Attendance

School Attendance Lead: Mrs Sarah Cain
School Attendance Officer: Mrs Lucy Benecke

If a child of compulsory school age is registered at a school, it is essential that they attend school regularly and maintain a pattern of good attendance throughout their school career. Outlined below is the Local Authority's position and expectations in related to a child's overall level of attendance at school.

At Eccleston Mere, our attendance is good. We expect every child to achieve an attendance of 96% or above.

Anyone below 95% will be monitored by school and Education Welfare Services. Pupils whose attendance falls to 90% or below are categorised, by the government, as Persistent Absentees (PAs). Pupils who fall into this category will be monitored and discussed. Where appropriate, further action may be taken to support an improved attendance, including:

• Letters from school.
• School attendance meetings.
• Where attendance becomes a serious issue, attendance meetings with Education Welfare Service will be organised.

Our Procedures
Parents are legally responsible to ensure that their child attends school regularly and punctually. Parents are responsible for informing the school of the reason for any absence (by letter, phone call or personal visit). School operates a “First Response System”. If school does not know of any reason for a child’s absence by 9.30am, an Attendance Officer will contact parents. In certain circumstances, further investigations will take place.

Authorised Absence - Only the school can authorise an absence.
Unauthorised Absence - Absences that the school and the governors do not consider reasonable. This includes:

• parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily e.g. because they had a late night or for non infectious illness or injury that would not affect their ability to learn.
• absences which have never been properly explained.
• children who arrive at school after register close.
• shopping trips.
• looking after other children or children accompanying siblings or parents to medical appointments.
• their own or family birthdays.
• holidays in term time.

Registration
A child’s presence at registration will be required for a mark of attendance. After 9.00am, the school gates are locked and any late children must enter through the main front office to be signed in by parents or office staff.

Children who arrive after 9.05am are recorded as late (L). The registers are closed at 9.30am. Children arriving after this time are recorded as late after registers close (U). This mark counts as an unauthorised absence. 

Leave of Absence
The law states that the Headteacher can only authorise leave of absence during term time in exceptional circumstances. Parents must apply for leave of absence and must supply evidence of any exceptional circumstances for the Headteacher to consider. Family holidays during school time will be unauthorised. If children are taken on holiday during term time, this may result in a fine or even prosecution.

Appointments in school time
Parents are encouraged to make all but essential or unavoidable appointments outside school hours. Parents must show appointment cards if a child is being taken out during school time. Removal from school for medical appointments does impact attendance if the child is not present for morning or afternoon registration.

Further information
For further information and support on local authority guidance for school attendance , please access St Helens Council website.

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