Guidance taken from:            Working together to improve school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

A copy of your School Attendance Policy should:

• Be reviewed regularly.
• Be applied fairly and consistently and take into account individual needs.                    
• Be given to parents when any pupil joins the school.
• Published on your school website.
• All staff and pupils should know where to find it and be able to understand the contents.
• Seek the views of parents and pupils.

There is a DfE Webinar the that may offer further guidance here: https://youtu.be/t9IHiSPt_s8

Attendance Policy Information for Pupils and Parents

• Good attendance begins with our school being somewhere pupils want to be and therefore, the foundation of securing good attendance is that school is a calm, orderly, safe, and supportive environment where all pupils are keen and ready to learn.
• Good attendance starts with close and productive relationships with parents and pupils.
•  
• At  Tudor Primary School, we are committed to treating all pupils and parents with dignity.
• Staff at  Tudor Primary School are expected to model respectful relationships to build a positive relationship between home and school that can be the foundation of good attendance.
• We are committed to meeting our obligation with regards to school attendance through
• Promoting good attendance
• Reducing absences, including persistent, frequent, unnecessary, and severe absences
• Ensuring every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled
• Acting early to address patterns of absence and working to overcoming barriers to attendance
• Building strong relationships with families to ensure pupils have the support in place to attend school
• Good attendance means coming to school regularly, on time, and prepared to learn.
• Regular attendance is attendance at school on each day the school is open for the pupils unless there is an ‘authorisable’ reason to be absent; The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006
• The Department for Education (DfE) expects the school, local authority, and parents to work together to improve attendance. The Summary table in the link below should be read alongside the Working together to improve school attendance guidance. This guidance is statutory, and schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities must have regard to it as part of their efforts to maintain high levels of school attendance: Summary table of responsibilities for school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Sections

Expectations and Daily Routines

Data and Monitoring

Escalation of procedures

Expectations and Daily Routines

Good attendance is important because:

• Improving attendance is in everyone’s interests, and it’s everyone’s business.
• Regular attendance is an indicator of safe, healthy, and successful children.
• The pupils with the highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment (DfE, 2024).
• Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically, and find school routines, schoolwork, and friendships easier to cope with. Regular attendees find learning more satisfying.
• Regular attendance encourages responsible learning habits and prepares children for higher education and for their working life.                                                          
• For the most vulnerable pupils, regular attendance is also an important protective factor and the best opportunity for needs to be identified and support provided. Research has shown associations between regular absence from school and a number of extra-familial harms, including crime.

As a parent, you can help us by:

• Ensuring your child attends school on each day the school is open for the pupils unless there is an ‘authorisable’   reason to be absent.
• Only the school can authorise an absence.
• Following the school procedures for reporting absences.
• Arranging (where possible) all non-emergency medical and dental appointments out of school hours or during school holidays.
• Do not plan any holidays during term time.
• Keeping the school updated by telephone, email, or letter of any changes of circumstances.
• Make sure we always have your current contact numbers; this includes all telephone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contact details.

Daily Routines

Punctuality

• Being on time, being organized, and following a routine are key to having a successful day. Arriving at school on time is important for both personal and academic growth. Punctuality helps prepare students for future challenges, and it's the responsibility of parents to ensure their child is on time each day.
• Consistently arriving late can harm a student's academic performance and disrupt the class. It may also lead to poor habits, such as believing lateness is acceptable, which can affect future work opportunities.
• Being late also means that children may feel rushed and do not have time to settle in calmly or talk to friends before school.
• They may miss important information or the start of lessons, so they are less confident about learning and school.
• Pupils must arrive in school by 8.50 on each school day.
• Soft Start begins at 8.40 am for Y1-6
• The register for the first session will be taken at  8.50 am and will be kept open until 9 am.
• The register for the second session will be taken at 1pm and will be kept open until 1.05pm
•  Tudor School has a Breakfast Club. Please contact the office for details.
• All lateness is recorded, including how many minutes late and the reason. This information is regularly reviewed with the local authority and may be shared in court if repeated lateness leads to prosecution.
• If a student arrives after registration closes without a valid reason (such as a medical appointment), it will be marked as an unauthorised absence ('U' code).
• Frequent lateness may result in a meeting to discuss support options, and referrals may be made to the Local Authority Attendance Service or other external partners.

• Please note that absences, for any reason, create learning gaps.

• Regular attendance and punctuality are essential for a child's academic progress.
• The school day ends at 3.30 pm unless it is the last day of term.

Reporting absence

• If your child cannot attend school, please report their absence by. For longer absences, keep the school updated daily.

We expect that all parents/carers will support their child’s attendance by :

• Ensure and encourage their children to attend school daily and on time.
• Ensure that they contact the school   by 9 am if  their child is absent
• Sending us a note confirming the reason for your child’s absence when s/he returns to school
• Keep the school updated by telephone/email or letter if your child has an extended period of absence.

Even where there is a voice message, the school may make contact to speak to a parent/carer as a follow-up action.

• Provide up-to-date contact details, including home, work, and  2 emergency contact numbers.
• Arrange appointments outside of school hours or school holidays  if possible in order to avoid lost learning
• Provide evidence if asked to support medical/dental/ health absences, e.g. appointment cards, hospital letters, etc
• Arrange family holidays to take place during school holidays
• Provide information to support any requests for absence
• Inform the school in confidence about any problems that might affect their child’s attendance or behaviour.
• Ensure that their children arrive in school fully prepared for the school day and check that they have completed their homework
• Be punctual: Soft Start is at 8.40 am ,and Registration is at  8.50 am
• We take the view that there are no late children, only late parents. 
• If we cannot confirm a reason for the absence, staff will contact the emergency contacts you've provided.
• As part of our safeguarding role, staff or the Local Authority Attendance Officer may visit your home if we cannot reach you. https://www.tudorprimary.co.uk/safeguarding-policy/ 
• If your child has a social worker, we will inform them if we can't contact you about the absence.
• For Children Looked After (CLA), we may also notify the child’s social worker, carer, parent (if applicable), virtual school, and case worker.
•  

Promoting and incentivising good attendance

• Good attendance is encouraged,  developed, and celebrated.
•  This includes Attendance Awards,  Assembly celebrations,  class certificates, stickers and rewards.
• The importance of good attendance is publicised and reinforced in communication with parents and pupils.
• Where there are concerns, challenges are explored and supportive measures considered.
• These can be very different to different families ,and responses often need to be bespoke to the child and family.

Attendance Concerns

Persistent Absence and Severe Absence

• The Department for Education (DfE) defines pupils as Persistent Absentee when their attendance is 90%  or below, regardless of the reason.
• If attendance falls below 50%, they are considered Severely Absent.
• Both cases create serious problems for students, as missed work often isn't made up, leaving learning gaps that can affect them for the rest of their school life.
• Research shows that poor attendance is directly linked to lower achievement, especially at GCSE level

How will we ensure children are safe and tackle absences together?

• Some absences are allowed by law and are called "authorised absences" when the school accepts the reason given.
• We understand that unexpected situations, like a sudden bereavement, parental illness, or a family crisis, may cause your child to be absent. If this happens, please inform us, and we will handle it with care.
• Parents are expected to arrange for their child to return to school as soon as possible, ideally the next day. If the absence will be longer, parents must write to the Headteacher explaining why.
• For frequent illness-related absences, the school may require proof beyond a parent's explanation to authorise further absences.

Early Intervention to support

• Please let the school know as soon as you notice your child is reluctant to attend, as early action can prevent things from getting worse.
• Many children feel anxious about school due to issues like friendships, schoolwork, or exams, but they are still expected to attend regularly.
• Missing more school can make the problem worse, causing gaps in learning and feelings of isolation.
• The school can help by offering support and creating a personalized plan. This may include adjustments to timetables, arrival or departure routines, counselling, mentoring, or referrals to outside agencies.

Unauthorised Absence

There are times when children are absent for reasons that are not permitted by law.  These are known as “unauthorised absences”.  Examples of unauthorised absence are:

• Waiting for a delivery or repair
• Going for a family day out / Going shopping
• Because you have visitors
• Because you did not know school was open
• Interpreting or supporting a parent at a meeting.
• Sleeping in after a late night
• Because it is your child’s birthday
• Parent’s illness (other than in an emergency)
• Where there is no explanation for an absence, or the school considers the reason given for

the absence as unsatisfactory.

• Absence following or before a period of school closure (at the end and beginnings of terms and half terms) or following a period of authorised leave, unless satisfactory evidence to justify this has been provided.
• Term time holiday

Please be aware that unauthorised absence could result in a prosecution in the form of a Fixed Penalty Notice or other legal action.

As a school, we aim to:

• Give regard to Ealing Local Authority Attendance guidance and procedures.
• Work in conjunction with procedural documentation issued by Ealing Local Authority.
• Concerns will be escalated in line with Local Authority guidance.
• These will be communicated to you where possible via
• Try to contact you daily when your child is absent without a reason provided either by automated text/email or by phone call.
• Let us know if we have concerns regarding your child’s attendance or punctuality.
• The school will express a concern either verbally or in a letter of concern.
•  If attendance does not improve or explanations for absence or lateness are unsatisfactory, you may be invited to a meeting.
• We may arrange an Attendance Contract with you to explore the barriers to good attendance and punctuality and discuss  the support that can be given.
• The school will also outline what the attendance expectations are and what actions will follow.
• Regularly inform parents about your child’s attendance and absence levels.
• Remind parents of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in the school literature, on our website, at open evenings, in the Home-School Agreement and in pupil’s annual reports and during meetings.

• We will seek to support you in various ways, including:                                                                    

a) Offer regular meetings

b) Consider reasonable adjustments  where appropriate                                          

c) You may be invited to agree on an Attendance Contract. 

d) We may invite you to participate in an Early Help and Assessment Plan (EHAP)                  

e) A referral may also be made to external partners, including the Local Authority School Attendance Service, Ealing Children’s Integrated Response Service (ECIRS).

Medical conditions

• If your child has a medical condition, we will discuss it with you. We may create a health care plan together and, if needed, involve healthcare professionals.
• Not every child will need a health plan, but we will assess how the condition affects them at school.
• The plan’s details will depend on how complex the condition is and the support needed.
• We will also work with local mental health services, school mental health leads, the School Nursing Service, and the special educational needs and disability team to ensure your family gets the right support.
• If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan, any attendance concerns will be reviewed at least  annually

Attendance support

School Health Service

Ealing Attendance  Service

Ealing Families Directory www.ealingfamiliesdirectory.org.uk 

Phone: 020 8825 5588

SAFE - Supportive Action for Families in Ealing | SAFE - Supportive Action for Families in Ealing | Ealing Council

Legal Note

Parents are legally required to ensure their children attend school full-time if they are of statutory school age (Education Act 1996).

Ealing  Local Authority School Attendance Service works with schools, families, and other agencies to encourage good attendance and avoid legal action.

However, in some cases, parents may be taken to court or fined with a Fixed Penalty Notice if attendance issues persist.

Regular attendance is defined to be by the rules prescribed by the school.

Supreme Court Ruling April 2017 

Regular attendance is attendance at school on each day the school is open for the pupils unless there is an ‘authorisable’ reason to be absent (registration regulations 2006 (amended). 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, his/her parent is guilty of an offence.” A pupil’s Unauthorised Absence is an offence for the parent.

Process for requesting leave of absence.

The 2006 School Attendance Regulations make it clear that a Headteacher may not grant any leave of absence during term time for holidays.

There is no entitlement to time off during term time.

Only in an exceptional circumstance will term-time leave be considered. 

We will consider requests for leave of absence to take part in a regulated performance or employment, when supported by a licence issued by a local authority, as long as the school remains satisfied that this will not hurt a pupil’s education

All leave is granted at the Headteacher’s discretion.

Parents wishing to apply for leave of absence need to complete an application form well in advance and before booking tickets or making travel arrangements.

Forms are available at the school office. Informing the school verbally is not the same as submitting an application form.

You will need to provide the following information:

• Evidence for the reason for your child’s absence.*
• The address where your child will be staying.
• Contact details of the adult responsible for your child at that address and their relationship to the child.
• Proof of your planned return date (such as flight tickets). If you can't provide this, you must give a reason and any supporting evidence.

*Parents are responsible for providing this evidence.

The school is not required to gather it and may not accept it if deemed insufficient.

If your child goes abroad during a school holiday, ensure they return on time for the new school term (link to term dates).

• Any illness before or after a holiday must be reported during the absence, and medical proof must be provided when they return. Otherwise, the absence will be marked as unauthorised.
• Leave for exceptional circumstances cannot be granted after the fact.
• If you did not apply in advance, leave will not be granted, and the absence will be unauthorised, which may result in a fine.
• If a child’s location is unknown, they may be considered ‘Missing Education’ and could lose their school place.

• If you're delayed in returning from a trip, you must provide documents proving the original return date (e.g., tickets or a travel plan).
• Medical evidence should be in English.
• Prolonged absence at the start of a term could put your child’s school place at risk.

• A Penalty Notice  may be issued to each parent for each child, in line with the Local Authority Fines Protocol Ealing School Attendance Fixed Penalty Notice Protocol

• From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 PER PARENT PER CHILD if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days.
• Repeat offences: If a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three years, it will be charged at the higher rate of £160.
• National threshold: Under the new framework,  parents can also be fined when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (equivalent to 5 days) for unauthorised reasons. Within a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Sessions do not have to be consecutive.

•  See Working together to improve school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk) (Pg.56 National framework for penalty notices).

Leavers

If your child is leaving our school (other than at the end of Nursery or Year 6/ Year 11) parents must provide the following information:

• The pupil’s new address if they are moving.
• The details of the parent they will be living with, or of the appropriate adult who will be caring for them if they will not be living with a parent.
• Details of the school they will attend if already established, or confirmation of school applications if not yet determined.
• Travel documents if the pupil is moving outside of the UK.
• It is easiest to provide all this information by completing a leaver’s form.
• The form can be requested from the school office or can be downloaded from our website here (insert link).

Withdrawals:

Parents who remain resident locally can only withdraw their children from school if they have a confirmed start date at another school or are undertaking to educate the child at home (Elective Home Education / EHE).

If parents wish to home-educate their child/ren, they need to confirm this in writing. Parents must also complete an EHE consideration form.  Pupils remain registered at school until such conditions are satisfied.

Elective home education (EHE)

Pupils with EHCPs

All pupils with an EHCP who are being withdrawn to be Home Educated must have the approval of the Ealing SEND team.

• If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the school will inform the Ealing SEND team.
• Children with an EHCP at a special school cannot be removed from the roll without the Ealing SEND team’s permission.

IMPORTANT

• If we do not have information about where your child is going or where they will be educated, they will be considered a 'Child Missing Education.'
• The Local Authority is legally required to investigate by contacting Ealing Children's Services, the Police, and other agencies to find your child.
• Providing the information above will prevent this investigation

Data and Monitoring:

Registers are taken for the AM and PM sessions.

The following codes are used to record pupil attendance :

ATTENDANCE and ABSENCE CODES (DfE, 2024) can be found here: Department for Education Guidance 2024

The Department for Education expects schools to share information and work collaboratively with other schools in the area, local authorities, and other partners when a pupil’s absence is at risk of becoming persistent or severe.

Analysing attendance

The school will:

• Analyse attendance and absence data regularly to identify pupils or cohorts that need additional support with their attendance and use this analysis to provide targeted support to these pupils and their families
• Look at historic and emerging patterns of attendance and absence and then develop strategies to address these patterns 

Using data to improve attendance

The school will:

•Provide regular attendance reports to  staff and other school leaders to facilitate discussions with pupils and families

•Use data to monitor and evaluate the impact of any interventions put in place to modify them and inform future strategies

All schools are also legally required to share information from their registers with the local authority (DfE, 2024).

Legislation and Guidance

Working together to improve school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Summary table of responsibilities for school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Resources for families | Children's Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)

School attendance and absence: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)