Attendance and Absence Reporting
Missing School is Missing Out!
Attendance at school is the fundamental building block for academic success and positive social interaction. Research from the Department for Education shows there is a clear correlation between a student's attendance at school and their attainment at Key Stage 4.
- Attendance below 90% means your child is classed as a Persistent Absentee.
- 90% attendance = 19 days lost, or 95 hours of subject lessons missed.
- Only 14% of students with attendance of 90% or below will achieve five 9-5 grades at GCSE (the standard expected pass rate).
In order to give our students the greatest chance of academic success and of maximising the opportunities provided to them by the school, we expect 100% attendance from each student and will do all we can to help them achieve this. We expect students to arrive on time to school and to lessons, and will sanction those who do not.
Our attendance principles
- We are proactive.
- We look to spot problems before they arise, meet with parents to provide support, and are always on the front foot.
- We are persistent.
- We ensure every register is taken. We ensure we have the support we need from the local authority. We know where every child is, every day, and why they are not with us if they are absent.
- We have clear and rigorous processes.
- Our interventions are planned, timely and purposeful. They are grounded in data and our knowledge of individual students. We have systems in place to track attendance, record interventions, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Students are expected to be present in school every day, and should only be off school if they are very ill. Although we deal with absence on an individual basis, we would expect your child to attend school if they are experiencing low mood or minor illnesses, such as headaches and colds. Please click here for the link to the NHS guidance sheet.
A phone call or email must be made every day to the absence line/attendance officer when a student is absent from school. A parent/carer who does not ensure their child has good attendance may be referred to the Local Authority and may face a fine or be taken to court.
If a student's attendance falls below certain thresholds, the school will use various interventions to support improvement, including parent meetings and support plans as part of our Support First Approach. If these are not successful, parents/carers may be served with a Notice to Improve or, ultimately, an Education Supervision Order by the Local Authority.
To report a student absent, please contact the school, ideally before 8.30am:
Attendance Office:
Miss C Clarke
attendance@smithdonhigh.org.uk
Absence Line:
01485 536 123
Attendance Text Message Number:
07935 059 774
Lateness
We understand that students may occasionally be late to school, and we are reasonable in our approach. Where there is an unusual occurrence, such as poor weather or public transport letting us down, a late mark will be recorded, but the student will not receive a sanction. The school day begins with Spotlight at 8.25 am. Students who arrive late without good reason will receive a consequence.
Being just 10 minutes late each day means that your child would lose 32 hours of learning each year.
Please call our attendance line if you have any questions or need to update the Attendance Officer regarding a student absence.
Term-Time Holidays
The Department for Education (DfE) makes it very clear that headteachers cannot authorise any leave of absence, including term-time holidays unless there are exceptional circumstances. Any absence without this agreement will be classed as unauthorised and would go down on the student’s records.
Unauthorised absences of 10 sessions (5 days) will lead to the issuing of a fixed penalty notice (FPN) regardless of the student’s previous attendance record and could even lead to further prosecution. (If authorised, the Headteacher is also able to set a time limit on the leave of absence).
Exceptional circumstances are described as unique or one-off events. They might include family emergencies, a sudden change in circumstances or a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.
Visits from family members, opportunities for discounted holidays or parental working commitments will not constitute exceptional circumstances, but a Leave of Absence Request Form must still be submitted to the school in advance of the holiday being taken.
Any information received by the school regarding an absence due to a holiday, after the event, will automatically be logged as unauthorised (and may trigger an FPN) regardless of circumstances.
To view the letter to parents regarding attendance at school and Legal Intervention, please click on the link below:
Documents to support this letter can be found below: