Attendance

We believe that we can improve the life chances of all pupils by ensuring that all staff, students, and parents and carers are aware of the importance of and take responsibility for regular attendance.

If you would like to view our Attendance Policy, please click here to access our Policies and Documents webpage.

Aims

At Fulbrook we believe that it is important to provide an environment in which:

Students are supported in their learning in order that they can attain at the highest possible level.
Everyone is valued, praised and rewarded.
Positive relationships are promoted.
Everyone has the right to feel safe.
The curriculum will be designed to reflect the interests and needs of the students ensuring engagement and enjoyment in their learning.
There is an expectation that good attendance is the key to success.
The monitoring and evaluating of individual attendance patterns supports the learning of individuals.

Positive Environment

We believe that students will want to attend regularly if they are in an environment which is caring and supportive and which promotes respect for all. Learning opportunities are varied and focused on individual needs of the students.

Responsibilities for Students

It is expected that they will:

Attend school each day.
Arrive at school and lessons on time and remain in their learning environment.

Responsibilities for Parents and Carers

It is their responsibility to:

Ensure that their child attends school regularly, properly equipped and in a fit condition to learn.
Inform the school, giving the reason for absence. Failure to do so may result in the absence being coded ‘unauthorised’. The responsibility for authorising the absence lies with the school and not the parent/carer.

Heads of Years and Tutors

Are responsible for:

Inviting parents into school to discuss problems with attendance.
Liaise with Attendance Officer re identified issues to ensure a collaborative approach.

Attendance Officer

It is their responsibility to:

Analyse data regularly to identify issues for Senior Management
Contact parents/carers in the event of a student absence.
Print off tutor group attendance register, school attendance register
Sending concern, percentage, absence and praise letters to parent/carers.
Work with Heads of Years and tutors in the monitoring and early identification of attendance issues.

Registration and Lateness

The register is a legal document.

Morning registration takes place at 8.30.am and the register remains open until 8.45.am

Students arriving to school after 8.25am, are required to sign in, in the school hall and will be required to make up the time at lunchtime.

Procedures for Non-attendance

The school operates a first day response. If a student is absent and the school has not been contacted by the parents or carers then the school office will contact them as soon as possible during the morning.

Authorising Absence

Authorised absences are morning or afternoons away from school for a good reason e.g. illness, medical appointment or another unavoidable cause. Absence can only be authorised by the Head Teacher not by the Parent/Carer.

Unauthorised Absence

Unauthorised absences are those that the school does NOT consider reasonable and for which no ‘leave’ has been given, for example:

Shopping/birthday trips
Looking after younger siblings or assisting parents
Absences that are not explained
Truancy
Arriving at school after the register has closed with no valid reason
Holidays that do not meet the criteria of the Department for Education Guidelines and Fulbrook’s own policy on Leave during term time

Holidays in Term Time

Leave from School for the purposes of a family holiday is not a parental right. Government Guidance advises that schools should only grant leave of absence during term time if the school considers that leave of absence should be granted due to exceptional circumstances.

The Government describes exceptional circumstances such as:

For service personnel and other employees who are prevented from taking holidays outside term time
When a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis

This means that Fulbrook will not authorise holiday leave for the following reasons:

Availability of cheap holidays
Availability of desired accommodation
Poor weather experienced during school holiday period
Overlap with the beginning and end of terms

If you apply for holiday during term time, the application request should be submitted well in advance. If there is a special reason why you feel you need to take your child out of school a letter explaining should be sent to the Head Teacher together with a Leave of Absence form.

Leave of Absence Form