The Academy's target is for all pupils to achieve 100% attendance in order to give themselves the best possible opportunity to achieve their full potential.

 

“School life provides a crucial platform where the critical components of healthy development can be nurtured. It is not just a place of academic learning; it is somewhere to belong, to achieve, to have meaning and purpose and is an arena for social and emotional development in preparation for adulthood”

The Benefits of Good Attendance

 

There are multiple benefits in pupils attending school regularly.  These included health benefits of being in school and being educated, including opportunities to access specific health related interventions that the academy offers.  These include personal, social, health and economic education as well as nutrition and exercise focused interventions and the wider healthy schools programme.

 

Schools provide a wealth of opportunities for essential social and interpersonal development, essential to the development of effective speech and language skills.  Regular school attendance promotes social integration, widens social networks while having a wider impact on skills for future employment.

What does good school attendance look like?

 

We take absence seriously and target intervention with students whose attendance falls below target of 95%

If your child does not attend school they will not achieve. We want all students to achieve high levels of attendance and give themselves the very best life chances and choices.

 

There are 175 non-school days per year for holidays, shopping and appointments. There should be little need, except in "exceptional" circumstances for your child to miss a day's education.

 

90% Attendance may look impressive but it means they miss 19 days of education in a year and risk dropping one grade in their achievement at school.

Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends regularly (100% attendance) and punctually (arrives at or before 8.25 a.m.). Parents should provide the Academy with up-to-date information about points of contact and those with ‘parental responsibility’.

 

Parents should contact the Academy (Tel: 01702 468046) on the first day of their child’s absence (before 9am), stating the reason. Failure to inform the Academy, will result in the parent being notified via email and phone call.  There is also an answering machine out of school hours to leave a message. 

 

Parents should take account of the recommendations in HSC Guidance on Infection Control and any subsequent information in relation to pandemics e.g. Covid-19

 

Parents may be asked to provide medical evidence where there are repeated absences due to reported illness. This will usually be in the form of an appointment card, prescription, GP note etc.

 

Medical appointments should be made outside of school time. Where this is not possible, the appointment card should be shown (in advance) to reception staff, so copies can be made. This is not only important in terms of the categorisation of absence, but it also influences whether pupils are eligible to attend Academy trips. In short, if a pupil’s attendance falls below the Academy’s target (and is not supported by medical evidence) they will not be eligible to attend Academy trips (excluding those required by the curriculum).

Parents should inform the Academy of any relevant factors e.g. bereavement which could affect their child’s attendance and/or behaviour.

The current law does not give any entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time. The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 prohibits Head Teachers granting leave of absence to a pupil except where an application has been made in advance and the Head Teacher considers there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. If the leave is granted, the Head Teacher can also determine the number of days the child may reasonably be away from school. 

 

Bournemouth Park Academy supports other local schools in adopting the government recommendation that no absences for holidays will be approved as authorised during the academic year. Should parents book vacations during term time, they will do so on the understanding that this is without the consent or approval of the school.

 

Penalty Notices are issued for:

• unauthorised absence

• holidays in term time without permission

• excluded pupils found in a public place during the first 5 days of suspension or exclusion

Cost of the Notice:

• £60 per child, per parent, if paid within 21 days

• rising to £120 per child, per parent if paid within 28 days

• you could be prosecuted if you do not pay the fine after 28 days

 

Penalty notices can be issued if: 

There have been 6 sessions (3 consecutive days) or more of unauthorised absence due to leave taken during the academic year. 

AND 

Attendance is below 90% during the preceding 10 weeks before leave was take