Attendance and Punctuality Policy

March 2017

Date approved: 30 March 2017

Approved by: Trust Board, Kingston Educational Trust
Frequency of review: Annual
Last review: Not applicable (new policy)
Next review due: March 2018
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ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY

1. PRINCIPLES
The Kingston Academy is committed to raising levels of attendance. We believe good attendance and punctuality are
vital if pupils are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities made available to them and poor
attendance and punctuality is disruptive to both pupils and staff.

We believe that all pupils should enjoy learning, experience success and develop their full potential and we
recognise that regular attendance has a positive effect on both the motivation and attainment of pupils. .

Parents/carers have a legal duty under the Education Act 1996 to ensure all children of compulsory school age
attend school on a regular and full time basis and to ensure good punctuality at school and we will support families
to comply with this duty. ​The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 provides that
schools cannot authorise term-time absence unless there are "exceptional" circumstances. These are not defined
and the head teacher will decide what constitutes exceptional circumstances based on the fundamental principles
that these are rare, significant, unavoidable and short.

2. OBJECTIVES
This policy sets out the school’s expectations and practice. We seek to provide an effective and efficient system for
monitoring attendance and punctuality, so that we can identify issues and recognise external factors which influence
attendance and work with parents/carers and pupils to address difficulties. We aim to:
● Provide a safe learning environment.
● Raise achievement through the promotion of good attendance.
● Continually strive to improve the attendance and punctuality of all pupils.
● Make attendance and punctuality a priority for all those associated with the school including pupils,
parents/carers, staff and trustees.
● Provide support, advice and guidance to parents/carers and pupils.
● Promote effective partnerships with the Local Authority Education Welfare Officer and with other services
and agencies.

3. PRACTICE
a) ATTENDANCE
Form tutors mark the register at 08:40hrs for AM Registration and Period 5 teachers at 13:55hrs for PM Registration.
using iSAMS Registration Module

● Daily attendance is monitored by Pupil Services. Parents/carers are asked to telephone or email the school
office before 09:30hrs to explain any absence on each day of sickness absence.
● Parents/carers are contacted by Pupil Services where pupils have failed to arrive by 09:30hrs and notice of
their absence has not been received.
● When a parent/carer fails to report an absence on two consecutive days and Pupil Services are unable to
contact a parent or carer by telephone and have exhausted all methods of communication, a home visit is
carried out by a member of the pastoral team, usually on the second day of absence.
● Authorisation of absence in most circumstances requires a written note or email from parents or guardians.
Wherever possible requests should be made in writing or by email in advance of any planned absence.
● Unauthorised absences are followed up by either a phone call or an email home by Pupil Services.
● Persistent absence (defined as below 85% over the year to date) is reported to the Assistant Headteacher
for Pupil Support & Wellbeing for further action.
● We write to the parents/carers of pupils who do not achieve 95% attendance by the end of each term .
● Where following this letter attendance continues to fall, we will write to parents/carers again inviting them
to a meeting in school with a member of the pastoral team to discuss strategies and support to improve
attendance.
● Attendance and punctuality reports for parents/carers are available on the Parent Portal.

b) PUNCTUALITY

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The School gates open at 08:15hrs and pupils are expected to arrive in school by 08:30hrs in good time to register
with their Form Tutor at 08:40hrs when school begins. Pupils who arrive for appointments, or pre-school activities,
before 8:15hrs must sign-in in the Pupil Register in Reception, so that we know who is on site at that time.

● If pupils arrive after 08:40hrs they should register at Reception and will receive a late mark on iSAMS.
● The accumulation of three late marks in any half-term equates to a 30 minute Friday Detention as laid out in
the School’s Behaviour Policy. Five late marks in any half term will receive a 60 minute Friday detention and
seven or more late marks in any half-term will receive a 120 minute Saturday Detention.
● Pupils who arrive after 09:30hrs are deemed absent for the morning session and need a note (either in
writing or by email) or a telephone call from a parent/carer explaining their late arrival, otherwise this will
become an unauthorised half day absence.
● Where a pupil’s punctuality continues to fall, we will send a letter home inviting parents/carers in for a
meeting with a member of the pastoral team to discuss strategies and support to improve punctuality.
● Attendance and punctuality reports for parents/carers are available from the Parent Portal on iSAMS.

c) LONG TERM ABSENCE

● When pupils are absent, or likely to be absent, for more than one week on medical grounds, work will be set
home via Google Classroom for pupils to complete, as appropriate. Work should be returned to staff for
assessment.
● At least five days notice is needed for Form Tutors or Heads of House to collate work.

● Unauthorised long term absence from School will be reported to the Local Authority Education Welfare
Officer and in liaison with the Assistant Headteacher for Pupil Support & Wellbeing.

d) ​AUTHORISING ABSENCE
● Permission for family holidays, public performances and productions outside of school needs to be sought
in writing from the Assistant Headteacher for Pupil Support & Wellbeing
● As is Borough policy, family holidays are not authorised in term time and work must be completed on
return.

e) MONITORING ABSENCE
● Form Tutors monitor attendance and refer names of poor attenders to their Head of House.
● Heads of House monitor known poor attenders with the Assistant Headteacher for Pupil Support &
Wellbeing.
● Form Tutors and Heads of House monitor known pupils with persistent absence and take appropriate action
e.g. having meetings with pupils, inviting parents in for a meeting.
● The Assistant Headteacher for Pupil Support & Wellbeing identifies pupils for Friday and Saturday
Detentions.

f) PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT
We encourage good attendance and punctuality through reward and celebration​:

● Best Attendance and Punctuality in Form Groups is celebrated with staff and pupils through House
Assemblies.
● Forms with best half-termly attendance receive House Points towards the House Competition.
● Pupils with 100% Attendance and Punctuality at the end of each term are awarded with certificates and
prizes in the end of term assembly.

g) RECORDING ABSENCE
i.Parental notes: Authorisation of absence requires a written note from parents/carers. This may be a letter, not in
the pupil's planner, or preferably an email. Where parents/carers have difficulties with writing, it is acceptable that

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the pupil writes the letter and the parent/carer signs the letter. Once confirmation of absence is received by the
Form Tutor, Head of House or any member of staff, it will be directed to Pupil Services for further action.

i. Family holidays​: It is not school policy to authorise absences for family holidays in term time.

ii. Offsite activities​: These are normally recorded sporting activities, visits or suchlike and are counted as attendance
at school

iii. Exclusions​: Fixed Term Exclusions are recorded on a pupil’s attendance record as an authorised absence.

iv. Lesson truancy​: All subject teachers are required to keep an individual lesson register through iSAMS and missed
lessons are recorded as unauthorised absence and parents informed: parents/carers are contacted by telephone if a
pupil has left the school premises without authorisation or has missed a whole lesson or lessons, details of lateness
to lessons is available to parents/carers on the Parent Portal.

4. Review
This policy will be reviewed annually by the a member of the Senior Leadership Team and by Kingston Educational
Trust. The next review is due in March 2018.