarding/Education Neglect .....................................................Page 12

2.8 Stepped Interventions ....................................................................................... 2.9 Lateness .............................................................................................................. 2.10 Children with medical needs .......................................................................... 2.11 Children with Part Time timetables ...............................................................2.12 Celebrating good attendance ......................................................................... 2.13 Expectations of pupils .....................................................................................

3. School attendance and the law ................................................................................ 3.1 National Framework for penalty notices ......................................................

4. Deletion from roll ........................................................................................................
5. Elective Home Education ............................................................................................
6. Children Looked After ..................................................................................................Page 17 7. Children Attending Off-site Educational Provision ..................................................Page 18 8. Absence Data ................................................................................................................ Page 18 9. Monitoring and review of this policy/Wirral Attendance Service Contacts ..

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1. Introduction

This policy has been put together by Dennis Academy Trust.

Dennis Academy Trust recognises that positive behaviour and good attendance are essential in order for pupils to get the most of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances.

The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school.

Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly, on time. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school.

The Department for Education (DfE) has produced statutory guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools, and local authorities. It is called “Working together to improve school attendance” and it includes a National Framework in relation to absence and the use of legal sanctions. Our School Attendance Policy reflects the requirements and principles of that guidance.

This policy is written with the above guidance in mind and underpins our school ethos to:

Promote children’s welfare and safeguarding;
Ensure every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled;
Ensure that pupils succeed whilst at school;
Ensure that pupils have access to the widest possible range of opportunities at school, and

when they leave school.

It seeks to ensure that all parties involved in the practicalities of school attendance are aware and informed of attendance matters in school and to outline the school’s commitment to attendance matters. It details the responsibilities of individuals and groups involved and the procedures in place to promote and monitor pupil attendance.

In addition, all schools follow the DfE’s statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, which emphasises the importance of understanding the potential vulnerabilities of children who are missing or absent from education.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2

Our policy aims to raise and maintain levels of attendance by:
- Promoting a positive and welcoming atmosphere in which pupils feel safe, secure and valued;
- Raising and maintaining a whole school awareness of the importance of good attendance and punctuality;
- Ensuring that attendance is monitored effectively and reasons for absences are recorded promptly and consistently.

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For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. It is a rule of this school that pupils must attend every day, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and it is the headteacher/principal, not the parent, who can authorise the absence.

1.1. Promoting Regular School Attendance

The need for regular school attendance is given a high priority by all Hackney schools.

The Supreme Court ruled in April 2017 (Platt v Isle of Wight) that regular attendance is ‘in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school’. In Hackney Schools, this is interpreted as every day that the school requires a child to attend, unless the absence has been approved by the Headteacher.

Dennis Academy Trust, we believe in developing good patterns of attendance and set high expectations for the attendance and punctuality for all our pupils from the outset. It is a central part of our Trust’s vision, values, ethos and day to day life. We recognise the strong connections between attendance, attainment, safeguarding and wellbeing.

Name

Email address or contact details

AMEND ACCORDINGLY

The governor with responsibility for monitoring attendance is AMEND ACCORDINGLY

[Not statutory, but recommended by the DfE guidance]

Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is the responsibility of parents, pupils and all members of school staff.

To help us all to focus on this, we will:

Submit a daily attendance return to the Department of Education, in line with the legal expectations placed on all schools;
Share attendance information with the Local Authority;
Build strong relationships and work jointly with families;
Give parents/carers details on attendance in our newsletters;
Promote the benefits of high attendance;
Accurately complete admission and, with the exception of schools where all pupils are

boarders, attendance registers and have effective day to day processes in place to

follow-up absence as required by law;
Celebrate excellent attendance by displaying and reporting individual and class

achievements;
Reward good or improving attendance;
Add any additional ways in which you promote and incentivise school attendance.
Report to parents/carers regularly on their child’s attendance and the impact on their

progress;

The name and contact details of the Senior Attendance Champion (the senior leader

responsible for the strategic approach to attendance in xxxx school) is:

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• Contact parents/carers should their child’s attendance fall below the school’s target for attendance.

Unsurprisingly, children who are absent from school or who are persistently late, can soon fall behind with their learning. Research conducted by the Department for Education (DfE 2016) confirmed that, as the level of overall pupil absence increases, the likelihood of pupils achieving what they are capable of decreases.

Parents of children of compulsory school age are, by law, required to ensure that their children receive a suitable education through regular attendance at school or otherwise.

1.2. Definition of ‘Parent’
For the purposes of this policy and other education related issues, a parent is as defined

under section 576 of the Education Act 1996:

All natural parents, whether they are married or not;
Any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility (as

defined in the Children Act 1989) for a child or young person;
Any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person.

Having care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, irrespective of their relationship with the child, is considered to be a parent in education law.

1.3. Attendance in Early Years

Children must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age. This is on 31st December, 31st March, or 31st August following their fifth birthday - whichever comes first. If a child’s fifth birthday is on one of those dates, then they reach compulsory school age on that date.

Following the introduction of Working Together to Improve School Attendance, schools must use nationally prescribed registration codes for all sessions that a non-compulsory school aged child is required to attend, as to do so will help staff to monitor attendance and to be alert to any emerging patterns of absence that may be an indicator of wider concern. There should be high expectations in place for this cohort of children in terms of attendance, so that good habits are established from the outset of a child’s school career.

1.4. Understanding types of absence

Any absence affects the routine of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning journey and ability to progress. Any pupil’s absence or late arrival disrupts teaching routines and so may affect the learning of others in the same class. Ensuring a child’s regular attendance at school is a parental responsibility and allowing absence from school, without a good reason, creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.

Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school (not by the parent), as either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required. Each half-day is known as a ‘session’.

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Authorised absences are morning or afternoon sessions away from school for a genuine reason such as illness (although you may be asked to provide medical evidence for your child before this can be authorised), medical or dental appointments which unavoidably fall in school time, emergencies or other unavoidable cause.

Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no ‘leave’ has been granted. This type of absence can lead to the school referring to the Local Authority for penalty notices and/or legal proceedings.

Unauthorised absence includes, (however this list is not exhaustive):

Parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily e.g. because they had a late night or for non-infectious illness or injury that would not affect their ability to learn;
Absences which have never been properly explained;
Children who arrive at school after the close of registration are marked using a ‘U’. This

indicates that they are in school for safeguarding purposes, however is counted as an

absence for the session;
Shopping trips;
Looking after other children or children accompanying siblings or parents to medical

appointments;
Their own or family birthdays;
Holidays taken during term time, not deemed ‘for exceptional purposes’ by the

Headteacher, including any arranged by other family members or friends;
Day trips;
Other leave of absence in term time which has not been agreed.

1.5. Persistent Absenteeism (PA) and Severe Absenteeism (SA)

A pupil is defined by the Government as a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more schooling (19 days) across the school year for any reason; this can be authorised or unauthorised absence. Absence at this level will cause considerable damage to any pupil’s education and we need the full support and co-operation of parents to resolve this. All pupils who have attendance levels of 90% or below are considered to be a persistent absentee.

A pupil who has missed 50% or more schooling (95 days) is defined by the Government as ‘severely absent’. Pupils within this cohort may find it more difficult to be in school or face bigger barriers to their regular attendance and, as such, are likely to need more intensive support

1.6. Understanding barriers to attendance

Whilst any child may occasionally have time off school because they are too unwell to attend, sometimes they can be reluctant to attend school. Any barriers preventing regular attendance are best resolved between the school, the parents and the child. If a parent thinks their child is reluctant to attend school, then we will work with that family to understand the root problem and provide any necessary support. We can use outside agencies to help with this, such as the School Nurse, Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing support services, a Child and Family Support Worker or the relevant Local Authority team/s.

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Where outside agencies are supporting the family, you may be invited to attend a Team Around the Family meeting (TAF) to consider what is working well and what needs to improve. An individual support plan will be agreed and subsequently reviewed.

Some pupils face greater barriers to attendance than their peers. These can include pupils who suffer from long-term medical conditions or who have special educational needs and disabilities, or other vulnerabilities. High expectations of attendance remain in place for these pupils, however we will work with families and pupils to support improved attendance whilst being mindful of the additional barriers faced. We can discuss reasonable adjustments and additional support from external partners, where appropriate.

Under the DfE’s statutory guidance, schools are required to submit a sickness return to the Local Authority for all pupils who have missed/are likely to miss 15 or more school days (consecutive or cumulative) due to medical reasons/illness.

2. Expectations to ensure delivery of this policy across all Wirral schools 2.1. Responsibilities & Expectations of Parents and Carers:

To ensure that their child attends school every day that the school is open, unless there is a genuine and unavoidable reason that prevents them from so doing;
To ensure that their child arrives at school on time (insert time). A reason should be offered for any lateness;
To inform school as soon as possible, by phone or in person, if their child is unable to attend on any day, together with the reason for absence. (insert contact number)
To trust that school staff will contact them during the school day if a child is ill in school and needs to go home;
To ensure that school has at least two sets of full contact details, and that these are kept updated;
To make all medical appointments outside school hours whenever possible, and to inform school in advance of any medical appointments that cannot be scheduled out of school time. For absence to be authorised as a medical absence, schools do require evidence, such as an appointment card or letter;
In the case of a primary school child, to ensure that their child is collected on time at the end of the school day;
To take family holidays during school holiday periods, and to be aware that there is no entitlement to withdraw children for authorised leave of absence during term time. Any requests for leave of absence during term time should be made in writing and in advance to the Headteacher via the school office;
To be aware of curriculum requirements and to be especially vigilant with regards to attendance during particularly important times such as SATs, GCSEs, and other exam periods;
To provide evidence and advice from a health professional when needed to enable school to gain a greater understanding of their child’s health issues;
To talk to school staff as soon as possible should their child be reluctant to come to school for any reason, or if there are any other issues impacting on school attendance. This is so that any barriers to attendance can be quickly identified and overcome. In most cases the first point of contact should be the child’s class teacher, form tutor or the Attendance Officer within the school

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2.2. Absence procedures

It is important that parents/carers keep in touch with school about all absences. This information is used to help determine whether children’s absence is recorded in the register as authorised or unauthorised. The Headteacher has the ultimate authority to determine whether absences are authorised or unauthorised. If parents do not communicate with school, and staff are unable to establish contact, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

2.3. Medical Evidence:

The most common reason for children being persistently absent from school is illness. When pupils are having repeat absences due to reported illness, schools may need more evidence and advice to help decide whether or not the absence should be authorised, and to see whether any additional support is required. Children can be reluctant to attend school from time to time, or there may be other issues affecting attendance. It is never advisable for parents to ‘cover’ for their absence or to give-in to pressure to excuse them from attending. Covering up gives the impression that attendance does not matter, and usually makes things worse. It is always better to get in touch with school, to share concerns, and to plan a way forward.

Schools can accept the following as medical evidence:

GP certificate
Letter from health professional
Appointment card / letter (dated)
Prescription / Medication in the name of the child
Text message from GP or NHS confirming an appointment
Care of the chemist – date stamped slip to show medical advice has been sought

See Appendix 3 for advice in relation to required absence periods for identified health issues.

In situations where a child’s attendance record is of concern, usual practice would be for parents/carers to be invited into school to meet with an appropriate member of staff. This provides an opportunity for concerns from both home and school to be shared, and for an agreed plan of action to be put in place to address any identified difficulties.

Please remember that parents and carers are encouraged to contact school at an early point should they have any concerns that are impacting on their child’s school attendance.

We acknowledge that children are at a higher risk of missing school if they have issues around their emotional wellbeing and mental health. This can then lead to further problems in terms of children falling behind with work, and of feelings of social isolation. It is particularly important in these circumstances that parents/carers work together with school to ensure that appropriate help and support is offered to respond to concerns as they arise. Early Help means taking action to support a child, young person, or/and their family as soon as a problem emerges. School may also seek advice about sources of help and support from the Authority’s Vulnerable Children’s Panel in cases where concerns about a child’sunauthorised absence are ongoing. Parents may also wish to use Family Toolbox https://familytoolbox.co.uk/ to identify possible sources of support or encourage their child to access Zillo https://www.zillowirral.co.uk/

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2.4. Responsibilities of School:

To demonstrate a strong and inclusive whole school attendance ethos that helps pupils feel that they ‘belong’.
To promote the importance of good attendance to pupils and their parents/carers at every opportunity (via newsletters, assemblies, and any other communications between school and home).
To establish effective procedures that enable staff to record, identify, and address concerns around overall pupil absence.
To consistently record authorised and unauthorised absences using the correct DfE prescribed registration code (see Appendix 1). This duty also extends to ensuring that “N” coded absences are resolved in a timely manner. Parents should be made aware that if school cannot establish an acceptable reason for their child’s absence, the missed sessions will be recorded as unauthorised absence.
To have sensitive support systems in place for vulnerable pupils which recognise the complexity of children’s lives and family circumstances.
To inform the local authority of any part-time or flexible education arrangements in place for individual pupils, together with plans for tracking and review (See Appendix 11).
To identify a senior leader who has overall responsibility for attendance, and who is also responsible for the achievement and wellbeing of all children who are on the school roll, but not accessing education in the usual way, such as those pupils in alternative provision placements. The senior leader responsible for attendance is XXXXX and they can be contacted via the school office.
To encourage open communication channels and partnership working between home and school to improve attendance and punctuality. This will include meetings with parents and carers in school, where any support needs can be identified and addressed, together with the joint formulation of realistic plans for improving individual pupils’ attendance.
To develop procedures for the reintegration of long term absentees. In addition school must have plans in place to support each persistently absent pupil and each severely absent pupil.
To have support plans in place to ease pupils’ transition between each phase of education when there is a change of school, with particular reference to the needs of more vulnerable children.
To seek advice from the Authority’s designated Locality Attendance Officer (LAO) both in respect of the management of whole school attendance matters, and of individual children whose attendance gives cause concern.
To have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the school and other support agencies in relation to the provision of additional support for pupils whose attendance difficulties are symptomatic of wider family issues or/and indicative of safeguarding concerns where a multi-agency response is required seeking advice from the allocated Early Help worker as and when needed.
To refer children into the Authority’s Vulnerable Children’s Panel for advice and support in situations where parents are reluctant to engage voluntarily with early help, and concerns about unauthorised absence are ongoing. Parents should be made aware that this will be the case.
To engage in partnership working with the Authority’s Attendance Service to ensure appropriate use of legal sanctions in order to reinforce parental responsibility for securing regular attendance.
To analyse and evaluate a range of accurate attendance data to improve individual pupil and whole school performance, and to identify any vulnerable groups of pupils whose

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attendance is below what would be expected. There should be robust tracking procedures in place with respect to the attendance of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, children in receipt of Pupil Premium, and children who are Looked After by the Authority or have an allocated Social Worker.

To incentivise, reward and celebrate good and improved attendance on an individual, group, and whole school level – creating a positive culture in which good and improved attendance is highly valued. School can encourage ownership of their attendance reward schemes by seeking and acting on pupils’ views in this respect.
To provide governors with sufficient data and information about pupils who are not attending regularly or accessing education in the usual way, so that they can evaluate and challenge the effectiveness of school’s arrangements.
To refer children who are, or who are at risk of becoming, Children Missing from Education (CME) to the Local Authority in accordance with Wirral Policy.
To notify the Local Authority of any child whose name is deleted from roll at parental request in order to pursue elective home education.

2.5. Expectations of School Staff:

First Day Contact

Parents should be encouraged to contact school on each morning that their child is absent. If a child is absent, and no contact from parent has been received by school:

• School will endeavour to telephone parents/carers to ascertain a reason for absence in accordance with ‘first day contact’ procedures.

• School may also telephone any other persons on the pupil’s contact list if they are unable to make contact with the parent.

• Home welfare visits may also be undertaken in connection with concerns around a child’s absence (particularly when parents do not respond to requests for contact from school staff).

• Priority tracking should take place where safeguarding is a known issue. School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead/Children Looked After Lead should be alerted should there be any concerns in respect of the absence of children subject of Child In Need arrangements or Child Protection Plans, or children Looked After by the Local Authority.

2.5.1. The is responsible for:

Collating and recording registration and attendance information.
Taking and recording messages from parents regarding absence.
Making first day response calls to parents of absent children where no contact has

been received.
Informing the Attendance Lead/Designated Safeguarding Lead of any cases where

the explanation for absence gives potential cause for concern, and where additional

support or intervention may be required.
Recording details of children who arrive late.
Sending out letters and emails to parents regarding attendance concerns.
Administration work around school Attendance Panels (which can also involve the

Authority’s Locality Attendance Officer).
Reporting daily and weekly attendance figures.
Keeping an overview of whole school, class, and individual attendance rates, looking

particularly at overall absence, levels of unauthorised absence, and patterns of absence.

Attendance Officer*

*This section should be amended to reflect the roles/responsibilities in your school

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2.6. Expectations of the Local Authority Attendance Service

The Local Authority is expected:

To promote regular school attendance of children in schools across the Authority, and to work towards breaking the cycle of poor attendance, reduced attainment, and social disadvantage.
To meet, at least termly, with attendance staff within school.
To help schools in their work to reduce overall, persistent and severe pupil absence. This

involves working with school staff, parents/carers, children, and various partner agencies to develop and implement practices which can help raise and sustain individual pupils’ attendance levels.
To carry out statutory duties in relation to the enforcement of school attendance.
To carry out statutory duties in respect of the identification and tracking of children

known to be, or at risk of becoming, missing from education (CME). Tables of responsibilities for school attendance can be found at:

Summary table of responsibilities for school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Locality Attendance Officers, employed by the Local Authority, work strategically by offering support to schools, to reduce persistent absence and improve overall attendance.

Parents are expected to work with the school and local authority to address any attendance concerns. Parents should proactively engage with the support offered, aiming to resolve any problems together. This is nearly always successful. If difficulties cannot be resolved in this way, the school may consider more formal support and/or refer the child to the Local Authority. If attendance does not improve, legal action may be taken in the form of a Penalty Notice or prosecution in the Magistrates Court

2.7. Link with Safeguarding/Education Neglect

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe

and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Schools have a key role in ensuring children and young people are kept safe. School staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early, provide

help for children, and prevent concerns from escalating.
Every school has a designated safeguarding lead who will provide support to staff

members to carry out their safeguarding duties and can liaise closely with other services

such as children’s social care and early help services.

Schools should be alert to unauthorised absence as being a potential indicator of

educational or wider neglect. Neglect is the most common reason for a child to be the

subject of a Child Protection Plan in the UK.
Working Together 2020 identifies neglect as:

‘The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.

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The following are examples of interventions which may be considered by schools to support the promotion of regular attendance:

2.8. Stepped Interventions

97% - 95% Early Warning 95% - 92% School Monitoring

Early awareness raising, ‘phone call home, monitored by class/form teachers
Letters of concern, 1:1 meetings, home visits, concern escalated to senior staff

92% - 90%

School Intervention (stage 1)

Attendance Report Card
School letter to raise awareness of Fixed Penalty process in cases of unauthorised absence, meetings with parents/carers, continued school support

90% and below

Attendance Service and School Intervention (stage 2)

Attendance Panel, Parenting Contract, Attendance Report Card, Home Visits, Meeting with Locality Attendance Officer, Education Penalty Warning from LA / Penalty Notice (which could lead to prosecution)

Unauthorised attendance that falls below 75% can be an underlying risk factor and indicative of a safeguarding concern. All of the above should be underpinned by the offer of ongoing support to address identified difficulties. All pupils under 50% are classed as severely absent and must have a plan to support their attendance.

2.9. Lateness

Regular and punctual attendance at school is a legal requirement. When children arrive late and miss the start of the school day, they can miss work and vital information for the day. Late arriving pupils also disrupt lessons, and this can be embarrassing and upsetting for the child. Lateness can also encourage absence, as some pupils would rather not attend school at all, than arrive late.

Registers are marked by ............. a.m.. If children arrive in class after this time, they will receive a late mark in the register (code L).
In line with recommendations from the Department for Education (DfE), registers will close at ........... a.m. If children arrive after this time, they will be recorded as having arrived after closure of registers (code U). This counts as an unauthorised absence for that session.
Any pupil arriving late should enter the school through the main entrance and be signed- in in accordance with school’s procedures.
If a primary school child arrives late and is unaccompanied by a parent/carer, school will make contact to establish the reason for lateness.
If lateness becomes a regular occurrence, it will be treated in the same way as unauthorised absence, with parents/carers being contacted and invited into school to discuss the situation.

2.10. Children with Medical Needs

• Dennis Academy Trust must ensure that arrangements are in place to support pupils with medical conditions in school. Individual healthcare plans should be in place, and these should provide clarity about what needs to be done, when, and by whom in

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order to ensure that children with medical needs may access and enjoy the same opportunities at school as any other child (see DfE statutory guidance issued in April 2014: ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’).

• The primary aim of educating children and young people who have medical needs is to minimise, as far as possible, the disruption to their normal schooling by allowing them to continue their education and to progress as much as their medical needs allow. ‘Medical needs’ encompass both physical health and mental / emotional health issues.

In circumstances where a child has complex health needs and is medically unfit to attend school, referral may be made to The Home & Continuing Education Service which is a local authority service currently based at Pilgrim Street Arts Centre. Medical referrals to the Home & Continuing Education Service must come jointly from both school and an appropriate health professional.

2.11. Children on Part-Time Timetables

All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. There may, however, be exceptional circumstances where a part-time timetable is needed as a time- limited intervention to respond to a child’s individual needs. This must always be in agreement with the child’s parent(s)/carer(s). Schools are required to submit information about such arrangements to Wirral Attendance Service using the template included as Appendix 12. Examples of when a part-time timetable may be considered are:

Medical issue
Emotional/Mental Health
Family/Friendship issue
Re-integration programme following absence
SEND – identified/awaiting specialist placement
SEND – unidentified/undiagnosed needs

2.12. Celebrating Good Attendance * Schools to personalise
It is important that schools recognise and celebrate good and improved attendance. This can

be done in a variety of ways, and some ideas are listed below:

Fitness Friday;
Attendance Report Card;
Attendance display in every class room;
Each class has a Pupil Attendance Officer who keeps the display up to date weekly;
Attendance has a high profile in whole school assemblies each week;
Weekly and half-termly certificates to recognise pupils who have reached their target

attendance;
Praise postcard sent home to recognise and celebrate improved attendance;
Attendance League
Prizes/Raffle
Half term trophies
Vouchers for families
Aspirations week
Funtrition
Extra Golden time

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• Children choose half termly rewards

Locality Attendance Officers from the Authority’s Attendance Service are happy to send positive letters to parents to recognise and reinforce progress made in terms of securing their child’s attendance. School can also invite Locality Attendance Officers to be involved in celebration assemblies.

2.13. Expectations of Pupils

Pupils are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school and to obtain maximum benefit from the range of educational and other opportunities available to them.

Pupils are expected:

To do all they can to attend school regularly and on time;
To talk with a trusted adult about any issues that are making it difficult for them to come

to school, or that are affecting their wellbeing in school.
To be aware of their attendance targets, and to work towards achieving them.

3. School Attendance and the Law

New legislation was passed, The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 which introduced a National Framework in England. By law all children of compulsory school age must receive an appropriate full-time education (Education Act 1996). Parents have a legal duty to ensure their child attends school regularly at the school at which they are registered.

Parents may be recognised differently under education law, than under family law. Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 states that a ‘parent’, in relation to a child or young person, includes any person who is not a parent (from which can be inferred ‘biological parent’) but who has parental responsibility, or who has care of the child.

A person typically has care of a child or young person if they are the person with whom the child lives, either full or part time and who looks after the child, irrespective of what their biological or legal relationship is with the child.

The Local Authority has a range of legal powers to promote and enforce regular school attendance:

Penalty Notices (Section 444A Education Act 1996)
Prosecution of Parents / Carers in Magistrates’ Court (Section 444 (1) / Section 444(1A)

Education Act 1996)
Application to the Family Court for an Education Supervision Order in respect of the

child (Children Act 1989)
School Attendance Order (Section 437 Education Act 1996)
Parenting Order (Section 8 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998)

Each case is considered on an individual basis, but the circumstances in which a Penalty Notice for non-attendance may be issued by the Local Authority include:

• Unauthorised absence from school

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Unauthorised leave of absence during term time
Unwarranted delayed return from authorised leave of absence, e.g., in excess of the

agreed number of days
Persistent late arrival at school after the register has closed.

3.1. National Framework for Penalty Notices

There is now a single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered by all schools in England, of 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period. The 10 sessions of absence do not have to be consecutive and can be made up of a combination of any type ofunauthorised absence (G, O and/or U coded within the school’s registers). The 10 school week period can span different terms, school years or education settings.

Sanctions may include issuing each parent (for each child) with a Penalty Notice for £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days (for the first offence). A second Penalty Notice issued within a three year period will result in a fine of £160 per parent, per child. If a third offence is committed the matter may be referred to the local authority for consideration of prosecution via the Magistrates Court. If prosecution is instigated for irregular school attendance, each parent may receive a fine of up to £2500 and/or up to 3 months in prison. If a parent is found guilty in court, they will receive a criminal conviction.

There is no entitlement in law for pupils to take time off during the term to go on holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure or recreation, or to take part in protest activity in school hours. In addition, the Supreme Court has ruled that the definition of regular school attendance is “in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school.”

The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 set out the statutory requirements for schools. All references to family holidays and extended leave have been removed. The amendments specify that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are "exceptional circumstances" and they do not have any discretion to authorise up to ten days of absence each academic year.

It is a rule of this school that a leave of absence shall not be granted in term time unless there are reasons considered to be exceptional by the headteacher, irrespective of the child’s overall attendance. Only the headteacher or his/her designate (not the local authority) may authorise such a request and all applications for a leave of absence must be made in writing, in advance, on the prescribed form provided by the school. Where a parent removes a child after their application for leave was refused or where no application was made to the school, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. It is likely that penalty notices will be requested, in line with the National Framework in respect of each parent believed to be involved in the absence.

The Local Authority retains any revenue from the Education Penalty Notices to cover enforcement costs.

Non-payment of an Education Penalty Notice will result in the withdrawal of the Notice, and would normally trigger prosecution proceedings at Magistrates Court under Section 444 Education Act 1996. There is no right of appeal by parents/carers against an Education Penalty Notice.

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soon as attendance concerns emerge. Attendance staff should routinely inform school’s designated teacher for looked after children of their looked after children’s attendance rates.

7. Pupils Attending Off-Site Educational Provision

Any pupil who is attending off-site educational provision should be marked using registration code D or B by their main school (according to the circumstances of the individual placement).

Code B should be used when pupils are present at off-site educational provision that has been approved by school. School is ultimately responsible for the safeguarding of pupils educated off- site, and use of the B code signifies that the education is supervised and measures are in place to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of the pupil.

School must ensure that the “B” codes reflect the daily attendance of the pupil at the off-site provision. For example, if a pupil misses a day due to illness, then the main school attendance register will show this day as an “I” and not a “B”.

It is important for agreement and clarity to be reached between school and the off-site provision with respect to arrangements for daily tracking and follow-up of any absence. There should be daily communication between school and the off-site provision in respect of individual pupils’ absence.

The law allows for dual registration of pupils at more than one school. The “D” code is used to signify that the pupil was not expected to attend the session because they were scheduled to attend the other school at which they are registered. Again, an agreement must be in place with respect to who has responsibility for the daily tracking of attendance and absence.

8. Absence Data

We use data to monitor, identify and support individual pupils or groups of pupils when their attendance needs to improve, and schools are required to submit pupil attendance data to the Department for Education on a daily basis Education (Information about Individual Pupils) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024. Persistently and severely absent pupils are tracked and monitored carefully. We also combine this with academic tracking, as increased absence affects attainment.

We share information and work collaboratively with other schools in the area, local authorities, and other partners, when absence is at risk of becoming persistent or severe.

9. Monitoring and review

This policy will be reviewed annually by the Trust and the Local Authority and updated in accordance with any new legislation or guidance, or changes to any other relevant procedures or documents. This policy should also be read in conjunction with the Authority’s policies on Enforcement Procedures, Children Missing from Education, and Elective Home Education.

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10. Appendices

Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 Appendix 7 Appendix 8 Appendix 9 Appendix 10 Appendix 11 Appendix 12 Appendix 13 Appendix 14 Appendix 15 Appendix 16 Appendix 17 Appendix 18 Appendix 19 Appendix 20 Appendix 21

Pupil Registration

Leave of Absence during term time

Application form for leave of absence during term time

Health Advice: exclusion table

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance below 97% Early Warning Letter

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance below 95% Letter of Concern

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance below 92% School Intervention Stage 1 Letter

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance below 90% School Intervention Stage 2 Letter

Letter to Parents/Carers: Absence reason required

Letter to Parents/Carers: Home visit, no answer letter

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance Support meeting: letter 1

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance Support meeting: letter 2

Letter to Parents/Carers: Attendance Support meeting: letter 3

Attendance Report Card

Guidance for Schools on the use of Reduced Timetables (including standard notification template)

Removal from Roll: Lawful Grounds EBSA

Deletion from roll notification template Education Penalty Notice Procedures Addition to Roll form

DfE guidance and Wirral Attendance Service contacts

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Appendix 1

Pupil Registration

Schools must take the attendance register at the start of the first session of each school day, and once during the second session. On each occasion, it must be recorded whether each pupil is:

• Present
• Attending an approved educational activity • Absent

School must then follow-up on all pupil absences in order to:

• Ascertain the reason for absence
• Make sure that any safeguarding action is taken if needed
• Identify the correct registration code to insert in the electronic register

Nationally prescribed registration codes should be used consistently by all schools. These codes are used to give depth of meaning to the register and to provide statistical meaning to absences. Codes are all collected by DfE via download to the School Census System.

CODE MEANING CRITERIA STATISTICAL VALUE

Attending any other approved Educational Activity

B code can only be used if the pupil is present at the activity under arrangements by school or LA in the session for which it is recorded

The place is somewhere other than the school, another school where the pupil is registered, or a place where educational provision has been arranged for the pupil by a local authority

The activity is of an educational nature

The school has approved the pupil’s attendance at the place of the activity

The activity is

Attending an approved educational activity (present)

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supervised by a person considered by the school to have the appropriate skills, training, experience and knowledge to ensure that the activity takes place safely and fulfils the educational purpose for which the pupil’s attendance has been approved

Leave of absence exceptional circumstances

Exceptional circumstances

No blanket approach School discretion

Generally a need or desire for a holiday or tother absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance

Authorised absence

Leave of absence –performance or regulated employment abroad

Performance license issued by LA or

Body of Persons Approval issued by LA or

Justice of Peace has given license for pupil to go abroad for performance or regulated purpose

Authorised absence

Leave of absence – compulsory school age pupil subject to part time timetable

Exceptional circumstances

If the school and a parent who the pupil

Authorised absence

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normally lives with have agreed that, exceptionally, the pupil should temporarily be educated only part time

temporary

Dual registered at another school

The school at which the pupil is scheduled to attend must record the pupil’s attendance and absence with the relevant code

Code d may only be used by either school for a session where the pupil is scheduled to attend the other school at which they are registered

Schools should ensure that they have in place arrangements whereby all unexpected and unexplained absences are followed up promptly

Not a possible attendance (neither present nor absent)

Suspended or Permanently excluded with no alternative provision made

The pupil is suspended from school or permanently excluded from school, but their name is still entered in the admission register and no alternative provision has been made for the pupil to continue their education.

Authorised absence

Holiday not granted by school

The school has not granted a leave of absence and the pupil is absent for the purpose

Unauthorised absence

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of a holiday.

A school cannot grant leave of absence retrospectively.

If the parent did not apply in advance, leave of absence should not be granted.

Illness (not medical appointment)

The pupil is unable to attend due to illness (Both physical and mental health related). Schools should advise parents to notify them on the first day the child is unable to attend due to illness.

Authorised absence

Leave of absence for interview

Agreement in advance

Application by parent child normally lives with

In session absence recorded

Authorised absence

Attending Education Provision arranged by LA

The nature of provision must be recorded.

Code K can only be used if the child is present at the provision

Attending an approved educational activity (present)

Late arrival before register is closed

The pupil was absent when the register started being taken but arrives before the register is closed

Attending (present)

Leave of absence for Medical or Dental Appointment

Agreement in advance

Application by parent child normally lives with

Minimum time

Authorised absence

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necessary

Where pupil is absent at registration

Reason for absence not yet established

Where absence is recorded as code N in the attendance register, the correct code should be entered as soon as the reason is ascertained, but no more than 5 school days after the session.

Code N must not therefore be left on the pupil’s attendancerecord indefinitely; if a reason for absence cannot be established within 5 school days, school must amend the pupil’s record to Code O

Unauthorised absence

Absent in other or unknown circumstances

Where no reason for absence is established or the school is not satisfied that the reason given is one that would be recorded using one of the codes statistically classified as authorised

Unauthorised absence

Participating in a Sporting Activity. P code can only be used if the pupil is present at the activity.

P code can only be used if the pupil is present at the activity. The sporting activity must take place during the session for which it is recorded

The place is somewhere other than the school, another school where the pupil is registered, or a place where

Attending an approved educational activity (present)

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educational provision has been arranged for the pupil by a local authority

The activity is of an educational nature

The school has approved the pupil’s attendance at the place of the activity

The activity is supervised by a person considered by the school to have the appropriate skills, training, experience and knowledge to ensure that the activity takes place safely and fulfils the educational purposefor which the pupil’s attendance has been approved

Unable to attend school because of lack of access arrangements

There is a lack of access arrangements for a pupil whose home is in England if (a) a local authority have a duty to make travel arrangements in relation to the pupil for the purpose offacilitating the pupil’sattendance at the school and have failed to discharge that duty (b) a local authority have a duty to make travel arrangements in relation to the pupil and have failed to discharge that duty or (c) the

Not possible attendance

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school is an independent school that is not a qualifying school and (i) the school is not within walking distance of the pupil’s home (ii) no suitable arrangements have been made by a local authority for boarding accommodation for the pupil at or near the school and (iii) no suitable arrangements have been made by a local authority for enabling the pupil to become a registered pupil at a qualifying school nearer to their home.

Religious Observance

The pupil is absent on a day that is exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body the parent(s) belong to (not the parents themselves

Authorised absence

Leave of absence for studying for public examination

Authorised absence

Parent travelling for occupational purposes

The pupil is a mobile child and their parent(s) is travelling in the course of their trade or business and the pupil is travelling with them. A mobile child is a child of compulsory school age who has no fixed abode and whose parent(s) is engaged in a trade or business of such nature

Authorised absence

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as to require them to travel from place to place

To help ensure continuity of education for pupils, when their parent(s) is travelling for occupational purposes in England, it is expected that the pupil should attend a school where their parent(s) is travelling and be dual registered at that school and their main school

Arrived in school after registration closed

Where a pupil has arrived late after the register has closed but before the end of session

Schools should actively discourage late arrival, be alert to patterns of late arrival and seek an explanation from the parent. All school are expected to set out in their attendance policy the length of time the register will be open, after which a pupil will be marked absent. This should be the same for every session and not longer than 30 minutes.

Unauthorised absence

Attending an Educational Visit or trip

The pupil is attending a place, other than the school or any other school at which they are a registered pupil, for an educational visit or trip

Attending an approved educational activity (present)

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Arranged by or on behalf of the school and supervised by a member of school staff

Attending work experience

W code can only be used if the pupil is present at the activity under arrangements by school or LA in the session for which it is recorded

The place is somewhere other than the school, another school where the pupil is registered, or a place where educational provision has been arranged for the pupil by a local authority

The activity is of an educational nature

The school has approved the pupil’s attendance at the place for the activity

Attending an approved educational activity (present)

X Non-compulsory school age pupil not

For part time

Not a possible attendance(neither

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required to attend school

attendance

Absence for timetabled sessions to use appropriate code and not X

present or absent)

Unable to attend due to transport normally provided not been available

The pupil is not able to attend because the school is not within walking distance of their home and the transport to and from school that is normally provided for the pupil by the school or Local Authority is not available

Not a possible attendance

Unable to attend due to widespread travel disruption

The pupil is unable to attend the school because of widespread disruption to travel caused by a local national or international emergency

Not a possible attendance

Unable to attend due to part of the school premises being closed

Part of the school premises is unavoidably out of use and the pupil is one of those that the school considers cannot practicably be accommodated in those parts of the premises that remain in use

Not a possible attendance

Unable to attend due to the whole school site being unexpectedly closed

Where a school was planned to be open for a session but the school is closed unexpectedly (eg due to adverse weather) the attendance register is not taken as usual because there is no school session. Instead every pupil listed in the

Not a possible attendance

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admission register at the time must be marked with code Y4 to record the fact that the school is closed

Unable to attend as pupil is in criminal justice detention

The pupil is unable to attend the school because they are :

In police detention

Remanded to youth detention, awaiting trial or sentencing or

Detained under a sentence of detention

A pupil’s absence should be recorded under code Y7 if they are unable to attend because they are serving a community based part of a sentence of detention, referral order or youth rehabilitation order that requires them to be absent during the school day

Not a possible attendance

Unable to attend in accordance with public health guidance or law

The pupil’s travel to orattendance at the school would be:

Contrary to any guidance relating to the incidence or transmission of infection or disease published by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care or

Prohibited by any legislation relating to

Not a possible attendance

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the incidence or transmission of infection or disease

Unable to attend because of any other unavoidable cause

This code should be used only where something in the nature of an emergency has prevented the pupil from attending the session in question. The unavoidable cause must be something that affects the pupil not the parent. The fact that a parent has done all they can to secure the attendance of the pupil at the school does not , in itself mean the pupil has been prevented by unavoidable cause.

Schools must also record the nature of the unavoidable cause.

Not a possible attendance

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Appendix 2

Leave of Absence during Term Time

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2014 state that leave of absence shall not be granted unless:

• An application has been made in advance to the head teacher by a parent with whom the pupil normally resides; and

• The Headteacher, or a person authorised by the head teacher, considers that leave of absence should be granted due to the exceptional circumstances relating to the application.

This policy clarifies:

• There is no entitlement in law for parents to take their child on authorised leave of absence during term-time without obtaining prior approval from the school.

• The procedures to be followed whereby parents/carers can make applications for their child to be granted discretionary leave of absence during term-time.

• That each application will be considered by head teachers according to the individual circumstances surrounding the request. Head teachers determine the number of days, if any, a child can be away from school.

The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are events that are “rare, significant, unavoidable and short”. By 'unavoidable' we mean an event that could not reasonably be scheduled at another time, outside of school term time, regardless of who has planned or paid for the holiday or absence (including grandparents or other family or friends).

The Headteacher/school may discuss the leave of absence request with other education settings and/or the Local Authority to determine any exceptional circumstances.

If leave of absence is authorised, the school will not provide work for children to do during their absence. Parents are however advised to read with their children and encourage them to write a diary while they are away.

Education Penalty Notices for Unauthorised Leave of Absence during Term Time

Headteachers should write to the parents/carers to confirm whether or not their request for leave of absence has been approved. In cases where a request for leave has not been approved, parents should be informed that they face the possibility of being issued with penalty notices for failing to ensure their child’s regular attendance at school should they go ahead with their plans.

In the case of a pupil granted leave of absence, but that pupil then fails to return to school within 5 school days (10 sessions) of the agreed return date, a request to issue penalty notices to the parents can be made to Wirral Attendance Service (unless the school is satisfied that the pupil is unable to attend by reason of sickness or other unavoidable cause).

Parents should also be advised that if their child fails to return to school within 10 school days of the given return date, and joint enquiries made by school and the authority have failed to locate the child’s whereabouts, they run the risk of their child’s name being removed from the school roll, with

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no guarantee of re-admission. Prior to removal of a pupil’s name from the school’s admissions register, school should discuss the pupil’s individual circumstances with their named Locality Attendance Officer or the CME Officer at Wirral Attendance Service. School and the Local Authority are jointly responsible for making all reasonable enquiries to locate a missing pupil prior to removal from roll.

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Appendix 3

Application for Leave During Term Time

Parents/Carers must ask permission for their child to be absent during term time, and it is at the Headteacher’s discretion to decide whether or not the absence will be authorised. The Headteacher may authorise leave during term time for exceptional circumstances only. If leave is taken without permission, or no application is made, parents/carers risk being issued with an Education Penalty Notice.

Parents/Carers wishing to apply for their child to have leave of absence from school should complete this form and return it to school for authorisation at least two weeks before the proposed leave.

Surname of child
Date of birth
Full name of parent (1) Address of parent (1) Postcode
Full name of parent (2) Address of parent (2)

PARENT’S/CARER’S SECTION

First name Year Class

Telephone No. Telephone No.

Do you consider this request to be due to exceptional circumstances? If so, please outline the reasons why

Departure and return date
Would your child miss any national tests or examinations?

Has she/he had leave during term-time in the last 12 months?
(If so, please give dates, reasons, and number of school days leave)

Are there any other siblings? If yes please state their name and the school they attend

Yes / No Yes / No

Yes / No

Parent/Carer signature

Holiday in Term Time

Reasons

Date discussed with parent/ carer and/or date informed of approval/ non-approval

Headteacher’s signature

Date

SCHOOL SECTION

(i) approved _____ school days

(ii) not approved _____ school days

Date

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Appendix 4

Health Advice

Infection

Athlete’s Foot Chicken Pox

Cold Sores (Herpes simplex) Conjunctivitis

Diarrhoea and vomiting Diphtheria *

Flu (influenza) Glandular Fever Hand, Foot and Mouth

Headlice Hepatitis A*

Impetigo

Absence Period

None

Five days from onset of rash and all the lesions have crusted over. None.

None.

Whilst symptomatic and 48 hours after the last symptoms. Exclusion is essential. Always consult with your local HPT.

Until recovered None
None

None
Exclude until 7 days after onset of jaundice (or 7 days after symptom onset if no jaundice).

Until lesions are crusted/healed or 48 hours after treatment.

Comments

Athlete’s foot is not a serious condition. Treatment is recommended.

Avoid kissing and contact with the sores are generally mild and heal without treatment. If an out/brake occurs, consult your local HPT.

See section in chapter 9.

Preventable by vaccination. Family contacts must be excluded until cleared to return by your local HPT.
Report breakouts to your local HPT.

Contact your local HPT if many children are affected. Exclusion may be considered in some circumstances.
Treatment recommended.

In an outbreak of Hepatitis, A, your local HPT will advise on control measures.

Antibiotics treatment speeds healing and reduces the infectious period.

Hepatitis B*, C*, HIV

None

Hepatitis B and C and HIV are blood borne viruses that are not infectious through casual contact. Contact your local HPT for more advice.

Measles*

Four days from onset of rash and recovered.

Preventable by vaccination (2 doses of MMR). Promote MMR for all pupils and staff. Pregnant staff contacts should seek prompt advice from their GP or midwife.

Meningococcal Meningitis/ septicaemia

Until recovered

Meningitis ACWY and B are preventable by vaccination (see national schedule @ www.nhs.uk) Your local HPT will advise on any action needed.

Meningitis* due to other bacteria

Until recovered

Hib and Pneumococcal meningitis are preventable by vaccination (see national schedule @ www.nhs.uk) Your local HPT will advice on any action needed.

Meningitis* Viral MRSA

None None

Milder Illness than bacterial meningitis. Siblings or other close contacts of a case need to be excluded.
Good hygiene, in particular handwashing and environmental cleaning, are important to minimise spread. Contact your local HPT

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Infection

Ringworm

Absence Period

Not usually required

Comments

for more information.

Treatment is needed.

Mumps*

Five days after onset of swelling

Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR (see national schedule @ www.nhs.uk). Promote MMR for all pupils and staff.

Rubella (German Measles)

Four days from onset

Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR (see national schedule @ www.nhs.uk). Promote MMR for all pupils and staff. Pregnant staff contacts should seek prompt advice from their GP or Midwife.

Scarlet Fever

Excluded until 24 hours of appropriate antibiotics

A person is infectious for 2-3 weeks if antibiotics are not administered. In the event of 2 or more cases please contact your local HPT.

Scabies

Slapped cheek/fifth disease/ parvo virus B19
Threadworms

Tonsillitis Tuberculosis (TB) Warts and Verrucae

Can return after first treatment None (once rash has developed

None None

Always consult with your local HPT BEFORE disseminating information to staff/ parents/ carers
None

Household and close contacts require treatment at the same time.
Pregnant contacts of case should consult with their GP or Midwife.

Treatment recommended for child & household
There are many causes but most cases are due to viruses and do not need an antibiotic treatment.

Only pulmonary (lung) TB is infectious to others. Needs close, prolonged contact spread.
Verrucae should be covered in swimming pools, gyms and changing rooms.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)*

Two days from starting antibiotics treatment, or 21 days from onset of symptoms if no antibiotics

Preventable by vaccination. After treatment, Non-infections coughing may continue for any weeks. Your local HPT will organise any contact tracing.

*Denotes a notification disease. It is a statutory requirement that doctors report a notifiable disease to the proper officer of the local authority (usually a consultant in communicable disease control). Health protection Agency (2010) Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings. HPA: London

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Appendix 5
Sample Early Awareness Letter – Attendance below 97% Dear XXXXX,
Re: Attendance below 97% - Early awareness letter

Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust believes that every child should attend school regularly to ensure that they achieve their potential educationally and socially; a view that XXX School wholeheartedly supports. Each Oak Trees school has a rigorous approach to monitoring pupil attendance, so that early support can be provided to enable all pupils to attend regularly.

I am writing to you as your child’s attendance is currently below 97%. You can view your child’s attendance record via the Arbor Parent Portal or Arbor App.

It is our duty of care to ensure that parents are kept up to date on their child’s attendance. your child’s summary since September:

Students name
XX% Attendance since September
XX% Authorised absence since September XX% Unauthorised absence since September Number of late marks since September: XX

Please find below

We are committed to working with our families in order to ensure we achieve excellence in attendance. We will continue to monitor your child’s attendance.

Yours sincerely,

[Insert name] Headteacher

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Appendix 6
Sample Letter of concern – Attendance below 95% Dear XXX,

Re: Attendance below 95% - Letter of concern

I am writing to you as your child’s attendance has now fallen below 95%. You can view your child’s attendance record via the Arbor Parent Portal or Arbor App.

It is our duty of care to ensure that parents are kept up to date on their child’s attendance. find below your child’s summary since September:

Students name
XX% Attendance since September
XX% Authorised absence since September XX% Unauthorised absence since September Number of late marks since September: XX

Please

We are committed to working with our families in order to ensure we achieve excellence in attendance. As part of the ongoing support, we will contact you via telephone to discuss how we can work together to improve your child’s attendance.

Yours sincerely,

[Insert name] Headteacher

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Appendix 7
Sample School intervention stage 1 Letter – Attendance below 92% Dear XXX,
Re: Attendance below 92% - School Intervention Stage 1

I am writing to you as your child’s attendance is currently below 92% . You can view your child’s attendance record via the Arbor Parent Portal or Arbor App.

I am writing to you as your child’s attendance is currently below 92% however, this has improved since our previous review and regular attendance from now on will result in further improvement. You can view your child’s attendance record via the Arbor Parent Portal or Arbor App

We understand that children can be absent due to illness but we need to ensure that all children are accessing the good teaching and learning we offer to maximise your child’s development, success and future life chances.

It is our duty of care to ensure that parents are kept up to date on their child’s attendance. find below your child’s summary since September:

Students name
XX% Attendance since September
XX% Authorised absence since September XX% Unauthorised absence since September Number of late marks since September: XX

Please

We are committed to working with our families in order to ensure we achieve excellence in attendance. As part of the ongoing support we are offering parents to improve attendance, we will contact you via telephone to arrange a meeting to work together to improve your child’s attendance.

If your child’s attendance does not improve you are liable to prosecution by the Local Authority, but it is our aim to support you and your family to see that attendance is improved so this does not happen.

Yours sincerely,

[Insert name] Headteacher

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Appendix 8

Sample School intervention stage 2 Letter – Attendance below 90%

Dear XXX,

Re: Attendance below 90% - School Intervention Stage 2

DENNIS Academy Trust believes that every child should attend school regularly to ensure that they achieve their potential educationally and socially; a view that XXX School wholeheartedly supports. Each Oak Trees school has a rigorous approach to monitoring pupil attendance, so that early support can be provided to enable all pupils to attend regularly.

Whilst we understand that there are usually reasons for absence, you can see from the information below that your child’s attendance is now below 90% and is considered to be “persistent absence”. Persistent absence is a serious problem for pupils, as much of the learning they miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving these pupils at a considerable disadvantage to their peers.

It is our duty of care to ensure that parents are kept up to date on their child’s attendance. find below your child’s summary since September:

Students name
XX% Attendance since September
XX% Authorised absence since September XX% Unauthorised absence since September Number of late marks since September: XX

Please

Any further absence due to illness will require medical evidence, this could be in the form of a copy of an ‘E-Consult’, doctor’s appointment card or evidence of a prescription for medication. This is important for us to be able to maintain accurate records and it also helps us identify areas where we can support too. If we do not receive evidence of absence due to illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

Together, we need to significantly improve your child’s attendance for the rest of this year and I will continue to monitor the situation to see that your child’s attendance improves. Following this email, we will be in contact with you to arrange a panel meeting with the Local Authority Attendance Officer and myself to agree support strategies.

Yours sincerely,

[Insert name] Headteacher

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 9

Sample Letter - Absence reason required

[First name / surname] [Address 1]
[Address 2]
[Address 3]

[Postcode]
[Insert date]
Dear [insert parent / carer name],

Attendance and punctuality are very important to us here at XXXXXXX
and we are striving to build firm foundations of both so your child will be ready to start secondary

school, further education and employment, understanding their importance.

According to our records (child’s name) has been absent on the date/s shown below and we have not yet received an absence note or telephone call giving the reason. Several attempts were made to contact you without success.

It is your responsibility as a parent to contact school on the first day of your child’s absence before 9:30 a.m. to let us know why your child is not in school. We are legally required to record reasons for absence from school, therefore until we hear from you any absence will remain unauthorised.

Will you please enter the reason/s for (child’s name) absence next to the dates on the slip below and return it to school as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Name
[Inclusion Officer / Lead]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(childs name and class)
(date absent)
I have written the reason/s for absence next to the relevant date/s

Signed __________________________________________ Parent

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 10

Sample Letter
Home visit – no answer

[First name / surname] [Address 1]
[Address 2]
[Address 3]

[Postcode]
[Insert date]
Dear [insert parent / carer name],
A member of staff called at your address today.

This was because we had not heard from you by 10:30am regarding the absence of your child. School made several attempts to contact you on the numbers you had provided, but, as we were unable to reach you for an explanation, we attempted a home visit to ensure all was well.

If we are still unable to get a response from you by the end of the school day, we may need to report this to the police as a safeguarding concern.

This procedure is in place to ensure that we know where your child is and that you are all safe.

Please call the school ASAP on [insert contact number] to let us know why your child is absent today.

If your child is off in the future, please follow the absence reporting procedure, by calling the school office by 9:30am on their first day of absence.

Yours sincerely

[Insert name] Headteacher

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 11
Sample Letter - School Attendance Panel

Dear [parent],

School Attendance Panel Meeting

I am writing to express concern regarding your child’s [child’s name] level of attendance at school which has now fallen to [x%] and to invite you to an Attendance Panel Meeting to discuss how we can help to improve the situation. The meeting will be with [Headteacher or Attendance Officer] and [any other professional]. Together we will identify the concerns and draw up a very brief Action Plan. This will include a target for attendance and a review date.

We are keen to help you to ensure that [child’s name] attends school as regularly as possible and makes good progress in school. We would like to meet with you at [Time and date]. If you are unable to attend for any reason please telephone me on [telephone number] and if necessary we will reschedule the meeting.

Please note that parents who refuse to cooperate with School Attendance Panels may be referred to the Wirral Attendance Service who may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of £80 if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days for the first offence. Any second penalty notice will only be at £160. Parents who do not pay the Fixed Penalty Notice may be prosecuted under Education Act 1996, Section 444 or the Local Authority may apply for an Education Supervision Order.

In addition to, or instead of, the above enforcement options, and to ensure that we have explored all avenues of possible support, school may also seek advice from the Early Help Team. The Early Help Team can offer information and advice including any additional support that may benefit the family and enable your child to attend school on a more regular basis.

You may also wish to access further support for yourself via https://familytoolbox.co.uk/ or your child may find some support for themselves via https://www.zillowirral.co.uk/

Yours sincerely, Headteacher

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 12
Sample Letter – Second School Attendance Panel Meeting Letter

Dear [parent],

School Attendance Panel Meeting

I wrote to you on [date letter 1 sent] to express concern regarding your child’s [child’s name] level of attendance at school which has now fallen to [x%] and to invite you to an Attendance Panel Meeting to discuss how we can help to improve the situation but you were unable to attend and the meeting has been rescheduled. The meeting will be with [Head Teacher or Attendance Officer] and [other professional]. Together we will identify the concerns and draw up a very brief Action Plan. This will include a target for attendance and a review date.

You may also wish to access further support for yourself via https://familytoolbox.co.uk/ or your child may find some support for themselves via https://www.zillowirral.co.uk/

Yours sincerely, Headteacher

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 13
Sample Letter – Follow Up School Attendance Panel

Dear [parent],

School Attendance Panel Meeting

Further to our Attendance Panel Meeting on [date of meeting] I am writing to arrange a further meeting to review progress as we discussed. The meeting will be with [Head Teacher or Attendance Officer] and [other professional]. At the meeting we will also review the brief Action Plan we agreed.

You may also wish to access further support for yourself via https://familytoolbox.co.uk/ or your child may find some support for themselves via https://www.zillowirral.co.uk/

Yours sincerely, Headteacher

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 15
Guidance for Schools on the use of reduced timetables 1. Purpose

This guidance is intended to safeguard both pupil and school, should a reduced timetable be required. It is intended to establish agreed approaches for all maintained Wirral Schools; Academy Schools; Free Schools, Independent Special Schools and alternative provision settings, in the appropriate use of reduced timetables (sometimes referred to as ‘part-time’ timetables).

2. Introduction

The Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to identify and track any pupil missing education. Any pupil on a reduced timetable is potentially at risk of missing education and therefore falls within this remit.

All children, regardless of their circumstances, are entitled to a full time education which is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have. Local authorities have a duty to establish, as far as it is possible to do so, the identity of children of compulsory school age who are missing education in their area.

A child going missing from education is a potential indicator of abuse or neglect. School and college staff should follow the school’s or college’s procedures for dealing with children that go missing from education, particularly on repeat occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect, including sexual exploitation, and to help prevent the risks of their going missing in future.

Schools should put in place appropriate safeguarding policies, procedures and responses for children who go missing from education, particularly on repeat occasions. It is essential that all staff are alert to signs to look out for and the individual triggers to be aware of when considering the risks of potential safeguarding concerns such as travelling to conflict zones, FGM and forced marriage.

The new Local Authority inspection framework now includes the need for each authority to report robustly on school age children who are not in full-time education. This establishes the need for Wirral Council to have guidance in place for all pupils on reduced timetables.

It is important to highlight that there is no statutory basis upon which to establish a reduced timetable, however, in exceptional circumstances, schools may need to implement one in order to support a pupil who cannot attend school full-time for a short, agreed period. The Statutory Guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance (applicable from August 2024) states:

All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. In very exceptional circumstances, where it is in a pupil’s best interests, there may be a need for a temporary part-time timetable to meet their individual needs.
Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can grant a leave of absence, under regulation 11(6) to temporarily reduce the timetable of a pupil of compulsory school age to part-time, if the school and a parent who the pupil normally lives with have agreed that, exceptionally, the pupil should temporarily be educated only part-time and have agreed the times and dates when the pupil will, during the period of temporary part-time education, be expected to attend the school.

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Schools that are not required to follow regulation 11, must still use this code to record when a pupil is absent with leave because they are subject to a part-time timetable in line with an agreement between the school and a parent the pupil normally lives with that the pupil should temporarily be educated part-time.

Where a pupil is receiving a full-time education, but only part-time at the school in question (e.g. dual registration, part-time unregistered alternative provision or flexischooling) this code must not be used and the appropriate code for why the pupil is not in school for that session should be used.

Wirral Council remains committed to supporting all children’s entitlement to a full-time education, and makes clear the requirement that a reduced timetable cannot be implemented without written agreement from parent / carer and agreement from the EHCP Coordinator at Wirral Council where appropriate. Where a part-time timetable is in place, this should always be in the best interests of the child.

Schools have a safeguarding responsibility for all pupils on their roll and therefore must be aware that even with parental agreement to any arrangement they make, they are responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of pupils attending any off-site provision during school hours.

Full-time Education
- All education should be suitable to a child's age, ability and aptitude, taking into account any special educational need.
- There is an assumption that pupils should receive full-time education consistent with their Key Stage. Schools have a statutory duty to provide full time education for all pupils. It is illegal for schools to discriminate against pupils on the basis of their special educational needs and/or disability
- A timetable is considered reduced when it consists of something less than that which is provided to the majority of the pupil's peers in that setting.
- Guidance issued suggests the following periods as full time:
  
  5–7 21 8–11 23.5
  
  12–14 24 14–16 25
When might a reduced timetable be used?

• As part of an in-school support package: The school, parent/carer and other professionals agree that a short-term (no longer than 6 weeks) reduced timetable would support a pupil who has become disaffected, to regain success. This would be a closely monitored intervention to address and manage the impact of significantly challenging behaviour or emotional or social needs.

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POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Medical reasons: A pupil has a serious medical condition where recovery is the priority outcome. These arrangements would be part of a “medical plan” agreed between the school and health professionals. Please see Supporting Pupils at School with medical conditions before offering a reduced timetable for this reason.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical- conditions--3
Reintegration: As part of a planned reintegration into school following an extended period out of school following exclusion, non-attendance, school refusal, etc. (no longer than 6 weeks).

5. Good Practice

In circumstances where the school consider that it may be necessary to establish a reduced timetable for a pupil, the school should:

Notify the Attendance Service of its intention to implement a reduced timetable for a pupil. The appropriate form needs to be completed and submitted via schoolattendance@wirral.gov.uk or via Anycomms.
Convene a meeting to discuss the proposals for a reduced timetable. This must include parent / carer. This will also include Wirral Council where the pupil is a looked after child (a member of Virtual School), has an allocated social worker, or has a statement of SEN / Education Health and Care Plan (the EHCP Coordinator) and may include Early Help professionals who form part of any Team around the Family.
Review the schedule of supportive interventions that will accompany this reduction in time at school
Develop outcome and exit strategies that will identify to all stakeholders when the intervention has been successful
Confirm and communicate the named person responsible for the plan within the school
Consider safeguarding measures for the duration of the reduced timetable. The school must

carry out a risk assessment before implementation and the details recorded.
Ensure that the parent / carer agrees the plan and teaching hours. A reduction in hours

cannot be implemented without parental / carer agreement.
Consider completing an Early Help Assessment Tool to establish if there are wider needs and

support is required from other partner agencies.
Monitor the overall use of this strategy within the school and report this to governors each

term
Ensure effective communication with parents / carer and Wirral Council with regard to

progress towards full-time reintegration to school.

6. Monitoring and Review

The school must:

Send a signed copy of the form to the Attendance Service as soon as it becomes operational.
Send a copy of subsequent reviews and any extension plans (up to a maximum of 6 weeks)
Record the child's attendance accurately on the attendance register
Use the C2 code when a pupil has a reduced timetable including sessions which have been

mutually agreed not to involve attendance at school or an alternative provision. The school must be satisfied that appropriate arrangements are in place for the care and welfare of the pupil during the time when they would otherwise be at school.

I ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Use the B code if the pupil is receiving off-site provision, approved, and monitored on a daily basis by the school. This code should not be used for any unsupervised educational activity or where the pupil is at home doing school work.
Monitor the overall use of this strategy within the school and report this to governors termly.
Ensure effective communication with parents / carer and Wirral Council with regard to progress towards full-time reintegration to school.
For Census purposes record these pupils as Full-time pupils.

Wirral Council Responsibilities
- Request copies of the agreed plans in relation to part time education.
- Ensure that reduced timetables are appropriately recorded.
- Ensure that copies of part time education plans are shared with Children’s Social Care where
  
  pupils are subject to Child Protection or Child in Need plans.
- Ensure a copy of the plan is provided to the Virtual School when a pupil is Looked After.
- Discuss any cases with schools when a pupil has been on a reduced timetable for longer than
  
  6 weeks or longer than the specified period in the original plan
- Regularly monitor data in relation to the use of part time timetables and if concerns arise
  
  report back to the school
- Challenge any inappropriate use of part time timetables
For advice and support please contact:

The Locality Attendance officer for your school
Damian Stormont, Attendance Service Manager, 0151 666 4964 – damianstormont@wirral.gov.uk

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

PART-TIME TIMETABLE AGREEMENT FORM
ALL BOXES MUST BE COMPLETED OTHERWISE THE FORM WILL BE RETURNED PLEASE READ GUIDANCE BEFORE COMPLETING THE FORM

Pupil Forename:

Date of Birth:
Current attendance:
School:
Is the pupil attending any other provision? If so, where? Person completing and agreeing the Part-Time Timetable: Who is the member of SLT overseeing Part Time Timetables?

Is the child currently known to social care? Child’s social care status
If yes, who is the named social worker:
Is the social worker in agreement with this plan? Is the child currently in the TAF process?

Is the Lead Professional aware of this plan? Child’s SEN status

Who is the EHCP Coordinator:
Has this plan been agreed with EHCP coordinator?
Has the child previously had any relevant suspensions? If yes, the number of sessions missed due to FTE

Pupil Surname:

Address:

Post Code:

Ethnic Origin: Year group:

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

What other support is the child accessing whilst on the part time timetable?

Reason for part time timetable: please tick one option

Medical issue
Emotional/Mental Health
Family/Friendship issue
Re-integration programme following absence SEND – identified/awaiting specialist placement SEND – unidentified/undiagnosed needs

Timetable (please insert the hours that the child is expected to be in school):

Week A

AP etc must state where

Week B

AP etc must state where

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

School (start and finish times)

Total number of hours

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

School (start and finish times)

Total number of hours

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Parent 1

Title Address

Tel No.
email
Relationship to Pupil

Parent 2

Title Address

Tel No.
email
Relationship to Pupil

Forename

Surname Post Code

ny other comments relating to this part-time timetable including the pupil’s voice, the parent’s voice, the school voice and any other professional’s voice:

Date of meeting agreeing the part-time timetable: Who attended meeting ?

Start date of part-time timetable: Review date of part-time timetable:

End date of part-time timetable:
This should be no later than 6 weeks after the start date and if no end date is stated we will automatically end the part time timetable on our records at the end of the half term

I understand my child has been placed on a part-time timetable for a limited period and will be marked absent (C2) for any sessions when not in school
I have discussed the matter fully with the school and agree, during the period of the part-time timetable to:

take full responsibility for my child when they are not in school
ensure there is a regular flow of communication between school and home
take full responsibility for the health and safety of my child when they are not in school

Signature (Parent/Carer):

Date:

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

I give permission for my child to make their own way to and from school at the agreed times, for the duration of this part-time timetable (secondary school only).

Signature (Parent/Carer):

Date:

During the period of the part-time timetable the school will:

monitor the effectiveness of the part-time timetable
hold a review on the agreed date and inform the school of the outcome
mark the school register with a C2 for any session missed due to the agreed plan.

Signature (School):

Date:

As the pupil on the part time timetable, I am aware that this is a time limited intervention and that if it is not working can be ended before the agreed end date. I am also aware that where other support is being offered, I must access this.

Signature (Pupil):

Date:

Page 56 of 70

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

Appendix 16
Grounds for deleting a pupil from the school admission register

Grounds for deleting a pupil of compulsory school age from the school admission register set out in the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024

9(1)(a) the pupil has been registered at another school, unless—
(i) a school attendance order naming the school is in force in relation to the pupil;
(ii) the pupil is a mobile child, and the school is their main school; or
(iii) the proprietor has agreed with a person with control of the pupil’s attendance at the

other school, or is such a person and has decided, that the pupil should be registered at more than one school

9(1)(b) the pupil was admitted to the school for nursery education and—
(i) they have completed such education and would, if they continued attending the school,

be transferred to a reception, or more senior, class at the school; but
(ii) the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil will attend

the school again;

9(1)(c) the pupil is also registered as a pupil at one or more other schools and—
(i) the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil will attend

the school again;
(ii) the proprietor of each other school where the pupil is registered has consented to the

deletion;
(iii) there is no school attendance order naming the school in force in relation to the pupil;

and
(iv) the pupil is not a mobile child or, if they are, the school is not their main school;

9(1)(d) a school attendance order relating to the pupil and formerly naming the school has been amended by the relevant local authority to substitute the name of the school with that of another school;

9(1)(e) a school attendance order relating to the pupil and naming the school has been revoked by the relevant local authority on the ground that arrangements have been made for the pupil to receive suitable education otherwise than at school;

9(1)(f) a parent of the pupil has told the proprietor in writing that the pupil will no longer attend the school after a certain day and will receive education otherwise than at school and—

(i) that day has passed; and
(ii) there is no school attendance order naming the school in force in relation to the pupil;

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

9(1)(g) the pupil no longer normally lives a reasonable distance from the school and—
(i) the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil will attend

the school again; and (ii) the pupil is not a boarder;

9(1)(h) the pupil has been given leave of absence and—
(i) the pupil has not attended the school within the ten school days immediately after the

end of the period of leave;
(ii) the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil is unable to

attend because of sickness or an unavoidable cause; and
(iii) the proprietor and the local authority have jointly made reasonable efforts to find out

the pupil’s location and circumstances but—
(aa) they have not succeeded; or
(bb) they have succeeded, and they agree that there are no reasonable grounds to

believe that the pupil will attend the school again, taking into account any reasonable steps they could take (either jointly or separately) to secure the pupil’s attendance;

9(1)(i) the pupil has been continuously absent from the school for at least twenty school days and—

(i) none of the circumstances mentioned in Table 2 in regulation 10(3) or in any row of Table 3 in regulation 10(4) other than the final three rows applied to the pupil at any point during that period;

(ii) the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil is unable to attend because of sickness or an unavoidable cause; and

(iii) the proprietor and the local authority have jointly made reasonable efforts to find out the pupil’s location and circumstances but—

(aa) they have not succeeded; or

(bb) they have succeeded, and they agree that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil will attend the school again, taking into account any reasonable steps they could take (either jointly or separately) to secure the pupil’s attendance;

9(1)(j) the pupil is detained under a sentence of detention and the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil will attend the school after they cease to be detained under that sentence;

11 9(1)(k) the pupil has died;

13 9(1)(m) the pupil is a boarder at the school and—
(i) the school is a school maintained by a local authority or is an Academy;

9(1)(l) the pupil will be over compulsory school age by the next time the school meets and—

(i) the proprietor does not have reasonable grounds to believe that the pupil will attend the school again; or

(ii) the pupil does not meet the academic entry requirements to be transferred to the school’s sixth form

ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: D, SEPTEMEBER 2024

(ii) charges for the pupil’s board and lodging are payable by a parent of the pupil; and
(iii) those charges remain unpaid by the parent at the end of the school term to which they

relate

9(1)(n) the pupil has ceased to be a pupil at the school and the school is not— (i) a school maintained by a local authority; or
(ii) an Academy; or

15 9(1)(o) the pupil has been permanently excluded from the school.

DENNIS ACADEMY TRUST ATENDANCE POLICY
JULY 2025

Introduction

EDUCATION PENALTY NOTICES PROCEDURE FOR UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE AND EXCLUSIONS

Parents are responsible for ensuring full time, regular and punctual attendance of their child, who is of compulsory school age, suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special needs they may have, at school or otherwise.

Regular and full-time attendance of pupils at school is both a legal requirement and essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities.

Regular attendance has been defined by the Supreme Court (6th April 2017) to mean “in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school”.

Full time is the whole of the time education is being offered – ie the timetable of the school

A child reaches compulsory school age on or after their fifth birthday. If they turn 5 between 1 January and 31 March they are of compulsory school age on 31 March; if they turn 5 between 1 April and 31 August they are of compulsory school age on 31 August. If they turn 5 between 1 September and 31 December, then they are of compulsory school age on 31st December.

A child continues to be of compulsory school age until the last Friday of June in the school year that they reach sixteen.

Hackney Council seeks to ensure that every child and young person receives the maximum benefit from the education opportunities provided by the Local Authority.

Hackney Council expects that all schools have a whole school approach to attendance which ensures early intervention and support for students with attendance difficulties.

All schools must include respective reference to the possible use of legal action for unauthorised absence within their school attendance and behaviour policy.

The Local Authority has the prime responsibility for the introduction of this unauthorised absence procedure with schools and Merseyside Police being partners.

The purpose of this local code of conduct is to ensure that penalty notices for school absence are issued in a manner that is fair and consistent across Hackney, The code sets out the arrangements for administering penalty notices in Wirral and must be adhered to by anyone issuing a penalty notice for school absence in this area. The code complies with relevant regulations and the Department for Education’s national framework for penalty notices as set out in the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance.

This local code of conduct for Hackney is in line with the National Code of Conduct issued by the Department for Education.

Contact

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ceo@dennis-academy.com

07405567556