Attendance is one of the biggest factors in determining individual students' achievement, success and wellbeing at school, and therefore their future life chances

 

 

Absence from School 

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It is your responsibility as a parent/carer to ensure that your child attends school.  If they fail to attend you are required to provide the school with “reasonable justification” for this (Education Act 1996) at the time of absence. 

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If you know in advance that your child will be away from school, please let us know as soon as you are able to.  Also please advise us of any lateness or appointments.   

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If your child is unwell and not able to attend school, you should report their absence in ParentMail to inform the school: 

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Absence Notification Form 

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You should report your child's absence in ParentMail each day that your child is absent.  The school always follows up unexplained absences.  If a child is absent from school for an event that has not been authorised, details are passed to the Attendance Improvement Officer who may impose a fixed penalty.  

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Work is not normally set for students that are away from school.  Our priority is that they get well and return back to school as soon as they are able.   

 

Attendance and Absence

 

There is strong evidence to show that those students whose attendance is 96% or higher not only do much better in their learning and make greater progress but they also appear to be much happier and more settled in school.  However, as soon as it starts to drop below this figure, their absence begins to have a damaging effect across all areas of their school life – a damaging effect that increases as their attendance rate falls.  

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Poor attendance (below 96%) is one of the single biggest blocks to student achievement as they start to fall behind in their learning.  Then when they return, they can find themselves struggling with the work and behind their peers which will often have a further negative impact – this time not only on their learning, but also their happiness and wellbeing as anxiety levels increase about their progress.  This is the case whether absence is due to term-time holidays, illnesses or truancy - not being present in school disadvantages children. 

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To find out more about how we encourage student attendance and support and challenge those students that have ‘weak’ attendance, please read our Attendance Policy here.

 

Attendance & Punctuality 

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Attendance is formally recorded twice each day – in the morning at 8.45am during period 1 and at 1.45pm at the start of Period 5.  It is important that students are ready to start their period 1 lesson at 8.45am and are punctual to each lesson after that.   

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It is a legal requirement to take registers in a timely fashion and there are consequences for lateness.  After registration closes pupils will be marked as late.  Pupils arriving after 8.45am but before 9am will be marked as late and given a break time pastoral detention in room 2. Pupils arriving after 9am will receive an unauthorised ‘U’ mark and an after-school detention.   

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Where a student is absent without reason we will notify parents/carers as soon as possible if their child has not arrived at school in the morning. Parent/carers are requested to ensure that contact numbers and details are current at all times and inform school of any changes so we can quickly get in touch with you when required.

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Attendance is also marked electronically in each and every lesson so that we can identify any internal truancy issues and comply with safeguarding regulations. 

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Students who arrive late, or who leave the site for any reason during the school day, must sign in or out.  A letter from a parent must be provided if they are leaving during the day.  

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Wherever possible, medical appointments should be made out of school times. Evidence of medical appointments must be provided at all times to our Attendance Officer by email at attendance@braunton.academy 

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It is vital that no student leaves the Academy site without permission from staff.  

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Students are not permitted to telephone, text or otherwise message parents directly to ask to be collected in the event of illness. 

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Consequences for Lateness 

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Late to School before 9am: 

• A 15-minute pastoral break time detention in Room 2 will be issued. 
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Late to school after 9am: 

• A senior staff detention will be issued. 

 

‘Late to lesson’  

• 5 x late to lessons (P2-6) in a half term period will trigger a senior staff after school detention (3.15-4.15pm) in room 2. 
   

• 10 x late to lessons (P2-6) in a half term period will trigger an extended senior staff after school (3.15-4.45pm detention in room 2. 
   

• 15 late to lessons (P2-6) in a half term period will trigger a day in reflection  
   

• 20 late to lessons (P2-6) in a half term period will trigger a 2nd day in reflection 

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Absence Requests (including holiday requests) 

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Under the Education (Pupil Registrations) Regulations 2006: 
”Headteachers may not authorise leave during term time except where the circumstances are exceptional.” 

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For circumstances to be deemed exceptional they must be: ‘rare, significant, unavoidable and of short duration'. 

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To request an absence from school, please complete the School Absence Request (Devon School) which can be downloaded from here.  

 
IMPORTANT - Holidays during term time will not usually be considered as exceptional circumstances. 

 

If my child becomes unwell during the school day 

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Braunton Academy will make all reasonable efforts to provide immediate care for students who are either injured or start to feel ill during the school day.  However, the Academy is limited in what it can do to look after students who unwell.   

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If your child becomes unwell during the day and is unable to attend lessons they should report to the First Aid where they will be assessed and where appropriate their parent/carer will be contacted and asked to collect them.  

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Students are not permitted to telephone, text or otherwise message parents directly to ask to be collected in the event of illness  

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Please help us to do this efficiently by ensuring we always have up-to-date contact information.   

 

Drop-Off / Collection Arrangements - in the school day 

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If you need to drop your child/ren to school during school hours, please ensure they enter through the main entrance and sign in at reception.  

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If you need to collect your child/ren during school hours, please ensure you always come into Reception to advise that you are here.

 

Morning Drop Off Arrangements – start of the school day 

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Students may be dropped off at school from 8.20am.  They should not arrive until this time (at the earliest) as staff will not be available to supervise them until this time. 

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Collection Arrangements - end of the school day 

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At the end of the school day the school site is very busy with buses and students moving around.  In order to make this time as safe as possible, please would all parents and carers coming to collect students at the end of the day, delay collection until 3.30pm where possible.   

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When coming to collect your child(ren) please always use the main car park to collect them and not the front layby. 

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Links

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Absence Request Form

Working Together to Safeguard Children

Keeping Children Safe in Education