Regular school attendance is essential for children to make the most of their education, develop positive relationships, feel that they belong and achieve their potential.

At Peel Park Primary School, we want every child to attend school regularly and benefit from everything that school has to offer. Every school day provides opportunities for children to learn, develop friendships, build confidence and participate in the wider life of our school.

We recognise that some absence from school is unavoidable. Our approach to attendance is therefore based on high expectations, early support and working in partnership with families to understand and overcome any barriers to attendance.

Why regular attendance matters

Good attendance helps children to:

• make consistent progress in their learning;
• develop positive relationships and friendships;
• establish routines and develop independence;
• access the full range of opportunities available at school;
• build confidence and a strong sense of belonging;
• maintain continuity in their learning;
• prepare successfully for the next stage of their education.

There is a clear relationship between school attendance and educational outcomes. Missing school means missing valuable learning and experiences, and repeated absence can make it increasingly difficult for children to keep up with their peers.

Our commitment to attendance

At Peel Park, we will:

• promote the importance of regular attendance with pupils and families;
• monitor attendance and punctuality carefully;
• identify patterns of absence and lateness at an early stage;
• communicate promptly with parents and carers when attendance becomes a concern;
• work with families to understand and address barriers to attendance;
• provide appropriate support where attendance difficulties arise;
• use attendance information to identify pupils who may require additional support;
• take appropriate action where attendance does not improve and support has not been effective or engaged with.

Our aim is for all pupils to achieve high levels of attendance, recognising that individual circumstances differ and that some absence will be unavoidable.

Parents and carers

Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child receives an education and, where their child is registered at school, to ensure that they attend regularly.

Parents and carers should:

• ensure that their child attends school every day that they are expected to attend, unless they are unable to do so for an authorised reason;
• ensure that their child arrives at school on time and is collected promptly at the end of the school day;
• contact school on the first day of an unplanned absence, providing the reason for the absence;
• provide further information where the school reasonably requires clarification about an absence;
• make routine medical and dental appointments outside school hours wherever reasonably possible;
• inform school in advance of any planned absence;
• apply for leave of absence where there are exceptional circumstances;
• work with school if concerns about attendance or punctuality arise.

Punctuality

Arriving on time is an important part of good attendance. Children who arrive late can miss learning, classroom routines and important social interactions at the beginning of the school day.

Our school day begins at 8:40am, with classroom doors open from 8:40am. Pupils arriving after 8:50am should enter through the school office and sign in.

Where a pupil develops a pattern of lateness, we will work with parents and carers to understand the reasons and support improvements.

Reporting an absence

Parents and carers should contact the school on the first day of any unplanned absence, preferably before 9:30am, explaining the reason why their child is unable to attend.

Where an absence continues, parents should maintain communication with school and provide any information reasonably required to support accurate recording of the absence.

The school is responsible for determining whether an absence is authorised and for recording it using the appropriate attendance code.

Authorised and unauthorised absence

An absence is authorised where it has been recorded in accordance with the relevant attendance regulations and guidance.

Examples of circumstances where absence may be authorised include:

• illness or other health-related reasons where a child is unable to attend school;
• medical or dental appointments, although these should be arranged outside school hours wherever reasonably possible;
• leave of absence granted by the Headteacher because of exceptional circumstances;
• religious observance where the relevant statutory requirements are met;
• other circumstances recognised within the statutory attendance framework.

An absence will normally be recorded as unauthorised where the reason does not fall within the circumstances permitted by the regulations or where the school has not authorised the absence.

Examples may include:

• holidays taken during term time without authorisation;
• shopping or days out;
• birthdays or birthday celebrations;
• haircuts;
• oversleeping;
• looking after siblings;
• non-urgent appointments that could reasonably be arranged outside school hours;
• absence because a parent or carer is unable to bring their child to school;
• absence where no acceptable reason has been provided.

The school will consider the circumstances of individual cases when making decisions about attendance.

Where there is genuine and reasonable doubt about the reason given for an absence, the school may request appropriate evidence. Medical evidence will not be routinely requested for illness-related absence.

Leave of absence during term time

Headteachers may only grant leave of absence during term time in exceptional circumstances.

There is no entitlement to take a family holiday during term time. Requests for holidays will not normally be authorised.

Parents and carers should submit a request for leave before making any arrangements or bookings. Each request will be considered individually, taking into account the specific circumstances and the impact that the absence may have on the pupil.

Parents and carers should be aware that informing school of an intended absence is not the same as receiving permission for the absence.

Where leave is taken without authorisation, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and may result in legal intervention, including a Penalty Notice.

Exceptional circumstances

There is no exhaustive list of circumstances that automatically qualify as exceptional. The Headteacher will consider each request on its individual merits.

Exceptional circumstances should generally be rare, significant, unavoidable and short.

When considering a request, the Headteacher may take account of:

• the reason for the request;
• the number of school days being requested;
• the pupil's attendance record;
• the timing of the proposed absence;
• the impact of the absence on the pupil's education;
• whether the event could reasonably take place outside term time;
• any previous term-time leave;
• the needs and circumstances of the pupil and family;
• any additional needs or reasonable adjustments that may be relevant;
• whether the absence coincides with important assessments, examinations or other significant educational activities.

Circumstances that may be considered exceptional could include significant family events, bereavement, serious illness or other circumstances where the Headteacher considers that the absence is genuinely exceptional.

Family holidays, cheaper travel, parental work commitments and routine family activities will not normally be considered exceptional circumstances.

Where leave is granted, the Headteacher will determine the length of the authorised absence.

Penalty Notices

Schools and local authorities have legal powers to address unauthorised absence where appropriate.

Under the national attendance framework, schools are required to consider requesting a Penalty Notice where a pupil has 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling period of 10 school weeks. These absences do not need to be consecutive and may include a combination of unauthorised absence and unauthorised late marks after the register has closed.

A Penalty Notice is not automatic. The circumstances of each case will be considered, including whether further support is appropriate.

In Lancashire, the current Penalty Notice amounts are:

• First Penalty Notice: £160 per parent, per child, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
• Second Penalty Notice within a rolling three-year period: £160 per parent, per child, with no discounted rate.
• A maximum of two Penalty Notices may be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within a rolling three-year period. Where the threshold is met for a third time, alternative legal action may be considered.

Penalty Notices are issued to each parent or carer individually in respect of each child. This means that more than one parent or carer may receive a Penalty Notice for the same period of unauthorised absence.

Unauthorised term-time leave may result in a Penalty Notice being requested without a prior Notice to Improve.

Supporting pupils with attendance difficulties

We recognise that there are many different reasons why a child may struggle to attend school regularly.

Where attendance becomes a concern, our first priority is to understand the reasons for absence and work with the pupil and family to identify appropriate support.

This may include:

• meeting with parents and carers;
• listening to the views and experiences of the pupil;
• identifying barriers to attendance;
• agreeing practical actions and support;
• working with other professionals or services where appropriate;
• monitoring attendance and reviewing progress.

Where support does not lead to sufficient improvement, or where support is not appropriate or has not been engaged with, the school may consider further action in accordance with statutory guidance and Lancashire County Council's attendance procedures.

Persistent absence

A pupil is considered persistently absent when they miss 10% or more of their possible sessions.

We monitor attendance carefully so that concerns can be identified as early as possible. We will work with pupils and families to prevent absence from becoming persistent and to support children to return to regular attendance.

Working together

Good attendance is a shared responsibility. The strongest outcomes are achieved when pupils, parents and school work together.

If you have concerns about your child's attendance, punctuality or ability to attend school regularly, please speak to us as early as possible. We would much rather work with a family at the first sign of difficulty than wait until attendance becomes a significant concern.

Further information is available from Lancashire County Council and the Department for Education's statutory guidance, Working together to improve school attendance.