Attendance & Punctuality
Is Your Child Missing Out? Attendance and Punctuality at Somercotes Academy
Research has shown that regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in students achieving their full potential in education. At Somercotes Academy we wish to work in partnership with parents and carers and so are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends the academy every day and on time. We are always pleased to work together with parents/carers in resolving any difficulties, but we are also committed to improving attendance levels at the academy.
The target attendance figure for all pupils is a minimum of 97% attendance. A child who maintained 90% attendance across all five years of secondary education would have missed four weeks of school each year and half a year in total by the end of year 11. Based on current attendance figures your child will fall into one of the following groups below.
Group 1: No Concern - Green Group The child attends for 97% - 100% of the time.
Group 2: Concern - Yellow Group The child attends for 95% - 96.9% of the time.
Group 3: Risk of Underachievement – Amber Group The child attends for 93% - 94.9% of the time.
Group 4: Severe Risk of Underachievement – Pink Group The child attends for 90% - 92.9% of the time.
Group 5: Extreme Risk of Underachievement – Red Group The child attends for 0% - 89.9% of the time. They are a persistent absentee, medical evidence may be required to support any further absence.
The child attends for 0% - 89.9% of the time. They are a persistent absentee, medical evidence may be required to support any further absence.
Pupils with persistent absence are often those unlikely to attain at school and stay in education after the age of 16 years. They are also significantly more likely to engage in antisocial behaviour and youth crime and are more at risk of other negative outcomes (including teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse)'. Department for Education.
Somercotes Academy are monitoring students closely whose attendance is falling and will contact you if your child’s attendance does not improve. As a parent/carer you are committing an offence if you fail to ensure that your child attends the Academy regularly and punctually, even if they are missing School without your knowledge. It is important that parents/carers monitor single day’s absence, as these days soon add up to weeks. If your child is absent from the academy and we have had no contact, the academy will send you a message to inform you, and will try to contact you via phone. If you are aware that your child is absent, please contact the academy by 9am on each day of absence to provide a reason.
At Somercotes Academy we reward pupils who attend the academy each day and whose attendance is improving. Students are also rewarded for good punctuality. Each week, students in the form with the highest percentage attendance for the week will be awarded with ePraise points. At the end of each term, students in the Green Group, and students who have made improvements in their attendance will be rewarded with various opportunities.
Here are some important steps you can take to support your childs attendance:
- Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. Tutor time begins at 8.55am and all pupils need to be onsite by this time. Students arriving after 9.30am may be marked absent and will require an explanatory note or the absence will remain un-authorised.
- Ensure the academy has up-to-date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you if your child is absent and you have not contacted the academy. This ensures that the absence is quickly identified.
- If your child is ill, contact the academy on each day your child is absent and provide an explanatory note on their return to the academy.
- If you wish to check that your child has arrived at the academy, contact the academy’s Attendance Team. They will inform you if your child has been registered.
- If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as un-authorised. Ultimately the academy is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not. Only genuine absence will be authorised. You will be asked to provide medical certificates if your child has a poor attendance record.
- Ensure that medical appointments are made outside of academy time.
- Avoid trivial absences. Absence will not be authorised for reasons such as birthdays, days out or shopping trips.
- Holidays should not be taken in academy time. In the instance of a proposed holiday, it is expected that a Leave of Absence form is submitted to the academy 2 weeks before the proposed absence. A Leave of Absence can only be agreed by the Principal and only agreed where there are exceptional circumstances.
- Respond to letters or telephone calls regarding attendance and punctuality.
- Contact your child’s form tutor or Head of Year if you are experiencing difficulty in getting your child into the academy.
Thank you for working in partnership with us to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance and punctuality at Somercotes Academy.
Does my child really need to miss a day off school?
Headache, earache and stomach ache
Children with headache, earache or stomach ache can attend school – just let the staff know that the child has been unwell.
Give paracetamol and plenty of fluids to drink. If headache, earache or stomach ache persist...............seek medical advice.
High temperature
Give paracetamol and plenty to drink. After paracetamol, if the child feels better, bring them into school. If the child’s high temperature continues for three days or more, seek medical advice
Coughs and colds
Children should be given paracetamol, plenty of fluids to drink and can be sent to school.
If your child is asthmatic, remember they may need their blue inhaler more often.
Flu and swine flu
Children should go back to school when recovered – this is usually about five days.
Not sure? Ask for help.....
Sore throat, tonsillitis and glandular fever
Children should be given paracetamol, plenty of fluids to drink and can be sent to school.
Diarrhoea and vomiting
If the child has a serious bug, children can return to school 48hours after the last episode. If the child has an upset stomach or eaten something that does not agree with them they should return earlier.
Students suffering from IBS should return as soon as their symptoms subside (even if they are part through a day).
Head lice
Children can go to school with head lice but they must be treated for the condition to prevent further spreading.
Parents should treat their children and other family members by wet combing with a nit comb and conditioner.
See the school nurse for further advice.
Scabies
Children can go back to school after the first treatment. Others at home should be treated.
Threadworm
Children can go to school when they have started their treatment.
Everyone at home should be treated.
Hand, foot and mouth warts and verrucae, athlete’s foot and molluscum contagiosum
Children can go to school. Verrucae should be covered at all times.
Conjunctivitis
Children can go to school. They should be encouraged to wash their hands to prevent further spread of infection.
Impetigo
Children can go back to school when their lesions are crusted or healed, or two days after starting antibiotics.
Measles, Chicken Pox and German Measles
Measles – Children should go back to school four days after the rash has started.
Chicken pox – Children should go back to school five days after the rash has started.
German measles – Children should go back to school six days after the rash has started. Please let the school know, as pregnant members of staff may be affected.
Mumps
Children should go back to school five days from the start of swollen glands.
Whooping cough
Children should go back to school five days after starting antibiotics. Non-infectious coughing may continue for many weeks.
What else do I need to know?
Medicines in school
Children can come to school even if they are taking medicines, staff are able to give children their medicine in school.
Please make sure medicines are labelled with your child’s name and how often they should have them. A medical consent form must be completed and handed in to Student Services.
Your school nurse is available to meet with you and discuss any concerns. Please ask for the school nurse contact details.
You can also contact NHS Direct on 111
Resources to support mental health in young people:
See below some weblinks where you can find advice to help you in supporting a young person experiencing some mental ill health.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/
https://www.compass-uk.org/services/north-east-lincolnshire-mhst/
https://livewell.nelincs.gov.uk/children-and-young-people-and-families/
https://giveusashout.org/get-help/
https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/getting-started/secondary/
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
If you feel that your child needs further support with their wellbeing, please see your GP.
