Attendance
What is acceptable attendance?
Lowton Church of England High School expects all pupils to aim for 100% attendance.
98% attendance is regarded as good and should be achieved with an average amount of illness.
Any attendance level that creates a cause for concern would initiate intervention by the school. This could be as simple as a conversation with the form teacher or may, in more severe circumstances, lead to the involvement of agencies outside of the school.
What does the school do to promote excellent attendance?
Rewards – Excellent pupil attendance is celebrated on a weekly and termly basis in assemblies.
Group work can be beneficial for pupils. The group may focus on attendance issues, punctuality or the link between school attendance and future attainment.
Counselling is available for pupils. This is a confidential service and is delivered by an independent counsellor from Wigan Family Welfare.
A school based Local Authority Attendance Officer Gareth Williams works alongside staff to support and promote excellent school attendance.
How does the school record absence?
The school uses an electronic system of attendance registration that is updated within each lesson by the form teacher or subject teacher.
The system records whether the child is present or absent.
Absence is categorised as being authorised (agreed and accepted by the school as being appropriate) or unauthorised.
Examples of authorised absence would be genuine illness, medical appointments etc.
Examples of unauthorised absence would be truancy, parentally condoned absence without appropriate reason, being absent for a birthday and unauthorised holidays in term time.
The codes used are standard codes as issued by the government.
What should I do if my child is ill?
If your child is too ill to attend, please ring the school on the first day, and on each subsequent day your child is unwell (01942 767040). It is essential that you make contact with school to explain your child’s absence from school.
You can also inform school via text message
You must use a mobile number that is registered to your name on the school system.
Attendance Text number: 07472 491590
Please send the following information:
Your name
Your child's full name.
Their Year Group
The reason for absence
If my child is absent from school, what can I expect to happen?
Parents are responsible for contacting school on the first day of absence, however if you fail to do this truancy call will be made. If you do not respond to this then the absence will be marked as unauthorised.
If your child’s absence is unacceptable or at a significantly low level you would be invited to attend an attendance support meeting.
If attendance fails to improve within 4 weeks appropriate intervention will be put in place. If engagement with support is poor, the school may begin enforcement proceeding or issue a fine.
Can a pupil take a holiday in term time?
Term time holidays and extended leave are not allowed and parents/carers to ensure that pupils attend school.
Holidays are recorded as an unauthorised absence. Parents are reminded that 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in term time will result in an Education Penalty Notice fine.
The Headteacher can use their discretion to authorise a holiday or not to proceed with a fine in exceptional circumstances.
If my child has an unacceptable level of unauthorised absence, what can I expect to happen?
You will be contacted by the school, either by telephone, letter and/or visit to your home in order that the level of, and reasons for, your child’s absence can be discussed with you.
In the Attendance Support Meeting, a plan of action will be completed. Pupils will be given 4 weeks to improve their attendance.
A failure to comply with any such plan without valid reason will, if your child’s school attendance does not improve, result in a formal Notice to Improve letter being issued.
Further poor school attendance by your child may result in legal action being taken against you by the local authority.
You may initially be issued with an Education Penalty Notice (fine) after first being given a warning letter by school.
What is an Education Penalty Notice?
An Education Penalty Notice is a fine issued to parents or carers and can be either £80 per parent or carer (if the payment is made within 21 days of receipt) or £160 per parent or carer (if paid after this, but within 28 days). Education Penalty Notices are issued by first class post to your home and will explain how and where to send your payment. You must pay the whole of the amount owing in one payment. You cannot pay in instalments or part of the amount.
If payment is not received within 28 days, the Local Authority will consider prosecution for the unauthorised absence to which the Education Penalty Notice relates.
If a second penalty fine is issued to the same parent for the same child within a 3-year rolling period, the fine will automatically rise to £160 with no option to pay the lower rate of £80.
How will I know when I am going to receive an Education Penalty Notice?
Before Education Penalty Notices are issued, you will receive a Notice to Improve letter which will explain the extent of your child’s non-attendance and the possibility of your receiving a Penalty Notice if their attendance does not improve in 20 school days. During this period, your child must not have any further unauthorised absences from school. There is no limit to the number of times a formal warning of a possible Education Penalty Notice issue may be made in any particular case.
What kind of unauthorised absences result in the issuing of an Education Penalty Notice?
- Where pupils are openly truanting (This includes pupils found during truancy sweeps by Education Welfare Officers and the police.)
- Absences from school of which parents or carers are aware, but that are not authorised by the school.
- Holidays taken in term time which the head teacher has not authorised.
- An unacceptable delayed return from an extended holiday if the parents or carers have not received permission beforehand from the school
- Regular late arrival at school (after the register has closed – after 9.10am).
For more information on Education Penalty Notices please visit the links below.