Attendance at High Ercall Primary School
High Ercall Primary School is dedicated to working in partnership with parents and the Local Authority to improve school attendance.
We are proud that our pupil attendance was one of the highest out of all Telford and Wrekin schools in 2023-24, and well above the national attendance percentage.
Our OFSTED report in March 2023 stated that: Pupils love coming to school and attend regularly.
As a parent, ensuring that your child(ren) are in school each day, will give them the best possible chance to achieve their academic potential and have real opportunity in further education and the world of work.
Attendance = Achievement!
Every day counts and every child matters.
As of September 2024, there are new national attendance regulations, which include an increase in parental fines for unauthorised absences and an emphasis on punctuality too. Please read the updated Attendance Policy. As a summary, the information below will help you to understand the changes:
From August 19th 2024 the Government have introduced a new ‘national framework for Penalty Notices’. (in Telford & Wrekin the changes apply from 1st September 2024).
There are significant changes that parents need to be aware of:
- If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week rolling period, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice. These 10 sessions may include any unauthorised absence, including leave in term time and do not have to be consecutive.
- Penalty Notices are increasing to £160 from September 2024. This can be reduced to £80 but only for the first Penalty Notice issued, if paid within 21 days – this reduction does not apply to any subsequent Penalty Notice.
- Any 2nd Penalty Notice, to the same parent for the same child, issued within three years of the date of the first Penalty Notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160
- A third Penalty Notice will not be issued within a three year rolling period, to the same parent for the unauthorised absence of the same child, - alternative action or legal measures will be utilised for subsequent offences.
- If in an individual case the local authority believes a Penalty Notice would be appropriate, they retain the discretion to issue one before the threshold is met. For example, when a parent purposefully tries to avoid a Penalty Notice by taking their child out of school when there is only four pupil days in school and the fifth day is for example a PD day or bank holiday attached to that week.
- In some circumstances a ‘Notice to Improve’ may be issued – However, a Notice to Improve will only be used in cases where support is appropriate. They will not be issued in cases of unauthorised leave in term time for holidays, where information for parents is included on school’s website or a simple warning by the school that a Penalty Notice could be issued if unauthorised leave in term time is taken will suffice.
‘Parents should always apply to the Headteacher for any request for leave in term time by completing a request form available from school. (DfE guidance states schools should not authorise leave retrospectively so any leave in term time taken without a request being submitted will be unauthorised absence)’.
In developing and publishing the new national framework, the Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time. The Governors and Headteacher of this school support this and students will only be given permission to take leave in term time if there are exceptional circumstances. The DfE Guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance (Aug 2024) states that: Generally, the DfE does not consider the need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. (Paragraph 38.)
Each application for leave in term time will be considered and if it is agreed and authorised the Headteacher will determine the duration of any leave. However, if the application is not agreed and the absence occurs the dates will be unauthorised. Parents will be notified of any decision in writing. This notification may be hand delivered directly to the parent or posted to the parents’ home address.
As a school we are asked to inform you that in line with Telford and Wrekin Council Policy, if your child is absent for 10 school sessions within a 10 week rolling period and that absence is unauthorised, you may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine, criteria is as detailed above.
The importance of being in school every day.
Being in school every day will enable your child to:
- Access the lessons needed to achieve in line with their peers.
- Maintain friendships and develop new ones.
- Have access to social and sporting events offered by the school.
- Explore potential careers.
- Develop work habits such as good punctuality which are essential to thrive in the world of employment.
A child is classed as persistently absent if their attendance is 90% and below. If your child(ren) are at risk of becoming persistently absent, our Attendance Team will liaise with our Education Welfare Officer to ensure we are offering support and advice to ensure attendance improves.
Punctuality
Pupils must arrive in school by 8:45am on each school day. They all line up on the playground and staff greet the children and take them inside.
The register for the first session will be taken at 8:50am. The register for the second session will be taken at 1:15pm.
The importance of being in school on time each day.
Poor punctuality can lead to your child…
- Feeling embarrassed in front of their friends
- Missing the beginning of vital lessons
- Missing important instructions for the rest of the school day
- Learning habits which could affect their employability in the future
Reporting Pupil Absence
It is the parents/carers responsibility to inform the school of their child’s unexpected absence as soon as possible.
Please either telephone the school office on 01952 387570 or email a2051@taw.org.uk with any absence details on the first day of absence by 8.45am.
Mrs Johnson or Mrs Machin will contact you if we do not hear from you.
Attendance Team
How can I get help with my child’s attendance?
If you are worried about your child/children’s attendance the first port of call is to discuss your concerns with a member of our attendance team who may be able to offer support, help and advice. Class teachers will also support with any worries which are impacting on your child's attendance.
Mrs Johnson: Administrator
- Checks the registers and make first day contact calls.
- Enters ‘U’ code into register for children who arrive after 9:30 and ‘L’ code for children who arrive between 9 – 9:30.
- Enters reason for lates onto Bromcom and the total educational minutes lost.
- Prints attendance percentages for celebrations of classes in assembly on a Friday
Mrs Machin: Business Manager
- Checks the MIS system and attendance daily with Mrs Johnson
- Attends an EWO attendance meeting to monitor children punctuality and children with attendance of 90% and below, every 3 weeks.
- Oversees attendance and liaise with the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) - Rebecca Giles
- Liaison with parents to offer support
- Completion of a yearly action plan
- Organises an annual meeting with our EWO and new Reception starters
Mrs Roberts: Headteacher
- Leads attendance across the school
- Offers a clear vision for attendance improvement alongside The Governing Body
- Evaluates and monitors expectations and processes
- Has an oversight of data analysis
- Devises specific strategies to address areas of poor attendance identified through data
- Arranges calls and meetings with parents to discuss attendance issues alongside Mrs Machin
- Delivers targeted intervention and support to pupils and families through the Early Help offer
- Liaises with the school EWO with Mrs Machin
- Shares attendance data with the Governing Body and action planning
Policies and Procedures
Please see below for links to our key policies.
For any further information, please contact Mrs Machin or Mrs Roberts.
DFE Guidance - helping parents with attendance
NHS Guidance - Is my child too ill for school?