Co-op Academy Southfield is committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all its students and recognises this can only be achieved by supporting and promoting excellent school attendance for all. We believe that only by attending school regularly and punctually will children and young people be able to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them.

We understand that barriers to attendance are complex, and that some pupils find it harder than others to attend school; therefore, we will continue to prioritise cultivating a safe and supportive environment at school, as well as strong and trusting relationships with pupils and parents.

The whole school community has a responsibility for promoting excellent attendance: parents, carers, pupils and all school staff.

We are committed to:

Promote children’s welfare and safeguarding.
Promoting and modelling high attendance and its benefits.
Ensuring that pupils succeed whilst at school.
Ensuring equality and fairness for all.
Building strong relationships with families to overcome barriers to attendance.
Intervening early and working with other agencies to ensure the health and safety of our pupils.
Ensuring every pupil has access to the full time education to which they are entitled.
Regularly monitoring and analysing attendance and absence data to identify pupils or cohorts that require more support.

The policy is implemented in conjunction with the following school policies:

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy
Children with health needs who cannot attend school Policy
Understanding Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policy

The legal framework

This policy has due regard to all relevant legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited to, the following:

• Education Act 1996

• Equality Act 2010

• The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (as amended)

• DfE (2022) ‘Working together to improve school attendance’

• DfE (2016) ‘Children missing education’

• DfE (2022) ‘Keeping children safe in education 2022’

Section 7 of the 1996 Education Act states that parents/carers must ensure that children of compulsory school age receive full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude to any special educational needs they may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

The Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to ensure that parents/carers secure education for children of compulsory school age and where necessary, use legal enforcement.

The Admission and Attendance Registers

The law requires our school to have both an admissions register and an attendance register. All of our pupils are placed on both registers. The admissions register contains the personal details of every pupil in the school, along with the date of admission and, where relevant, re-admission to the school. Pupils are entered into the admissions register and attendance register from the beginning of the first day on which they attend the school.

Registration

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, require schools to take an attendance register twice a day, once at the start of the morning session and then again at the start of the afternoon session. Registers are marked consistently by staff using attendance codes in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006. At Co-op Academy Southfield an electronic register is in place to record and monitor attendance of both sessions of the school day to ensure the safety and welfare of its students.

Class teachers take the attendance register at the start of the day and once during the afternoon session. On each occasion they record whether every pupil is present. Absences and lateness are followed up by the Attendance Officer to ascertain the reason, ensure the proper safeguarding action is taken if necessary, identify whether the absence is approved or not and identify the correct code to use before entering it on to the school’s register. Codes are used in accordance with DfE guidance. Examples of authorised absence include proven illness and medical emergencies. Examples of unauthorised absences include refusal, absences for shopping and birthdays, day trips and holidays. Unauthorised absences can lead to the Local Authority using sanctions and/or legal proceedings to help improve a child’s attendance.

Registers are a legal document

A certified extract of the register can be used as evidence in legal proceedings against parents/carers for failing to ensure their child’s regular attendance or in seeking an Education Supervision Order in respect of a student. To this end, the register must show accurately whether the student is present, engaged in an approved educational activity, off-site or absent. When a student is absent, the register must also show whether the absence was authorised or unauthorised by the school. Authorised absence means where the school has given approval in advance, or that a satisfactory explanation was given when the absence was reported.

Authorised Absence

Only the school may authorise a student’s absence from school. Absence for the following reasons could be authorised where parents have confirmed the absence in writing or verbally on the child’s return to school:

• sickness or medical treatment;

• medical/dental appointments which unavoidably fall during school time;

• days of religious observance;

• exceptional family circumstances e.g. bereavement.

Religious observance

Parents will be expected to request absence for religious observance at least two weeks in advance.

The academy will only accept requests from parents for absence on grounds of religious observance for days that are exclusively set apart for religious observance by the relevant religious body. The academy will define this as a day where the pupil’s parents would be expected by an established religious body to stay away from their employment to mark the occasion.

To minimise the impact of this on families and remove the need to request religious observance, the academy sets term dates in advance, to coincide with the main religious festivals for the community religions. Where a religious observance date falls on a school closure date, there is no need to request this time as a leave of absence.

The school may seek advice from the religious body in question where there is doubt over the request.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller absence

Where a pupil’s parent belongs to a community covered by this code and is travelling for occupational purposes, the parent will be expected to request a leave of absence for their child at least two weeks in advance. Absences will not be granted for pupils from these communities under this code for reasons other than travel for occupational purposes.

Absence in exceptional circumstances

Exceptional circumstances will include when a pupil is unable to attend because:

• Transport provided by the school, LA or parent is not available and the pupil’s home is not within walking distance.

• There has been widespread disruption to travel services which has prevented the pupil from attending.

Missing Children

Pupils will not be permitted to leave the school premises during the school day unless they have permission from the school. In the event of a pupil going missing whilst at school, the Pupils absconding from school Procedure will be followed.

SEND and health-related absences

The school recognises that pupils with SEND and/or health conditions, including mental health issues, may face greater barriers to attendance than their peers, and will incorporate robust procedures to support pupils who find attending school difficult.

Unauthorised Absence

Unless permission for absence has been granted in advance by the Headteacher, absence will be recorded as unauthorised in any other circumstances.

In the event of medical absence, it may be necessary for the school to ask the parent/carer to provide the school with written evidence of reason for absence e.g.:

• appointment cards/letters; medical certificate;

• letter from GP.

If there is an extensive period of absence due to medical reasons, the school may ask for the permission of the parent/carer to contact the child’s GP or School Nurses to confirm that the medical condition prevents the student from attending school and to establish a possible return date for the student.

Leave of absence

Headteachers are only allowed to authorise leave during term time in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances does not and cannot include trips and holidays in term-time, nor does it include the cost or availability of holidays. We expect all our partners to work with us to ensure that any such holidays are arranged during the holiday period.

The academy will only grant a pupil a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. In order to have requests for a leave of absence considered, the academy will expect parents to contact the headteacher in writing at least two weeks prior to the proposed start date of the leave of absence, providing the reason for the proposed absence and the dates during which the absence would be expected to occur.

Any requests for leave during term time will be considered on an individual basis and the pupil’s previous attendance record will be taken into account. Where the absence is granted, the headteacher will determine the length of time that the pupil can be away from school.

If term-time leave is not granted, taking a pupil out of school will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and may result in sanctions, such as a penalty notice. The school cannot grant leaves of absence retrospectively; therefore, any absences that were not approved by the school in advance will be marked as unauthorised.

Persistent Absence (PA)

Pupils who miss 10% or more schooling across the year for whatever reason are regarded as Persistent Absentees (PA). Pupils who miss 50% or more schooling across the year for whatever reason are regarded as Severely Absent. Absence at this level does considerable damage to a pupil’s educational prospects and we need parents/carers’ fullest support and cooperation to tackle this. Persistently Absent and Severely Absent pupils are closely tracked and monitored. All our Persistently Absent and Severely Absent pupils and their parents are invited to meet with the Care & Wellbeing Team who may offer support and will set clear targets and expectations. Persistent Absenteeism and Severe Absenteeism will also be referred to the Local Authority, where necessary in order to obtain appropriate support and intervention.

There are various groups of pupils who may be vulnerable to high absence and PA, such as:

• Children in need

• LAC

• Young carers

• Pupils who are eligible for FSM

• Pupils with EAL

• Pupils with SEND

• Pupils who have faced bullying and/or discrimination

The school will ensure it provides support to pupils at risk of PA, in conjunction with all relevant external authorities where necessary.

The school will focus particularly on pupils who have rates of absence over 50 percent, and will work with the LA and other partners to engage all relevant services needed to identify and address the wider barriers to attendance these pupils are facing.

Where a pupil at risk of PA is also at increased risk of harm, the school will work in conjunction with all relevant authorities, e.g. social services, to support the pupil in line with the school’s duty of care. The school will also bear in mind that the continuation of severe PA following intervention may, in itself, constitute neglect, and will escalate any concerns in this regard in line with the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

Children Missing Education (CME)

Children missing education are children of compulsory school age who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving a suitable education otherwise than being at a school (for example, at home or in alternative provision). Children missing education are at significant risk of underachieving, being victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation, and becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) later in life. All pupils at risk of CME are reported to the Local Authority in line with relevant guidance within agreed timescales.

There are many circumstances where a child may become missing from education. It is vital that local authorities make judgements on a case by case basis. This may include children from the following vulnerable groups below (this list is not exhaustive):

● Pupils at risk of harm/neglect

● Children of Service Personnel

● Missing children and runaways

● Children and young people supervised by the Youth Justice system

● Children of new migrant families

● Children of Gypsy, Roma Traveller families

Effective information sharing between parents, schools and local authorities is critical to ensuring that all children of compulsory school age are safe and receiving suitable education. Effective intervention should be at the earliest opportunity in the lives of vulnerable children to help prevent poor outcomes.

Action The School Will Take Regarding CME

Co-op Academy Southfield understands that poor attendance can be an indicator of concern for children with welfare and safeguarding concerns, and thus ensures that information is shared between agencies in line with the school’s Attendance Policy. School understands that a parent failing to inform the school that a child has an authorised absence could be a cause for concern and thus the school will follow guidance ‘First Day Calling’ procedures.

School appreciates that the Local Authority has a Statutory Duty to ensure that all children and young people of compulsory school age receive suitable and appropriate education. School will support the Authority in ensuring that this duty is carried out effectively. There are specific duties in respect of Children Missing Education (CME) and there are strict guidelines in respect of both the definition of CME and the legalities of deleting a pupil from a school roll.

School understands that it is essential that the DSL contact the Bradford Education Safeguarding Team and complete a CME referral to inform them where any pupil has been absent for 10 consecutive days without a reason being provided for the absence.

In line with Bradford Children Missing Education guidance and Department for Education Children Missing Education guidance Co-op Academy Southfield will make reasonable enquiries to locate the child in line with the school’s duty under section 10 of the Children Act 2004.

Reasonable enquiries to find the child include:

● Checking with all members of staff who the child/young person may have had contact with.

● Checking with the pupil’s friends, siblings, and known relatives.

● Making telephone calls to any numbers held/identified including emergency contacts.

● Sending a letter to the last known address.

● Carrying out home visits at different times to check who is at the home address and other known addresses, and check with neighbours and known friends.

● Asking for the address the family is moving to.

● Checking which school a child is expected to attend.

● Requesting copies of flight information if appropriate.

This list is not exhaustive or prescriptive and each case should be considered on its individual merits ensuring all the facts of the case have been taken into account. Additional enquiries to those above may be necessary. If there is reason to believe a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm, school will make a referral to Children's Social Care, and police if appropriate.

Non-standard Transition Notification

In line with the updated Bradford Children Missing Education procedures, the school will notify the Education Welfare Service within 5 days of a child being added to the admission register at a non-standard transition point. Additionally, the school will notify the Local Authority prior to any removal of a child from the admission register at a non-standard transition point.

Pupils Missing out on Education

Pupils missing out on education is different to children missing education. Children who are termed ‘missing out’ on education are those who do not attend full-time education at school or in alternative provision. Full-time education is defined as 25 hours per week for 39 weeks per year; if a young person is not receiving this entitlement at school or in an alternative educational provision, they are considered to be ‘missing out’ on education. For these children, the school will work within Bradford procedures and will undertake individual risk assessments and will work closely with parents and carers to ensure they attend full time as soon as possible.

Parenting Contracts, Orders and Penalty Notices

Parents are expected to contact school at an early stage and to work with staff to resolve any attendance problems. If difficulties cannot be sorted out in this way, the school may refer the child to the Local Authority. The school will always try to work with parents/carers to resolve attendance problems, but if this is unsuccessful the Local Authority may use legal action, such as Penalty Notices or prosecutions in the Magistrates Court. Local Authorities have legal powers to use parenting contracts, parenting orders and penalty notices to address poor attendance and behaviour in school. Full details of the legal options are available from the school or the Local Authority.

Roles and Responsibilities

At Co-op Academy Southfield our young people attend school until they are 19.

We recognise the importance of regular attendance so that students can ‘enjoy, learn and succeed.’ The Government’s aim is that children achieve over 95% attendance and we want parents/carers to join us in this joint commitment to high standards. Improved attendance at School can only be achieved if it is viewed as a shared responsibility of the School staff, the parents/carers, students and the wider School community.

The governing body has overall responsibility for:

Monitoring the implementation of this policy and all relevant procedures across the school.
Promoting the importance of good attendance through the school’s ethos and policies.
Working with the SLT to set goals for attendance and providing support and challenge around delivery of those goals.
Ensuring that this policy, as written, does not discriminate on any grounds including, but not limited to, ethnicity/national origin, culture, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation.
Handling complaints regarding this policy as outlined in the school’s Complaints Procedures Policy.
Having regard to ‘Keeping children safe in education’ when making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The Headteacher and leadership team will:

• Ensure that the importance and value of good attendance is promoted to pupils and their parents/carers;

• Regularly review the school’s Attendance Policy and ensure the required resources are available to fully implement the policy;

• Ensure that the attendance related legislation is complied with;

• Ensure that there is a named member of staff to lead on attendance;

• Ensure that the school has clear systems to report, record and monitor the attendance of all pupils, including those who are educated off-site. They will then ensure that data is understood and used to devise solutions and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions;

• Ensure that there is a whole school approach which reinforces good school attendance;

• Return school attendance data to the Local Authority and the Department for Education as required and on time;

• Develop a multi-agency response to improve attendance and support pupils and their families.

The Class teacher will:

• Accurately mark the class register at the start of each session AM and PM;

• Keep regular communication with parent/carers in relation to attendance this can be through a telephone call, email or the home school diary;

• Notify parents/carers of any concerns regarding attendance and punctuality;

• Liaise with the other staff in the school with respect to any serious concerns regarding attendance or punctuality.

All staff are responsible for:

• Following this policy and ensuring pupils do so too.

• Ensuring this policy is implemented fairly and consistently.

• Modelling good attendance behaviour.

• Using their professional judgement and knowledge of individual pupils to inform decisions as to whether any welfare concerns should be escalated.

• Where designated, taking the attendance register at the relevant times during the school day.

The Director of Care and Wellbeing will:

• Oversee and monitor attendance and punctuality including the monitoring of relevant sub-groups e.g. Pupil Premium students, LAC students and other vulnerable students;

• Liaise with class teacher and monitor weekly attendance to look at any patterns emerging with of same day absences;

• Conduct home visits when there are issues with non-attendance and/or punctuality without an explanation;

• Establish a range of specific, evidence-based interventions to address barriers to attendance.

• Monitor the implementation and quality of escalation procedures and seek robust evidence of the escalation procedures that work.

• Attend or lead attendance reviews in line with escalation procedures.

• Work closely with the class teachers and school nurses to monitor students who present concerns;

• Work with the appropriate Assistant Headteacher and arrange for home tuition for students who will be off school long term due to illness alongside a referral to the TRACKS team;

• Maintain regular contact with students who are in hospital or at home due to long term illness;

• Offer support and work closely with the parents/carers of students who are persistent absentees or at risk of becoming so;

• Refer all students of compulsory school age who are longer attending school e.g. due to moving address, town or relocated to another country to the Children Missing Education Department and make ‘reasonable enquiries’ in conjunction with that department.

Parents’ / Carers’ Responsibilities

The prime responsibility for ensuring children receive an appropriate and fulltime education rests with parents/carers (defined by the Education Act 1996 as those with parental responsibility and those who have the care of a child), who will be supported and encouraged by Co-op Academy Southfield. The Education Act 1996 states that all children should attend school regularly and punctually. Section 444 of the Act says: “If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence”.

We expect parents/carers will:

• Ensure their children attends school regularly and punctually;

• Contact the school on the first day of absence to let them know the reason why, and the expected date of return;

• Try to avoid unnecessary absences. Wherever possible make appointments for the Doctors, Dentists, etc. outside of school hours;

• Ask the school for help if their child is experiencing difficulties;

• Inform the school of any change in circumstances that may impact on their child’s attendance;

• Support the school; take every opportunity to get involved in their child’s education, form a positive relationship with school and acknowledge the importance of children receiving the same messages from both school and home;

• Avoid taking their child on holiday during term-time. Where this is unavoidable, you must write a letter to the Headteacher requesting the leave at least two weeks prior to departure;

• Work in partnership with the school, for example by attending parents’/carers’ meetings and consultations and reviews, taking an interest in their child’s work and activities;

• Contact the school without delay if they are concerned about any aspects of their child’s school life. We will endeavour to support parents/carers to address their concerns;

• Instil the value of education and regular attendance at school within the home environment.

Parents are responsible for:

• Providing accurate and up-to-date contact details.

• Providing the school with more than one emergency contact number.

• Updating the school if their details change.

• The attendance of their children at school.

• The punctual arrival of their children at school.

• Promoting good attendance with their children.

Attendance Procedures

If your child is absent you must:

Contact us by 8.30am on the first day of absence, and each date thereafter, with the reason for your child’s absence. Parents should contact the school by phone on 01274 779662. A voicemail can be left 24 hours/day. Please give your child’s name, class teacher, the reason for the absence and how long you expect the absence to last.

If your child is absent we will:

• Telephone you on the day of absence if we have not heard from you. Discuss any ongoing concerns with you.

• Invite you into school for a meeting to discuss your child’s attendance.

What to do if your child has an appointment:

• We ask that where possible, you make routine medical and other appointments outside of school time. If this is not possible we require notification in advance. Please telephone, email or provide a note from home or appointment letter/card to confirm the appointment. In most cases, your child should attend school before the appointment and return to school afterwards whenever possible.

Registers

• Registers must be taken in the morning session by 9.10am and in the afternoon session by 1pm. Staff must contact the Director of Care and Wellbeing as soon as possible if there are any concerns about absentees;

• Anyone taking students out of school for any reason must supply the Director of Care and Wellbeing with a list of names, venue, times etc.

Outstanding Absences

Any outstanding or unexplained absence will be followed up by a member of Pastoral Admin via contact with parents. Until contact is made, any absence will remain unauthorised. Schools have a safeguarding duty, under section 175 Education Act 2002, to investigate any unexplained absences.

Lateness

We understand that occasionally the needs of our students may mean that they are late, however we ask that whenever possible parents inform school that they will be late. All students arriving after 9.00am need to come to the main school reception where the Business Team will inform a member of staff from the class or Care Team who can take your child to their. A member of the Campus Business Team will give a register mark to all students arriving late, and let the teacher or other relevant staff know through the dedicated email address.

Pupils who are persistently late may require additional support, such as through Early Help, and this will be offered by the Care & Wellbeing Team to ensure that all our pupils can attend on time every day.

Elective Home Education

Parents/carers wishing to home school are required to notify the academy in writing of their intention to educate at home. The academy has a statutory duty to inform the Education Welfare Service. Part of our safeguarding process the child will not be removed from the school roll immediately. Parents/carers should continue to send their child to school until the Senior Education Welfare Officer and the Assessor have approved suitable provision.

Welfare visits

As part of our child protection and safeguarding process, and in line with lessons learned from national Serious Case Reviews, if a child is absent from school without an obtainable reason, school will contact emergency numbers and, if necessary, carry out a welfare visit on the first day of absence. During the visit school staff must have sight of the child.

If, following all of the above, the school has still been unable to obtain a reason for your child’s absence we will seek the advice and support of partner agencies including West Yorkshire Police, the Bradford Education Safeguarding Team and Children’s Social Care.

In addition to this if your child is absent for 5 days, even if we have had contact from you then as part of our continued commitment to safeguarding, we will arrange to physically see your child. We may choose to do this either by video/home visit but it will be necessary for us to see and speak to them – this is because we want to make sure that we are doing all that we can to keep children safe and to help all our families in any way that we can.

We will need to continue physically seeing your child for each subsequent 5 days.

Working Together to Improve School Attendance

In May 2022 the Department for Education released national statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ This guidance sets out what schools must do to support improvement in attendance. Our school is working towards the completion of a detailed action plan on how to improve school attendance and this will mean our attendance policy and processes will be reviewed more frequently at present.

Working with the local authority

From April 1st 2023 Bradford Council may start legal proceedings via the magistrates court (instead of fixed penalty notice) when:

Two or more periods of unauthorised absence take place in 12 months
4 or more weeks of unauthorised absence are taken

This means that parents may receive a fine of up to £2500 per child if parents are found guilty. Parents may also receive a criminal conviction. Although it is rare, it is also possible that magistrates could consider a custodial sentence of up to 3 months.

We always want to work with our families to support improved attendance because we know that this is what improves outcomes for students over time. However, where any work with families has failed, we may support Bradford Council with their decision to prosecute.

Attendance Policy