St Mary & St Paul’s Attendance Overview
Attendance is a key priority for the school and is included on the school development plan.
Daily
Early morning calls to support families to get ready for school.
Once the registers have been taken, there is a first day response with families being contacted if they haven’t already spoken to school that morning.
If children are absent, home visits can be arranged. If no contact is made – the appropriate agencies can be contacted.
If a child hasn’t been seen for 4 days (and no contact made from parents) then a home visit will be made.
If parents are not able to bring a child to school, the school minibus can be used to collect them.
Monthly percentages updates for all children – traffic light visual notification. Amber – 91% – 96.9%, Red – <91%.
Rewards
Weekly class attendance rewards
Half termly rewards for children who are over 98.5% – pizza parties, bingo, film etc
Certificates for children who have 100% and over 98.5%
Voucher for children who have achieved 100% at the end of the year
Attendance Support
The procedures will be as follows:
Level 1 – Universal (School)
Step 1 – Phone calls to parents (first day response)
Step 2 – Stage 1 letter
Step 3 – Initial meeting (this may take place at the gate but needs to be a face to face conversation)
Step 4 – Home visit (if the child is not attending at all – 2 members of staff will call)
Step 5 – Stage 2 letter / Offer of Early Help
Step 6 – If attendance hasn’t improved over the period of 6 weeks, then refer to School Attendance Service
Level 2 – School Attendance Service (SAS)
Step 1 – If a caseload family (all siblings will be included no matter which school they attend). SAS to set up an Attendance Improvement Meeting (AIM) with action plan for family to follow. If this improves over 3 weeks they can come off the list and another family referred. If not, continue to support for 3 weeks.
Level 3 – Family First
Step 1 – If attendance hasn’t improved over 6 weeks at Level 2 the family are to be referred to Family First for additional support
Level 4 – Social Care (Educational Neglect)
Social workers will become involved
Educational Penalty Notice (EPN)
Sitting alongside this system is the EPN – This will be issues for a series of unauthorised absences.
6 sessions unauthorised – initial letter
10 sessions unauthorised – EPN notice issued by the Local Authority.
Please note that the data for the EPN is taken from our attendance registers and the fines are issued and collected by the Local Authority. The money does not come to school.
School Attendance Service
They are used for a range of options
- Caseload work with 1 or 2 families per half term
- Visits to homes
- Meetings with parents in school
- Class meeting to talk to children
