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Enjoy a guided tour, learn about our curriculum, school values and what it’s like to be a pupil here.
At Witham St Hughs Academy we believe that good attendance is key to a child’s education and future. By developing a positive culture of attendance from the day a child starts school ensures they will reach their full academic potential and thrive socially and emotionally. It is our intention that every child enjoys coming to school everyday.
By providing a stimulating, challenging and secure environment, the children will be encouraged to be regular attendees, which will ultimately enhance their learning, social opportunities and emotional resilience.
As an academy we are committed to meeting our obligation with regards to school attendance through our culture and ethos that values good attendance, including by:
We believe good habits are developed from an early age. It is vital that punctuality is the norm, rather than the exception. It is our policy to encourage and demonstrate the importance of efficient time keeping for all pupils and this will be communicated through regular contact with parents/carer’s by our attendance lead Michelle Dexter.
We believe that effective partnerships with parents and carers are key to supporting children to have good attendance. We work alongside parents and carers and ask them to:
We support parents to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory academy age attend regularly, and will promote and support punctuality in attending school on time.
Continuity of learning can only take place through regular attendance.
Absences must be kept to a minimum and will be authorised in line with Government Guidelines/DfE ‘Academy Attendance’ July 2019.
All pupils’ attendance is monitored daily and at least every term using data analysis from the electronic register.
Regular appraisal and monitoring of registers will highlight any issues which may be followed up through written and/or verbal communication with parents/carers.
Our Academy operates a ‘traffic light’ system when monitoring attendance, alongside a tiered response to attendance. This approach identifies the actions and responsibilities of the Academy and its staff, parents/carers, pupils and, where appropriate, external agencies. The level of support and intervention increases as attendance becomes a greater concern.
Green Zone – 97%–100% attendance
Attendance is good and little or no action is required. The Academy will continue to promote and celebrate good attendance and monitor attendance routinely. Parents/carers should continue to support regular and punctual attendance, and pupils are encouraged to recognise the importance of attending school every day. External agency involvement would not normally be required.
Amber Zone – 91%–96% attendance
Attendance becomes a concern and will be more closely monitored by the Academy. A member of staff will contact parents/carers to make them aware that their child’s attendance has moved into the amber zone, discuss any reasons or barriers to attendance and identify any support that may be helpful.
Parents/carers are expected to work with the Academy to improve attendance and engage with any support offered. Pupils will be supported to understand the importance of regular attendance and, where appropriate, to identify anything that may be making attendance more difficult.
Further close monitoring will take place and, if attendance does not improve over an agreed period of time, a letter may be issued and parents/carers may be invited into school for a meeting. Where appropriate, the Academy may seek advice or support from relevant external agencies to address identified barriers to attendance.
Red Zone – below 90% attendance
Attendance below 90% is considered persistent absence and will result in a higher level of support and intervention. The Academy will work closely with the pupil and their family to understand the reasons for absence, agree clear actions to improve attendance and regularly review progress. This may include a meeting in school and/or a home visit.
Parents/carers are expected to engage with the Academy, attend meetings and work with staff to address barriers to regular attendance. Pupils will also be involved, in an age-appropriate way, in discussions about their attendance and the support that may help them attend school regularly.
Where attendance remains a significant concern despite support and intervention, the Academy may work with or make referrals to appropriate external agencies. Where there is no satisfactory reason for continued absence and attendance does not improve, further formal action may be considered in accordance with the relevant attendance guidance and procedures.
The Academy recognises that improving attendance is a shared responsibility.
Click here to read our tiered response to attendance: Witham St Hughs Tiered Response to Attendance
Our Academy recognises and adheres to Lincolnshire County Council’s relevant attendance procedures and Code of Conduct, alongside the latest Department for Education guidance.
The school can unauthorise absences if;
It is important that your child arrives to school daily on time. School gates open from 8.50am to 9.00am. If your child arrives late not only does it impact on their learning but can also disrupt the class.
If a child arrives after 9.30am they will receive a U code which is classed as an authorised absence. Late arrivals are monitored and termly phone calls to parents are made to see if support can be offered. If there is no improvement then a meeting will be held in school. Lateness can have an impact on learning.
