Our School
Our school attendance over the last year has improved to 96.5% which is above the national average.
We all have a legal responsibility to ensure every child is in school every day and on time. The law states every child must receive a full-time education. Section 444 (1a) of the Education Act 1996 says; ‘If a child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at the school, fails to attend regularly, without reasonable justification, then his/her parent is guilty of an offence and can be prosecuted.”
There is an expectation that over the course of a year (190 days) a child’s attendance will be at least 97%. Absence which fall below 90% is categorised by the government as persistent absence. For a child to fall below the 97% target this autumn term they would have missed 5 days of lessons.
All parents have the responsibility to ensure that their child attends school for the whole academic year by making medical routines out of school time (wherever possible), avoid booking holidays during term time and avoid encouraging their child to stay at home for reasons which are judged to be unjustifiable by school.
Please take a look at the following guidance from the NHS.
Guide-for-parents-on-school-attendance
Reporting an absence
If your child is absent from school please inform the school office 0151 284 7848, extension 1. On return to school please speak to the teacher, ring the school or pass in a written note. The absence will then be recorded as ‘Authorised’. Failure to inform the school of absences will result in an ‘Unauthorised’ absence or truancy being recorded. The Attendance Mentor at Leamington monitors attendance on a daily basis and contact parents when we feel there is a concern. Due to the efforts of the attendance team and our parents, the attendance figures for Leamington have improved year on year.
Punctuality
Poor punctuality only applies to a minority of our children but it is noted on a daily basis. Children who arrive late disrupt the class and miss very important introductions to the lesson. Please make every effort to ensure that your children arrive on time.
Requesting a leave of absence
Since September 2013, the Head teacher may only authorise leave for ‘exceptional’ circumstances. If a child goes on holiday during term time without the permission of the Head teacher this will be marked as an unauthorised absence and this may result in a penalty notice of £60 per parent per child being issued. A penalty notice can also be issued if a child misses a total of 5 days of school (not necessarily as 5 consecutive days) which are deemed to be unauthorised.
Penalty Notice for Persistent Absence
Parents whose child is repeatedly absent will now only receive one warning notice period about a need for an improvement in attendance. If the attendance doesn’t improve or deteriorates again then no formal warning notice will be issued and we will automatically consider other statutory actions.
Mis-reporting ‘Sick Leave’
Where strong evidence exists that the reporting of ‘sick leave’ is not genuine, Fixed Notice procedures will be imposed. Evidence could include: social media, non-contact with school, school are unable to contact parents/carers, children reporting a holiday or other circumstances and children reporting non-illness.
Medical Appointments
All medical staff across Liverpool have been asked not to make appointments (if possible) during school time. If your child is attending a medical appointment you must produce an appointment card/letter or similar paperwork prior to the appointment. On the day of the appointment, your child must still attend school around the appointment.
Child Protection
The school has a legal responsibility to log any incidents of concern about health, safety and welfare of the children and to contact social services if we feel it is necessary. Iris Kelleher is our Designated Safegarding Lead and ensures that correct procedures are always followed in school. We work with parents very closely if we have any concerns about a child’s welfare.
We all have a responsibility to ensure every child attends school. If your child is absent without a justifiable explanation you are stopping them from learning and this is unacceptable. The school has a legal duty to publish its attendance figures to parents and promote attendance. Equally, parents have a legal duty to make sure that their child attends school. School staff are committed to working with parents to ensure every child achieves their potential by attending school every day. Only ‘Together we can make Difference’.
For more information, please read our attendance policy – Attendance Policy
