Why attendance matters

 We know that being in school allows pupils to learn and achieve well and also provides then with very important social interaction with their peers. It creates a vital sense of community and belonging.

Good attendance and punctuality are vital for success at school, and to establish positive life habits that are necessary for future success.

 Through regular attendance, pupils can:

• Build friendships and allow young people to feel part of a community
• Develop life skills and self-discipline
• Engage in learning and enjoy academic success
• Minimise the risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour or feeling isolated.

 We should not underestimate the importance of excellent attendance and being punctual. Even one day missed can have a negative effect on learning:

 Getting 90% in a test or examination would normally be considered a good result. In attendance terms, however, having around 90% attendance can have damaging consequences for a young person’s future. The government call this group of pupils persistently absent.  Friendships can be affected by persistent absence, too: it can be hard for a child who misses lots of school to form relationships with their classmates.

 At The Collegiate Trust/ICC, our goal is for all our pupils to have good attendance, even when they are experiencing challenging circumstances. Through effective support and working closely with families, we can ensure every child maximises their opportunities.

The table below provides an example of the impact of lost learning through pupil absence with a focus on days lost:

Reporting Absence

 The full set of procedures on how to report absence and how ICC will respond when students are absent can be found in Appendix 3 of our new Attendance Policy. Some of the key updates are listed below:

 Absences should be reported to a relevant Year Administrator. Each year group will have their own Year Administrator whose job it is to track, record and intervene when absence is reported.

• Parents/carers should report their child’s absence every day they are not in school. This contact should be made by 08.50 at the latest.
• Parents/carers should inform the school by phone, using the number 01293 842936

and must include the specific reasons for absence, not just that they are unwell. Absence can no longer be reported via email or via the My Ed app.

• If a student misses school for due to a medical appointment then the school should be notified at least 48 hours in advance of the appointment taking place. The Year Administrator will record all details on SIMS/Go4Schools.

Parents are expected to follow NHS guidance around illness and absence for particular conditions and ailments.

Year Administrators are:

Year 7 – Miss Channell

Year 8 – Mrs Dodd

Year 9 – Ms Finch

Year 10 – Mrs Wood

Year 11 – Mrs Murphy

Sixth Form absence should continue to be reported to Ms Ibrahim.

Parents are expected to follow NHS guidance around illness and absence for particular conditions and ailments. If NHS guidance is not followed then it is likely that an absence will be recorded as unauthorised. This guidance can be found via the link below:

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS

It should be noted that NHS guidance states children can still attend school if showing signs of a cold, headache, earache and stomach-ache.

 If parents wish to take a student out of school for a planned absence then they must complete a Pupil Leave of Absence Request form (See Appendix 2 of new Attendance Policy). This must be submitted via email directly to the relevant Year Administrator and [email protected]. Planned absences will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Our ICC staff are looking forward to continuing to work closely with all of our families to help support excellent attendance. If you have any queries about this new Attendance Policy or the procedures to be followed please do not hesitate to contact your child’s new Head of Year.

Good attendance is of such importance that we place a great deal of emphasis on it and have placed considerable resources into promoting it. Listed below are some of the strategies we have in place:

• Attendance targets for individual students, mentor groups and the school
• We use Go4Schools to record regular attendance to help parents/carers monitor their child's absence
• We promote good attendance through Parents' Consultation Evening, assemblies and during tutor time
• Students are rewarded for good and improved attendance throughout the year
• The Principal reports on attendance to the Governors each month
• Computerised registration system that allows each lesson to be monitored
• Contact is made with parents/carers on the first day of absence
• We work closely with external agencies

Procedure for Closure Due to Adverse Weather

On occasions the school may need to close, sometimes at short notice, due to adverse weather conditions. The safety of students and staff are a priority when decision to close the school is made.  We know that it is difficult for some parents/carers when we have to make a decision to close, and we are conscious of the problems it may cause.

If it is unlikely that sufficient staff will be able to travel safely or the site is unsafe then a decision to close or partially close the school we will communicate to parents/carers via email, Facebook and the school website.

If there is no message on our website, social media pages, the school is open.