Attendance

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It is recognised that regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and is essential if young people are to maximise their educational opportunities. The Department for Education has recently updated guidance for schools in the "Working Together to Improve School Attendance" document which comes into effect for September 2024. In this guidance there is greater clarity on expectations of schools, the importance of attendance, when leave of absence can and cannot be granted and when the use of penalty notices may be appropriate.

All our students should be punctual to school; they should aim to get to school for 8.40am to give them time to get to their first lesson which starts punctually at 8.45am. The school is currently open from 7.45am until 5.00pm (Monday to Thursday) and 4.30pm (Friday). ^{The total time this amounts to in a typical week is 45 hours and 45 minutes.}

 

Your child must attend every day that the school is open unless:

• Your child is too ill to attend that day. 

• You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances. 

• Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance. 

• Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet. 

• You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day meaning your child cannot attend their usual school. 

Parents/Carers have a legal duty to ensure that their child attends school regularly.

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Reporting Absence?

Following our attendance policy, we request that parents/carers let the school know of reasons for absence on the first and subsequent days of absence by the Arbor app, email (or telephone).

 

Please give the following information: 

Is My Child Too Ill for School?

The following government advice can help in deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

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Holidays in Term Time

The Governing Body of Highworth has agreed that family holidays will not be authorised during term time. The Headteacher can authorise leave in exceptional circumstances only. A letter must be sent to the Headteacher at least 2 weeks before and must be agreed to before the leave begins. This is not an entitlement and holidays taken in term time will adversely affect your child’s attendance record and their academic progress.

 

Under the new guidance penalty notices may be given for unauthorised holidays in term time. (see below)

 

If an unauthorised absence is taken anyway, the case may be referred to the Attendance and Behaviour Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £160 (or £80 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each student taken out of school.

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Supporting Students

At Highworth we are proud of our community structure and the level of support we give our students whilst in school. Where attendance falls below the appropriate levels or absence becomes a peristent problem we will contact parents/carers and offer support in line with our attendance policy. Our Student Support Managers (SSMs) are able to support students and call on additional resources to remove the barriers to regular attendance to school.

Following our Attendance Policy, SSMs will meet with students and families to discuss barriers and try to develop personal strategies and support. This could include daily check ins, peer support, referal to Place2B, Early Help or other external agencies.

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Penalty Notices for Unauthorised Absence

From September 2024, guidance on Penalty Notices requires schools to consider whether a penalty notice for absence is appropriate where students reach a national threshold.

 

The threshold is 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. A school week means any week in which there is at least one school session. There are two sessions per day (AM and PM), so 10 sessions are 5 school days.

 

This can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence (e.g. 4 sessions of holiday taken in term time plus 6 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or not (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks).

 

The following circumstances will be considered as appropriate reasons for the issuing of Penalty Notices:

On receipt of the Notice, the penalty will be £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days. 

 

At Highworth Grammar School, we consider attendance and these new legal powers so important that we are bringing this to your attention.

 

The Education Hub has further information about Penalty Notices.
KCC PRU and Attendance Service (KPAS)