Attendance

Fairfield Community Primary School seeks to ensure that all their pupils receive a full-time education which maximises opportunities for each pupil to realise their full potential. For pupils to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and punctually. Any absence causes disruption to learning and should be avoided if at all possible. Improving attendance at Fairfield School is the responsibility of everyone in our community – pupils, parents, governors and staff.

Aims
• To encourage and assist all pupils to achieve excellent levels of attendance of above 97%
• To make attendance and punctuality a priority for all those associated with the school including pupils, parents, teachers and governors.
• To maximise attendance across the school population and reduce persistent absenteeism (below 90%).
• To work together with parents/carers in both a supportive and challenging role to achieve high levels of attendance.

Pupils
• All pupils are expected to:
• Attend school regularly and to arrive on time.
• Come to school properly equipped and prepared to learn.

Talk to a member of staff if there is a problem causing them to miss school.

Parents/Carers
Parents/carers are legally responsible for ensuring their child’s regular attendance at school in accordance with Section 444 of the Education Act 1996. They should ensure that:
• Their child attends regularly and is punctual, properly dressed, equipped and in a fit condition to learn
• They inform the school of the reason for any absence by the Weduc absence report on each morning of absence. The school will then make the decision to either authorise or unauthorise the absence. If no reason is given the absence will be automatically unauthorised
• They know that they will not have holidays authorised during term time
• They make medical and dental appointments outside school time wherever possible
• They give the school up to date information regarding diagnosed medical conditions which may affect attendance
• They provide the school with up to date contact details.

The School
The school will:
• Strive to provide a welcoming, caring environment whereby each member of the school community feels wanted and secure.
• Establish an effective system of incentives and rewards to recognise the efforts of pupils to improve their attendance and timekeeping and will challenge the behaviour of those pupils and parents who give a low priority to attendance and punctuality.
• Recognise all young people who fall below the DofE threshold of 90% attendance as Persistent Absentees and will treat them as a vulnerable group of pupils who warrant additional support.

Registration
Registration is a legal requirement and creates an orderly start to the school day. Pupils arriving after the registers are taken will receive a late mark. Any pupil arriving after 9.00am will receive a ‘U’ code in the register which equates to an unauthorised absence.

Authorised/Unauthorised Absence
The school’s registers will be coded in accordance with the Department of Education mandatory codes as published in the guidance www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance

All absences must be explained by a parent or carer. The school will then decide whether or not to authorise the absence.

Any unexplained absence will be unauthorised.

Absence may be authorised due to:
• Sickness
• Unavoidable medical/dental appointments
• Days of religious observance
• Exceptional family circumstances

If a pupil’s attendance becomes a cause for concern, the school may ask parents to provide medical evidence to substantiate their reasons before the absence can be authorised.

Holidays
Fairfield Community Primary School feels that any absence from learning disrupts continuity of learning, undermines educational progress and should be avoided, therefore, holidays in term time will not be authorised.

Exceptional Leave
The school recognise that there may be times when a pupil requires exceptional leave during term time for short periods of time. In these circumstances parents are asked to complete the ‘Exceptional Leave Form’ to request the absence. These requests will be considered by the Headteacher on an individual basis.