Overview
Yavneh College recognises that positive behaviour and good attendance are essential in order for pupils to get the most of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances.
At Yavneh College, we believe in developing good patterns of attendance and set high expectations for the attendance and punctuality for all our pupils from the outset. It is a central part of our school’s vision, values, ethos and day to day life. We recognise the strong connections between attendance, attainment, safeguarding and wellbeing.
The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school.
Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly, on time. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school.
The Department for Education (DfE) has produced statutory guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools, and local authorities. It is called “Working together to improve school attendance” and it includes a National Framework in relation to absence and the use of legal sanctions. Our School Attendance Policy reflects the requirements and principles of that guidance.
Our attendance policy is written with the above guidance in mind and underpins our school ethos to:
- promote children’s welfare and safeguarding.
- ensure every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled.
- ensure that pupils succeed whilst at school.
- ensure that pupils have access to the widest possible range of opportunities at school, and when they leave school.
It has been developed in consultation with school governors, teachers, local Headteacher Associations, the Local Authority and parents and carers. It seeks to ensure that all parties involved in the practicalities of school attendance are aware and informed of attendance matters in school and to outline the school’s commitment to attendance being everyone’s responsibility. It details the responsibilities of individuals and groups involved and the procedures in place to promote and monitor pupil attendance.
In addition, all schools follow the DfE’s statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, which emphasises the importance of understanding the potential vulnerabilities of children who are missing or absent from education.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2
At Yavneh College we aim to raise and maintain levels of attendance by:
- Promoting a positive and welcoming atmosphere in which pupils feel safe, secure, and valued.
- Raising and maintaining a whole school awareness of the importance of good attendance and punctuality.
- Ensuring that attendance is monitored effectively and reasons for absences are recorded promptly and consistently.
- For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.
It is a rule of this school that pupils must attend every day, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and it is the headteacher, not the parent, who can authorise the absence.
Key members of staff
Name and contact details of the senior leader responsible for the strategic approach to attendance at Yavneh College is:
Mr M Kendler, Assistant Headteacher (mkendler@yavnehcollege.org)
Name and contact details of the members of staff who parents should contact about attendance on a day-to-day basis is:
Mrs L Watson, Attendance Officer (lwatson@yavnehcollege.org)
Mrs E Nead, Sixth Form Secretary (enead@yavnehcollege.org)
Name and contact details of the member of staff who parents should contact should they want additional pastoral support for their child relating to attendance is:
Mrs B Brunt, Senior Pastoral Manager (bbrunt@yavnehcollege.org)
Request an Absence Form
https://secure.yavnehcollege.org/yavneh-college-report-or-request-absence
