Attendance

Attendance expectations

In March when the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was increasing, we made clear no parent would be penalised or sanctioned for their child’s non-attendance at school.

Now the circumstances have changed and it is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children’s education, wellbeing and wider development.

Missing out on more time in the classroom risks pupils falling further behind. Those with higher overall absence tend to achieve less well in both primary and secondary school. School attendance will therefore be mandatory again from the beginning of the autumn term. This means from that point, the usual rules on school attendance will apply, including:

• parents’ duty to secure that their child attends regularly at school where the child is a registered pupil at school and they are of compulsory school age;
• schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence
• the availability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices in line with local authorities’ codes of conduct

Pupils who are shielding or self-isolating

We now know much more about coronavirus (COVID-19) and so in future there will be far fewer children and young people advised to shield whenever community transmission rates are high. Therefore, the majority of pupils will be able to return to school. You should note however that:

• a small number of pupils will still be unable to attend in line with public health advice because they are self-isolating and have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves; or because they are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19)
• shielding advice for all adults and children will pause on 1 August, subject to a continued decline in the rates of community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). This means that even the small number of pupils who will remain on the shielded patient list can also return to school, as can those who have family members who are shielding. Read the current advice on shielding
• if rates of the disease rise in local areas, children (or family members) from that area, and that area only, will be advised to shield during the period where rates remain high and therefore they may be temporarily absent (see below).
• some pupils no longer required to shield but who generally remain under the care of a specialist health professional may need to discuss their care with their health professional before returning to school (usually at their next planned clinical appointment). You can find more advice from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health at COVID-19 - ‘shielding’ guidance for children and young people.

Where a pupil is unable to attend school because they are complying with clinical and/or public health advice, we expect schools to be able to immediately offer them access to remote education. Schools should monitor engagement with this activity (as set out in the section below).

Where children are not able to attend school as parents are following clinical and/or public health advice, absence will not be penalised.

Pupils and families who are anxious about return to school

All other pupils must attend school. Schools should bear in mind the potential concerns of pupils, parents and households who may be reluctant or anxious about returning and put the right support in place to address this. This may include pupils who have themselves been shielding previously but have been advised that this is no longer necessary, those living in households where someone is clinically vulnerable, or those concerned about the comparatively increased risk from coronavirus (COVID-19), including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds or who have certain conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

If parents of pupils with significant risk factors are concerned, we recommend schools discuss their concerns and provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school. Schools should be clear with parents that pupils of compulsory school age must be in school unless a statutory reason applies (for example, the pupil has been granted a leave of absence, is unable to attend because of sickness, is absent for a necessary religious observance etc).

Attendance at Henry Whipple

Remember our attendance vision-

97% minimum

Our 'minimum' expectation for attendance is 97%. This is reflective of our Believe, Belong, Achieve ethos and the highest expectations we have for all, in terms of learning, teaching, attendance and behaviour.

97% & above equates to

F2 - 29 out of 29 minimum attending everyday

Year 1 - 29 out of 27 minimum attending everyday

Year 2 - 27 out of 28 minimum attending everyday

Year 3 - 29 out of 21 minimum attending everyday

Year 4 - 28 out of 29 minimum attending everyday

Year 5 - 27 out of 30 minimum attending everyday

Year 6- 28 out of 29 minimum attending everyday

Dear Parent/Carer

Leave of absence in school term time

Nottingham City Council changed the procedure regarding leave of absence penalty notices after the Isle of Wight High Court case.  However, following the Supreme Court Judgment on the 6^th April 2017, this letter is to inform you that we in partnership with the Local Authority will be reinstating them from September 2017.

At this school ‘leave of absence’ are assessed on an individual basis but will not be routinely granted in term time unless there are exceptional reasons, irrespective of the child’s overall attendance.  Only the Head Teacher or his/her designate (not the Local Authority) may authorise such a request and all requests for a leave of absence must be referred to the Headteacher and a meeting arranged.

Where a parent takes a leave of absence to which the application was refused, or takes leave of absence where no application was made, school will request a penalty notice to be issued by the Local Authority. The penalty notice will be issued to each of the individual children.

We are advising all parent/carers to consult our school website and attendance policy which clearly explains the process of leave of absence in school term time.

Yours faithfully

Mrs C Burgess

Headteacher

NEW CLOCK !!

To make sure that we all know when '5 to 9' is we have a clock on the outside wall near reception.

Consequences of missing school- Nottingham City Council

Q. Why attend every day?

A. Research shows that 17 school days missed can lead to one GCSE grade lost. Your child should attend school every day unless there is an unavoidable cause like illness. Reasons for missing school such as shopping and birthdays are not acceptable. Don't let your child get left behind.

Q. What are the social consequences?

A. Children who miss a lot of school may feel left out at school. They will not have the same shared experiences as their classmates and may find it difficult to follow what is going on in the classroom. Missing school trips, special events and break time may affect their ability to make friends at school. Being in school gives students more time to interact with teachers and classmates.

Q. What should I do if my child is off school?

A. Telephone your child's school as early as possible on the first morning of their absence to give the reason. Any absence should be authorised by your child's Head Teacher.Any routine dentist and doctor appointments should be made after school or during holidays. You may be asked for a medical certificate or appointment card if your child is regularly absent due to illness or dental/medical appointments.

Q. Can I be prosecuted if my child's attendance is poor?

A. The local authority has a number of legal powers it can use. These include school attendance orders, education supervision orders and penalty notices. Authorised local authority staff, police officers and headteachers can issue penalty notices. The penalty is £60, rising to £120 if not paid within 28 days. If you fail to pay a penalty fine, you will be prosecuted. You could get a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or in extreme cases a jail sentence of up to three months.

Local Authority Attendance Advice

In Nottingham, Education Welfare Officers work closely with schools and families to resolve attendance issues.

Schools will refer pupils to the Education Welfare Service if:

• a pattern of irregular attendance, lateness or persistent absenteeism is either continuing or worsening
• parents do not accept their responsibilities for ensuring their child attends school and are refusing to discuss ways of improving attendance with the school

For more information, please contact the Education Welfare Service;

Phone: 0115 876 2965
Email: educationwelfareservices@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Taking action

We want all parents to understand that the City Council will take action when a child is persistently absent without agreement from the school. Through the courts, this could be a fine of up to £2,500 or even prison.

We are aware that this is a hard line to take, but missing school can seriously harm your child's education.

Support is Available for Parents and Pupils

Schools and Nottingham City Council can help parents and pupils who are struggling with attendance issues.

• Avoid taking holidays in school time as your child will miss out on lessons
• Make sure any absence is reported to your school as soon as possible to tell them why your child is absent and when you expect them to return
• Help your child catch up with missed work - a missed day should not mean missed work
• Contact your school to address the reason for non-attendance

Leave of absence in school term time (Advice from Nottingham City Council)

Nottingham City Council changed the procedure regarding leave of absence penalty notices after the Isle of Wight High Court case. However following the Supreme Court Judgment on the 6^th April 2017, this letter is to inform you that we in partnership with the Local Authority will be reinstating them from September 2017.

It is a rule of this school that a leave of absence shall not be granted in term time unless there are exceptional reasons, irrespective of the child’s overall attendance. Only the Head Teacher 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/on a form provided by the school.

Where a parent takes a leave of absence to which the application was refused or takes a leave of absence where no application was made, School will request a penalty notice to be issued by the Local Authority. The penalty notice will be issued to each parent of the individual child.

We are advising all parents/carers to consult our school website and attendance policy which clearly explains the process of leave of absence in school term time.

Frequently asked Questions about attendance

(taken from http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/education-and-schools/problems-at-school/school-attendance/consequences-of-missing-school)

Q. Why attend every day?

A. Research shows that 17 school days missed can lead to one grade lost. Your child should attend school every day unless there is an unavoidable cause like illness. Reasons for missing school such as shopping and birthdays are not acceptable. Don't let your child get left behind.

Q. What are the social consequences?

A. Children who miss a lot of school may feel left out at school.  They will not have the same shared experiences as their classmates and may find it difficult to follow what is going on in the classroom. Missing school trips, special events and break time may affect their ability to make friends at school. Being in school gives students more time to interact with teachers and classmates.

Q. What should I do if my child is off school?

A. Telephone your child's school as early as possible on the first morning of their absence to give the reason. Any absence should be authorised by your child's school.Any routine dentist and doctor appointments should be made after school or during holidays. You may be asked for a medical certificate or appointment card if your child is regularly absent due to illness or dental/medical appointments.

Q. What if I want to go on holiday?

A. Holidays in term time are not normally authorised. In exceptional circumstances head teachers may give permission, please contact your child's school and check their policy.

Q. Can I be prosecuted if my child's attendance is poor?

A. The local authority has a number of legal powers it can use. These include school attendance orders, education supervision orders and penalty notices. Authorised local authority staff, police officers and headteachers can issue penalty notices. The penalty is £60, rising to £120 if not paid within 28 days. If you fail to pay a penalty fine, you will be prosecuted. You could get a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or in extreme cases a jail sentence of up to three months.

Attendance Assembly April 2019

Congratulations to Victoria Adebayo who won a Family pass to 'Cineworld Cinema' for achieving 100% attendance

Attendance Assembly 03.01.2020

Well done to all our 96% and above children for their great attendance.

Congratulations to Jessica in Year 6 won the prize of a signed Football T-Shirt from our attendance raffle in assembly today 10.01.2020

Attendance Assembly 12.01.18

Congratulations to all the children who achieved 96% and above attendance who have each received a certificate to support their good attendance.

Congratulations to Samual (Year 5), Okello (Year 3) & Priscilla (year 3) who have won a Cineworld cinema voucher in our 100% attendance raffle.

Attendance Assembly January 2017

Congratulations to Keira-Leigh Wilkinson in Year 3 who won the £20 voucher for a meal at Frankie and Bennys for 100% attendance.

Congratulations to Katty Gagigo in Year 1 has won the £10 Sainsbury's voucher for 96% and above attendance.

As you will be aware attendance alongside parental support is a crucial factor in enabling your child to make the best possible progress so that they can attain national expectations and beyond.

Your child will today receive a special certificate of congratulations. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a whole school attendance reward shortly as long as they have met the punctuality expectation too.

Let’s keep up this great work

Congratulations, well done and thank you for supporting your child’s attendance!

Lord Mayor’s Attendance Awards  - Thursday 14 July 2016 - Congratulations to Alicia Falade in Year 3 & Nelson Ayemwenre in F2. 

This is the third annual awards will take place at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Bilborough on Thursday 14 July.