Regular and punctual school attendance is important. Pupils need to attend school regularly if they are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them by law. The Vine Christian School fully recognises its responsibilities to ensure pupils are in school and on time, therefore having access to learning for the maximum number of days and hours.
Although parents/carers have the legal responsibility for ensuring their child’s good attendance, the Headteacher and Governors at our school work together to ensure that all pupils are encouraged and supported to develop good attendance habits and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of high attendance.
Children who are persistently late or absent soon fall behind with their learning. Children who are absent from school frequently develop large gaps in their learning which will impact on their progress and their ability to meet age related learning expectations.
Our school’s attendance policy ensures that all staff and governors in our school are fully aware of and clear about the actions necessary to promote good attendance. Through our policy we aim to improve pupil’s achievement by ensuring high levels of attendance and punctuality.
Create an ethos in which good attendance and punctuality are recognised as the norm and seen to be valued by the school.
An absence is classified as authorised when a child has been away from school for a legitimate reason and the school has received notification from a parent or carer. For example, if a child has been unwell and the parent telephones the school to explain the absence.
Only the school can make an absence authorised. Parents do not have this authority. Consequently, not all absences supported by parents will be classified as authorised.
An absence is classified as unauthorised when a child is away from school without the permission of the school. Therefore, the absence is unauthorised if a child is away from school without good reason, even with the support of the parent.