Attendance Matters

At Cannon Lane Primary School, we believe that attendance is fundamental to children’s learning and is central to them being happy, safe, and successful. Children should attend school every day that it is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

Research shows that there is a strong correlation between high attendance and high achievement. All children have the right to an education (Article 28). Therefore, we encourage and aim for 100% attendance for all children; as being in school will positively impact on children’s achievement, well-being, and wider development.

If children attend school regularly, they will:

•  make better progress, both socially and academically;

•  find school routines, school work and friendships easier to cope with;

•  find learning more satisfying and settle into high school more easily;

•  develop responsible learning habits which will prepare them for higher education and for their working life.

Children’s secure understanding of the work and excellent progress can only happen when they are in the classroom regularly and on time. An absence, for whatever reason, will disadvantage children by creating gaps in their learning.

Cannon Lane Primary School has an attendance target of 97%. School registers are checked daily by the Attendance Team, and poor attendance is monitored and followed up with phone calls to parents and carers and/or home visits to ascertain the reason for the absence. We work closely with the Attendance Team at the Local Authority who will support us to implement Early Intervention and support and work together with parents. The following process is followed where there are concerns.

The attendance for each class will be monitored on a weekly basis. The class with the highest weekly attendance will be recognised in Celebration Assembly on Fridays where they will receive a certificate, and look after the Attendance Trophy and Arnie (the Attendance Armadillo) for the following week. The children also have the opportunity to qualify for the attendance raffle if their weekly attendance meets or exceeds the school attendance target and be in with a chance of winning fabulous prize at the end of the academic year. In addition to this, children who have made a real effort with attendance and have managed to significantly improve their attendance, will have the chance to have afternoon tea with the Head Teacher or Attendance Champion Leader in the last week of the half term. Finally, children who 100% attendance for the whole school year will have this achievement acknowledged and celebrated at the end of the academic year.

Punctuality

It is equally important that learning begins on time. Being even 5 minutes late will have an impact on children’s learning. If a child is late by 10 minutes every day, this equates to fifty minutes of lost learning over one week, 5 hours of lost learning over an average half term and 5 days of lost learning over an academic year! Gates open at 8.30am for children to be in school, whether going straight into their classrooms for soft start or waiting in the playground for their class teachers to collect them. Please make sure that the children arrive to school in good time so that they are ready to learn on time. 

Absences during Term Time

Regular and punctual attendance of pupils at school is both a legal requirement and essential in order for pupils to maximise the educational opportunities available to them. There is no entitlement to time off during term time. Cannon Lane Primary School will only authorise absence during term time under a permitted reason or in exceptional circumstances.

If children are absent, parents and carers are responsible for contacting the school (either by telephone or email) on the first day of the absence to notify the Attendance Team of the reasons for the absence and an expected date for the child returning to school. If the child is away from school for a longer period of time, it is important for parents and carers to keep in touch and update the Attendance Team accordingly.

If the reason for the absence falls outside the remit of the government guidance, or is not an exceptional circumstance, the absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’. It is an offence under section 444 of the Education Act 1996 if “a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school...” If a child goes abroad during a school holiday period, the parent must make definite arrangements so that they return in good time for school re-opening. Absence claimed for unexpected delays will require documentary evidence together and proof of travel on original return dates that would have indicated a timely return to school. If a child remains abroad at the beginning of a school term and is away for an extended period of time, parents may be advised that their child is at risk of being removed from the school roll.

If parents and carers take children out of school during term time without the proper authorisation, the school has a duty to report this to the Local Authority, who has the power to issue Educational Fixed Penalty Notices of £80, rising to £160 if not paid within 28 days. Parents and carers should also be aware that Educational Fixed Penalty Notices will be issued to each person with parental responsibility for each child. For planned absences, parents and carers should complete the Request for Leave of Absence During Term Time Google Form in a timely manner.  If you have any issues with completing this form online, please contact the school office. 

Home Visits and Attendance Checks

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and excellent school attendance, we may carry out home visits when a child is absent from school, particularly during the week before or after a school holiday. We understand that children may occasionally be unwell and we appreciate parents keeping us regularly informed. These visits are a routine part of our approach to supporting children’s attendance and ensuring their wellbeing. If no one is home during a visit, we will leave a card asking you to contact the school as soon as possible.

Recent changes to attendance (from 19/08/2024)

The DfE has issued new statutory guidance for attendance called Working Together to Improve School Attendance which came into effect at the beginning of this academic year. 

It sets out what schools, parents and Local Authorities should do to improve pupils’ attendance at school. There are some important changes to maintaining an excellent level of attendance which affects the support parents and pupils receive from schools, and the legal sanctions that are used in certain circumstances.

Schools are legally obliged to provide support and intervention for pupils who are at risk of persistent absence (90% attendance or below). This will take the form of meetings with parents, school-based interventions, and the offer of support from outside agencies and professionals.

Schools are very keen to identify the barriers to attendance that families face and will welcome opportunities to overcome these barriers together. However, when a child's attendance falls outside of the parental legal obligations to send their child to school, there are legal pathways that must be followed.

Changes to Penalty Notices:

Term Time Leave

If a pupil takes unauthorised term time leave for 10 consecutive sessions or more (generally 5 days) they will be subject to a penalty notice. The fine for a penalty notice is increasing - to £80 per parent, per child. This increases to £160 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days for pupils who are of statutory school age. If a penalty notice remains unpaid, parents may be the subject of court proceedings for failing to ensure the regular school attendance of their child and this could result in a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a term of imprisonment of up to 3 months per parent.

For second offences of unauthorised term time leave (10 consecutive sessions or more) within a three-year rolling period, the fine is a flat £160 per parent, per child.

For the third offence in a three-year rolling period, the referral will be automatically considered for prosecution in relation to Section 444 Education Act 1996.

Irregular School Attendance Over Time

If a parent is willing to support their child and the school in improving school attendance, and engage with school to achieve this, an Attendance Contract will be offered. This is a way of school and parents working together to improve attendance in a supportive and nurturing way. Having an Attendance Contract in place will mean regular informal meetings to identify any barriers to a pupil’s attendance and discuss what support can put in place to overcome those barriers.

If a parent is not engaging with any offers of support from school, and attendance continues to decline, the school may use a different method of support, called a Notice to Improve. This is a last effort to engage parents before legal sanctions are considered. A Notice to Improve will be a formal collaboration between the school, the Local Authority and parents.

If these attempts at formal support fail, and a pupil’s attendance continues to be a concern, the school will make a referral to the Local Authority for legal sanctions to be considered. If a pupil has unauthorised absences for ten sessions or more in a 10-week period, the school may refer a parent for a penalty notice. This will be charged at £80 per parent, per child. This increases to £160 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days for pupils who are of statutory school age. If a penalty notice remains unpaid, parents may be the subject of court proceedings for failing to ensure the regular school attendance of their child and this could result in a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a term of imprisonment of up to three months per parent.

Absence for Open Days and Interviews for prospective secondary schools

For pupils intending to visit prospective secondary schools, the school encourages you to attend an open event outside of the normal school day, wherever possible, and attend either an evening session or weekend session, if available. For pupils intending to sit the 11+ admissions examinations, the school will support your participation in these and will authorise your absence for the duration of the examination. Please note that authorised absences to enable pupils to attend open days and/or to partake in 11+ examinations will be limited to a maximum of 6 school sessions (i.e., 3 school days).

Thank you for working with us to make sure every school day counts.