It is the aim of The Redstart Primary School that pupils should enjoy learning, experience success and realise their full potential. The Attendance Policy reflects this and recognises that regular attendance has a positive effect on the motivation and attainment of pupils.
As part of the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), the academy is committed to the shared core purpose, which is at the HEART of all we do:
The academy strives to consistently deliver excellent educational experiences for pupils, improving their life chances and serving the communities of which we are a member.
Some pupils find it harder than others to attend school and therefore at all stages of improving attendance the academy will work together with them, their parents and partner organisations to remove barriers, by building strong and trusting relationships. Therefore, improving attendance is everyone’s business.
In line with the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance, the academy seek to implement a ‘support first approach’.
This policy should be read in conjunction with existing trust‐wide and academy policies including (but not limited to) the following policies:
This policy meets the requirements of the following legislation which sets out the legal powers and duties that govern school attendance including:
DfE guidance:
See Appendix 2.
An equality impact assessment has been undertaken for this policy in accordance with the Federation’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy and the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The personal information the academy uses to help manage attendance and absence is governed by the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Much of this information will be sensitive, to both pupils and their parents/carers, and staff must take care to apply appropriate safeguards to ensure personal information is processed fairly and lawfully, is the minimum amount necessary to achieve our aims, is accurate, and where necessary, kept up to date, is not held for longer than is necessary and remains safe and secure.
Staff must record personal information accurately, being clear whether something is an opinion, reported by someone else, or It is also important to remember that pupils and parents/carers can ask to see copies of the personal information the academy holds about them.
The academy aims to meet its obligations with regard to school attendance by promoting good attendance; ensuring every pupil has access to the full‐time education to which they are entitled; and acting early to address patterns of absence.
This policy sets out the academy’s position on attendance and details the procedures that all parents1/carers must follow to report their child absent from the academy.
is vital that children develop regular attendance habits at an early age. Therefore, the academy will encourage parents/carers of Nursery children, and Reception children who are not yet compulsory school age, to send their children to every session that is available to
The academy will also support parents/carers to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory 2 school age attend regularly and will promote and support punctuality in attending lessons.
Pupils should attend the academy every day unless they are really not well enough, or there is another very good reason for their absence which is agreed by the Children who attend regularly are more likely to feel settled in school, maintain friendships, keep up with their learning and gain the greatest benefit from their education. The academy wants all pupils to enjoy school, grow up to become emotionally resilient, confident and competent adults who are able to realise their full potential. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential in the workplace and children who are used to attending school on time, and on every occasion, unless they are too unwell to attend, will be better prepared for the attendance expectations in the workplace.
In April 2017 the Supreme Court clarified the definition of regular attendance to be attendance “in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school”, therefore if an absence is not authorised by the school, the pupil’s attendance is deemed to be irregular.
1 Education law defines parents as: all natural parents, whether they are married or not; any person who has parental responsibility for a child or young person; and any person who has care of a child or young person i.e. lives with and looks after the child.
2 A child becomes of ‘compulsory school age’ on the 1st January, 1st April or 1st September following their 5th birthday and ceases to be of compulsory school age on the last Friday in June of Year 11.
The academy will do all it can to encourage pupils to The academy will make the best provision it can for any pupil who needs additional support in school or who is prevented from attending school, due to physical or mental health needs or disability. The academy recognises for disabled pupils, ‘reasonable adjustments’ may be needed to the school environment or to policies to support good attendance. Please see DfE guidance documents Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (December 2015) , Arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs (December 2023)and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental‐health‐issues‐affecting‐a‐pupils‐ attendance‐guidance‐for‐schools (Feb 2023) – or ask the academy for printed copies.
One of the most important factors in promoting good attendance is the development of positive attitudes towards school. To this end, the academy strives to provide a happy and rewarding experience for all children, and to foster positive and mutually respectful relationships with parents/carers.
By promoting good attendance and punctuality the academy aims to:
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence may seriously affect their learning. The Department for Education (DfE) defines a pupil as a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more schooling across the school year, for whatever reason. Pupils who miss 50% or more are defined as ‘severely absent’.
The table below indicates how what might seem like just a few days of absence can result in children missing a significant number of lessons.
| Attendance during the school year | Days lost in a year | Which is approximately | Approximate number of lessons missed |
| 95% | 9.5 Days | 2 Weeks | 60 Lessons |
| 90% | 19 Days | 4 Weeks | 120 Lessons |
The academy will monitor trends and patterns of absence for all pupils as a part of its standard procedures. However, it is recognised that sudden or gradual changes in a pupil’s attendance may indicate additional or more extreme safeguarding issues. In line with government guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, local procedures and the academy’s Safeguarding Policy, staff will investigate and report any suspected safeguarding cases on to the relevant authorities. As part of the academy’s safeguarding duty and standard procedures, staff will inform the local authority and/or the police of the details of any pupil who is absent from school when they cannot establish their whereabouts and are concerned for the pupil’s welfare.
If a pupil is not attending school regularly, where the academy deem it appropriate, staff will make home visits to see and speak to the pupil and parents/carers as part of the academy’s safeguarding and attendance If staff are unable to see and speak to the pupil and parents/carers, they may contact the pupil’s emergency contacts and/or other professionals or contacts of the family, who they reasonably expect may be able to provide the academy with relevant information.
The academy will ensure data is routinely used to identify emerging attendance issues and reduce This will include using internal sources of information such as the CLF Black Box data and the school level attendance tracker, as well as other available sources.
The academy will regularly review attendance at individual pupil level, looking at a range of data including overall attendance, absence by code, broken weeks and punctuality.
The academy will regularly review and analyse attendance, persistent absence, and severe absence data, for the whole school and by The academy will regularly compare this data with external data including other CLF academies, local, regional and national data. This will help to identify particular areas of success, and also areas for improvement.
The law states that schools must take the attendance register at the start of each morning session of each school day and once during the afternoon session. The school must record whether each pupil is:
Appendix 1 provides a list of register
Pupils are marked present if they are in the academy when the register is (/ = morning session \ = afternoon session.) If a pupil leaves the academy premises after registration, they are still counted as present for statistical purposes.
Pupils are able to enter the school site from 8.40am using one of the three gates (Main school gate, Bew’s Lane and Redstart Road). The Redstart Primary School offers breakfast club provision from 45am, entry for which is via the main school gate. Bookings are made via the school office or Parentmail. Please speak to the school office for details of charges.
Morning registration
Afternoon registration
Late arrival
| Minutes late per day | Equates to days of learning lost in one year | Which means this number of lessons missed |
| 5 mins | 3 Days | 15 Lessons |
| 10 mins | 6 Days | 30 Lessons |
| 15 mins | 9 Days | 45 Lessons |
‘Authorised absence’ means that the academy has either given approval in advance for a pupil of compulsory school age to be away from the school or has accepted an explanation offered afterwards as justification for Please see codes below and the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance for more information.)
| Authorised absence | ||
| C1 | Absent to participate in a regulated performance or undertaking regulated employment abroad. | Authorised absence |
| C2 | Pupil of compulsory school age is absent due to a part‐ time timetable agreed by the parent and the school | Authorised absence |
| C | Absence agreed by the school due to an exceptional circumstance | Authorised absence |
| E | Suspended or permanently excluded and no alternative provision made | Authorised absence |
| I | Illness (physical and/or mental health related) | Authorised absence |
| J1 | Absence agreed by the school to attend an interview for employment or for admission to another educational institution | Authorised absence |
| M | Absence agreed by the school for medical/dental appointment | Authorised absence |
| R | Day set aside for religious observance | Authorised absence |
| S | Study leave for a public examination | Authorised absence |
| T | A mobile child (child of no fixed abode) who is travelling with their parent for their trade or business | Authorised absence |
| X | Non‐compulsory school age pupil not timetabled to attend | Not counted in possible attendances |
The following information provides more detail about the main circumstances where absence may be authorised by the academy:
Illness
If a pupil needs to be sent home due to illness, this should be by agreement with an appropriately authorised member of academy staff. In such circumstances, the pupil must be collected from the academy office by a parent/carer or another authorised adult (unless otherwise agreed between the school and the parent/carer) and signed out in the ‘signing out’ book. No pupil will be allowed to leave the academy site without parent/carer confirmation.
Parents/carers will be asked to supply details of at least two other responsible adults who can be contacted in an emergency. It is the responsibility of parents/carers to keep these contact details up to date by telephone, visit or email. The academy will also remind parents/carers about this through parents/carers’ evening and newsletter reminders.
Coding unexplained absences
Communicating with parents/carers where attendance is a concern
When the academy has concerns about the attendance of a pupil, staff will do their best to make the parents/carers aware of the concerns about their child’s attendance in the most accessible way possible, communications will be provided in accessible formats and can be offered in different languages if requested.
The academy recognises that pupils who are Young Carers may have caring responsibilities that impact on their punctuality and/or attendance. Where this is the case, the academy will work with the pupil and family to encourage them to access appropriate support, including direct support from the Young Carers service and any other support the pupil and family may need; the academy will also provide support in school where appropriate.
Where appropriate, the academy will involve all parents/carers to ensure each is aware of their child’s attendance pattern and is able to support the child’s attendance to improve. Where a child lives with different parents/carers on different days, we will take this into consideration when working with the parents/carers.
The academy recognises that rewarding good and improved attendance should be carefully considered, to ensure it does not make pupils who have poor attendance, feel marginalised, worried or guilty about their low attendance rate, its impact on the pupil’s own learning or the learning or rewards for the class as a whole.
The academy will regularly review any reward systems to ensure they are not negatively impacting on individual pupils or groups of pupils.
The law does not grant parents/carers the automatic right to take their child out of school during term time for holidays or other absence such as trips and visits.
The academy will not authorise any leave of absence in term‐time unless satisfied the reason for absence is exceptional. The academy will consider each application individually. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the academy’s discretion.
Parents/carers are asked not to make plans to take their child out of school without making a request to the school first and the school gives permission for the absence. The request should be made by the parent/carer with whom the child normally lives.
Parents/carers wishing to request leave for their child should complete a Leave of Absence Request form which is available from the The request should be submitted as soon as it is anticipated; and, wherever possible, at least four school weeks before the absence.
The academy will respond to term time leave requests within 10 school days of receipt, by contacting the parent/carer who made the request, by telephone, by letter or email.
If a parent/carer needs to make an urgent request for leave, they should contact the academy by telephone and speak to Mrs Collins, Principal or Mrs Margetts, Attendance The academy will aim to give a verbal response as soon as possible, and this will be followed up in writing.
Parents may be required to provide the academy with additional evidence to support a leave of absence request.
The academy will consider the individual facts and circumstances of the case; following consultation with other staff as required, including the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
The absence should be for the shortest time possible – if an absence is agreed, the Principal will decide how many days of absence will be Agreed leave will be marked with the C code ‘Absence agreed by the school due to an exceptional circumstance’. If the pupil is absent for more days than were authorised by the academy, the remaining days absent will be recorded as unauthorised absence, unless there is an exceptional reason for the additional absence.
Any holidays and other absence such as trips and visits which have not been agreed by the academy will be recorded as unauthorised.
If the academy has been notified a pupil’s absence is/was due to illness or other reason, but the academy has genuine and reasonable doubt about the authenticity of the reason for absence given and has reason to believe the pupil may have been absent due to a holiday, or other trip/visit, the school may ask for additional information or evidence from parents/carers to support the reason If the academy is not satisfied with the evidence provided, the absence may be recorded as unauthorised.
Parents/carers should be aware unauthorised absence may result in a penalty notice or prosecution. See ‘Unauthorised absence’ section for more information.
If the academy has any concerns about possible safeguarding risks, staff will follow the necessary protocols. (See the academy’s Safeguarding Policy for more information.)
Unauthorised absence is where the academy is not satisfied with the reason given for the absence, or where no reason has been Please see codes below and the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance for more information.)
| Unauthorised absence | ||
| G | Holiday not granted by the school. | Unauthorised absence |
| N | Reason for absence not yet established. | Unauthorised absence |
| O | Absent in other or unknown circumstances. | Unauthorised absence |
| U | Arrived in school after registration closed (where an authorised absence code does not apply). | Unauthorised absence |
Where the academy has genuine and reasonable doubt about the actual reason for a pupil’s absence, staff may seek additional information or evidence from parents/carers regarding the absence, and/or make a home visit in to verify the reason. If the reason cannot be verified and the academy has cause to believe the reason given for absence may not be genuine, parents/carers may be asked to provide satisfactory evidence of the reason. If satisfactory evidence is not provided, the school may record the absence as unauthorised.
Unauthorised absences may result in legal intervention, usually penalty notices or prosecutions. See ‘Penalty notices, prosecutions and education supervision orders’ section for more information.
Under section 444 of the Education Act 1996, if a child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school, fails to attend regularly at the school their parent(s) are guilty of an This applies to both resident and non‐resident parents who may both be subject to legal action if their child fails to attend school regularly. It also applies to others who may not be the parent but may have day to day care of the child. If an absence is not authorised by the school, the pupil’s attendance is deemed to be irregular.
A pupil’s unauthorised absence from school could result in one of the following:
Penalty notices can be issued if a child has at least 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a period of 10 school (A morning or afternoon is one session; a whole school day is two sessions.) However, the DfE’s national framework for penalty notices allows penalty notices to be issued sooner than this, in some circumstances.
Before a penalty notice is issued, where considered appropriate, a Notice to Improve will be sent to parents/carers to give them a final chance to improve attendance before a penalty notice is issued. A Notice to Improve will not be issued where a warning is not considered appropriate, for example in the case of unauthorised term time holiday absence.
Penalty notices are issued to each parent/carer with responsibility for the child and are issued for each child with unauthorised absence. For example, if two siblings have unauthorised absence, and there are two parents/carers with responsibility for the children, four penalty notices would be issued.
The academy will refer cases of unauthorised absence that meet the threshold for a penalty notice to the local authority unless there are reasonable grounds for not doing so.
Referrals for penalty notices will include unauthorised absence due to term time holiday or other trips/visits, and other types of unauthorised absence.
When referring to the local authority for legal intervention, the academy will show that the parent/carer has been warned they are at risk of a penalty notice or prosecution.
Penalty notices are issued to parents as an alternative to prosecution and are intended to prevent the need for court action.
A penalty notice may not be issued if prosecution is considered to be a more appropriate sanction for a pupil’s unauthorised absence.
The local authority will consider the information provided by the academy and take action in line with their protocols and procedures, following the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance This will include considering whether an education supervision order should be applied for, as well as, or instead of a prosecution.
See table below and the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance for more information about penalty notices, prosecutions and education supervision orders. The local authority’s penalty notice code of conduct is available from Somerset County Council.
Legal Intervention for Unauthorised Absence
| Penalty notices | |
| Penalty notices are issued to parents as an alternative to prosecution and are intended to prevent the need for court action.
If a pupil has frequent, and/or extended period of unauthorised absence, a prosecution may be considered, instead of a penalty notice. Penalty notices cannot be paid in instalments. |
|
| Sanction | Outcome |
| First penalty notice (in a 3‐year rolling period) | The penalty is £80 (per parent/carer, per child) payable within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days. (Failure to pay will usually result in prosecution.) |
| Second penalty notice (in a 3‐year rolling period) | The second time a penalty notice is issued to the same parent for the same child the amount will be £160 per parent, per child (if paid within 28 days). There is no reduction in the amount if the penalty is paid early. (Failure to pay will usually result in prosecution.) |
| Prosecutions for unauthorised absence | |
| Local authorities (LAs) are unable to issue more than two penalty notices to the same parent for the same child, in a rolling 3‐year period. Should a third offence of unauthorised absence for the same child be committed during the 3 years (including where a child has moved school and fines have been issued by other LAs), the LA may prosecute the parent/carer(s).
As penalty notices are an alternative to prosecution, the LA may decide to proceed straight to prosecution instead of issuing any penalty notice. If prosecuting, it is for the LA to decide whether a section 444(1) or section 444(1A) prosecution is most appropriate. |
|
| Sanction | Outcome |
| Prosecution under section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 | If found guilty, parents/carers may be fined up to £1000 and ordered to pay court costs. The court may also impose a Parenting Order. |
| Prosecution under section 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996 | If found guilty, parents/carers may be fined up to £2500 and ordered to pay court costs.
Other court outcomes include community sentences, such as Curfew Orders, Unpaid Work (Community Payback) or a prison sentence of up to three months. The court may also impose a Parenting Order. |
| Education Supervision Order (ESO) | |
| The local authority must consider applying for an ESO (under section 36 of the Children Act 1989) before prosecuting under s444 Education Act 1996. An LA may apply for an ESO instead
of, or as well as, proceeding with a prosecution. The order is placed on the child, and a supervisor from the LA is appointed by the court, to give directions to the child and their parents with a view to securing that the child is properly educated. Parents can be prosecuted if they persistently fail to comply with a direction; if found guilty they may be fined up to £1000. |
|
Under the Equality Act 2010, schools are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils (defined as those with a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long‐term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.’ Some specified medical conditions, HIV, multiple sclerosis and cancer are all considered as disabilities, regardless of their effect.) This may include changes to the physical environment, curriculum or the way information is provided, as well as providing auxiliary aids and equipment, or tailored services. Failure to make appropriate adjustments may impact on a pupil’s attendance.
| Need | Action | Contact Information |
| Mental health and wellbeing | Parents/carers who have concerns about their child’s mental health and wellbeing can contact the academy’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). | Phone or email the school office who will direct the query to the appropriate member of staff. |
| Identified special educational needs or disability (SEND) | Parents/carers are encouraged to contact the academy’s Special Educational Needs Co‐ordinator (SENDCo) should they have any concerns about their child with identified SEND. Attendance issues should be considered as part of the pupil’s individual support plan or Education Health and Care Plan, and part of any subsequent reviews. | Phone or email the school office who will direct the query to the SENCO |
| Unidentified SEND | Parents/carers who think their child may have unidentified special educational needs are also encouraged to contact the academy’s SENDCo. | Phone or email the school office who will direct the query to the SENCO |
| Urgent health concerns | Parents/carers should contact their GP or the NHS Helpline by phoning telephone number 111 for advice if they are concerned about their child’s mental or physical health and wellbeing. In case of emergency parents/carers should dial 999.
After seeking emergency advice and support, parents should also let the academy know as soon as is practicable. |
Phone GP/111/999
Contact the school office. |
| Health needs impacting on attendance | If a pupil is frequently absent from the academy due to particular health need/s the academy may ask to meet with parents/carers (and other professionals where appropriate) to draw up an Individual Healthcare Plan to support the pupil’s attendance.
See the academy’s Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy for more information, found on the academy website. Also see DfE guidance Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions ‐ December 2015 for more information. |
Phone or email the school office who will direct your query to the attendance lead or SENDCO. |
| Attending a place other than the school | ||
| B | Attending a place for an approved educational activity, arranged by the school, which is not a sporting activity or work experience. (Not dual registration.) (The school must also record the nature of the provision.) | Attending an approved educational activity |
| D | Not currently expected to attend, as dual registered at another school (i.e. pupil attending another school, PRU or alternative provision academy). | Not counted in possible attendances |
| K | Attending offsite educational provision arranged by the local authority. (The school must also record the nature of the provision.) | Attending an approved educational activity |
| P | Participating in an approved sporting activity. | Attending an approved educational activity |
| V | Attending an educational visit or trip arranged by on or behalf of the school. | Attending an approved educational activity |
| W | Attending approved work experience. | Attending an approved educational activity |
AP equates to a full timetable, unless there are exceptional reasons why not. Pupils will only be offered part‐time educational provision for the shortest time possible, and this will be regularly reviewed with the pupil and parents/carers with the aim of the pupil accessing full‐time education as quickly as possible.
3 This includes provision such as Education First, Elmtree Learning Partnership and Impact Mentoring. It also includes any post‐16 colleges which provide education for compulsory school aged children.
4 This includes Learning Partnership West.
5 This includes Lansdown Park Academy, Snowdon Village Academy, Bristol Hospital Education Service, Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service, Pathways Learning Centre (South Glos ), Taunton Deane Partnership College (Somerset) and Voyage Learning Campus (North Somerset).
In accordance with the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance, the academy will record pupils unable to attend school because of unavoidable cause in the circumstances listed Such absences are not counted in a pupil’s possible attendances, so do not negatively impact a pupil’s attendance data. Each school’s Y code data is however published alongside the school’s absence data in the DfE absence statistics three times a year.
| Absent ‐ unable to attend school because of unavoidable cause | ||
| Q | Unable to attend as the local authority has a duty to make travel arrangements* and these are not yet in place. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y1 | Unable to attend because the school is not within walking distance* and the transport normally provided for the pupil by the school or local authority is not available. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y2 | Unable to attend due to widespread disruption to travel caused by a local, national or international emergency. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y3 | Unable to attend due to part of the school premises being unavoidably closed. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y4 | Unable to attend due to the whole school site being unexpectedly closed. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y5 | Unable to attend as in criminal justice detention. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y6 | Unable to attend due to public health guidance or law. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Y7 | Unable to attend because of any other unavoidable cause. (The academy must also record the nature of the unavoidable cause.) | Not counted in possible attendances |
*See the DfE’s Travel to school for children of compulsory school age guidance, or ask the academy for a printed copy.
The academy will be extremely vigilant in the use of all Y If in any doubt, the academy will seek the advice of the CLF Central Attendance Manager or CLF Central Attendance Officer.
As the definition of code Y7 could be open to interpretation, the academy will be particularly vigilant with this code. The use of this code should be agreed by either the Principal, Attendance Champion, CLF Central Attendance Manager or CLF Central Attendance When using Y7, the academy must also record the nature of the unavoidable cause as a red flag comment in the register, alongside the code.
If the academy has reason to believe the pupil may no longer be living at the address held on record and staff are unable to confirm the whereabouts of the pupil through the academy’s usual processes, staff will follow the CLF CME and Pupil Tracking guidance, along with Somerset County Council’s CME process and make CME referrals as appropriate.
If a parent/carer notifies the academy in writing that the pupil and family are moving out of the area and the pupil no longer requires a place, the academy will remove the pupil from roll from the date of moving and will, at the same time, notify the local authority (LA) using the CME referral form.
The academy will add and delete pupils from roll in line with the law and statutory guidance, and make any additional CME referrals as appropriate, in accordance with Somerset County Council’s guidance and the CLF CME and Pupil Tracking guidance.
The academy will seek advice from the LA if unsure about any individual cases: [email protected]
When removing a pupil from roll due to Elective Home Education (EHE) or Permanent Exclusion the academy will also follow the relevant LA EHE and Exclusion notification
If a pupil on roll lives in a different LA area, the academy will follow the other LA’s processes where appropriate.
The academy will include each pupil’s attendance information in their report [state frequency] and provide parents/carers with a copy of their attendance summary for the year in Term 6. If parents/carers wish to see a copy of their child’s attendance summary at any other time during the year, they can ask for a printed copy at the academy office.
Where a pupil’s attendance drops below 96%, the academy may contact parents/carers to highlight this, unless there is a good reason not to.
All absences are recorded in the attendance register in the academy’s management information system, including information about the reason for the absence, how it was reported and by whom. Any additional information pertinent to the absence may also be recorded.
This policy will be reviewed annually by the Principal or more frequently if there are changes to legislation and guidance. At every review, the policy will be shared with the Academy Council.
| Code | Description | Statistical Meaning |
| Attending the school | ||
| / \ | Present at the school / = morning session \ = afternoon session | Attending |
| L | Late arrival before the register is closed (see code U for late arrival after the registers close) | Attending |
| Attending a place other than the school | ||
| B | Attending a place for an approved educational activity, arranged by the school, which is not a sporting activity or work experience. (Not dual registration.) | Attending an approved educational activity |
| D | Not currently expected to attend, as dual registered at another school (i.e. pupil attending another school, PRU or alternative provision academy). | Not counted in possible attendances |
| K | Attending offsite educational provision arranged by the local authority. (The school must also record the nature of the provision.) | Attending an approved educational activity |
| P | Participating in an approved sporting activity. | Attending an approved educational activity |
| V | Attending an educational visit or trip arranged by on or behalf of the school. | Attending an approved educational activity |
| W | Attending approved work experience. | Attending an approved educational activity |
| Authorised absence | ||
| C1 | Absent to participate in a regulated performance or undertaking regulated employment abroad. | Authorised absence |
| C2 | Pupil of compulsory school age is absent due to a part‐ time timetable agreed by the parent and the school. | Authorised absence |
| Code | Description | Statistical Meaning |
| C | Absence agreed by the school due to an exceptional circumstance. | Authorised absence |
| E | Suspended or permanently excluded and no alternative provision made. | Authorised absence |
| I | Illness (physical and/or mental health related). | Authorised absence |
| J1 | Absence agreed by the school to attend an interview for employment or for admission to another educational institution. | Authorised absence |
| M | Absence agreed by the school for medical/dental appointment. | Authorised absence |
| R | Day set aside for religious observance. | Authorised absence |
| S | Study leave for a public examination. | Authorised absence |
| T | A mobile child (child of no fixed abode) who is travelling with their parent for their trade or business. | Authorised absence |
| X | Non‐compulsory school age pupil not timetabled to attend. | Not counted in possible attendances |
| Absent ‐ unable to attend school because of unavoidable cause
Q – Unable to attend as the local authority has a duty to make travel arrangements and these are not yet in place. Not counted in possible attendances
Y1 Unable to attend because the school is not within walking distance and the transport normally provided for the pupil by the school or local authority is not available. Not counted in possible attendances Y2 Unable to attend due to widespread disruption to travel caused by a local, national or international emergency. Not counted in possible attendances |
||
| Code | Description | Statistical Meaning | |
| Y3 | Unable to attend due to part of the school premises being closed. | Not counted in possible attendances | |
| Y4 | Unable to attend due to the whole school site being unexpectedly closed. | Not counted in possible attendances | |
| Y5 | Unable to attend as in criminal justice detention. | Not counted in possible attendances | |
| Y6 | Unable to attend due to public health guidance or law. | Not counted in possible attendances | |
| Y7 | Unable to attend because of any other unavoidable cause. (The academy must also record the nature of the unavoidable cause.) | Not counted in possible attendances | |
| Unauthorised absence | |||
| G | Holiday not granted by the school. | Unauthorised absence | |
| N | Reason for absence not yet established. (If the reason cannot be established within 5 school days, the N code should be changed to an O code.) | Unauthorised absence | |
| O | Absent in other or unknown circumstances. | Unauthorised absence | |
| U | Arrived in school after registration closed (where an authorised absence code does not apply). | Unauthorised absence | |
| Administrative codes
# – Planned whole school closure (such as weekends, bank possible holidays, school holidays, INSET days, and use of the whole school as a polling station). Not counted in possible attendances Z – Prospective pupil not yet on admission register. Not counted in possible attendances |
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Please see the attendance section of our academy’s website for information about:
The Board is responsible for approving the CLF template policy.
The Academy Council is responsible for approving local adaptations to the CLF template policy and monitoring its implementation and effectiveness.
The Academy Council is responsible for monitoring attendance figures for the whole academy at least 6 times a year. It also holds the Principal to account for the implementation of the attendance policy.
The Principal is responsible for:
In line with the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance guidance, our Senior Attendance Champion is expected to:
They will:
Following the identification of concerns or patterns, liaise with the Headteacher/Senior Attendance Champion to decide on the best course of action which may be to commence the school’s graduated response, to include telephone conversations, e‐mail or letter communication or meeting with families to better understand their circumstances and any barriers to school attendance.
The Attendance Administrator is responsible for:
Academy office staff also take calls from parents/carers about absence and record the information on the academy’s management information system.
Academy office staff welcome children who arrive late to school and who are entering via the school reception. Staff will record their time of arrival and reason for being late and, where a concern is identified, the staff member will share information with the Attendance Lead in case ongoing support or action is required.
The SENDCo is responsible for meeting with the academy attendance officer/attendance team to review the attendance of the pupils on the academy’s Vulnerable List/SEND Register and agreeing any action needed.
Class teachers are responsible for recording their pupils’ attendance on a daily basis and in a timely manner, using the academy’s MIS.
Where there are attendance concerns, either raised by the class teachers themselves or by the Principal/Senior Attendance Champion or Attendance Lead, they will ‘check‐in’ with the pupil to find out about any reasons for absence as part of their responsibilities under the academy’s Safeguarding Policy.
Class teachers may also be asked to meet with or telephone parents/carers whose child has a falling level of attendance and is flagged as a concern by the Principal/Senior Attendance Champion or Attendance Lead.
