'While we have time let us do good to all’. (Galatians 6:10)'

At Harris Church of England Academy we place great importance on regular attendance at the academy as we know that missing education has a really detrimental impact on the progress that children make.

Why it is important to attend school regularly?

• To give your child the best possible start in life
• They will be able to keep up with their work
• They will achieve better results
• They will develop friendships and social skills

School attendance is central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential. The government has set a target of 95% attendance for all pupils. At Harris we aim for 97% attendance. This rate allows for periods of illness or particular circumstances when absence from school is unavoidable. We want your child to attend school regularly as this supports their learning. If your child is not well or if you have a planned reason why your child cannot attend school, please inform the school at the earliest opportunity.

The Law

Children of compulsory school age must, by law, receive a full time education.

Each person with day-to-day parental responsibility could be taken to court and fined for each child who is not attending school regularly or who is persistently late.

The Education Act 1996 states that all pupils should attend school regularly and punctually. ‘If a child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.’

Some key attendance facts:

• Attending 90% of the time or less will have a serious effect on learning.
• One day’s absence every two weeks will give 90% attendance.
• Up to the age of 16, 90% attendance will mean losing over a year of school – more than half

How close is your child to 100% attendance?

Regular attendance is a vital part of a child's academic and social success. The academy seeks to ensure that all its pupils receive a full-time education to make the most of their opportunities to realise their full potential.  Staff work with pupils and their families to ensure each pupil attends school regularly and punctually. We can help with advice and support if you are experiencing any issues around attendance and punctuality.
 

Children should be at the academy, on time, every day the academy is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Permitting absence without a good reason is an offence by the parent. The academy has a legal duty to promote attendance and is required to publish attendance figures.

Every half-day absence has to be classified by the academy, (not by the parents), as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED.  Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from the academy for a good reason like illness or other unavoidable cause.  Unauthorised absences are those which the academy does not consider reasonable and for which no 'leave' has been given. This includes:

- Parents keeping children off unnecessarily, eg. shopping trips
- Truancy before or during the academy day
- Absences which have never been properly explained
- Children who arrive at the academy too late to get a mark

Occasionally a child may be reluctant to attend the academy. Any problems with regular attendance are best sorted out between the academy, the parents and the child. If a child is reluctant to attend, it is never better to cover up their absence or to give in to pressure to excuse them from attending. This gives the impression that attendance does not matter and may make things worse.

Punctuality

Being on time is important to your child's education. If a child is persistently late, they miss the start of lessons which may have a negative impact on their learning, confidence and self-esteem. Lateness disrupts your child, their class and the staff working with them.  School begins at 8:50am, when the children come into the academy. Morning registration begins at 8:55am. If your child arrives after 9:05am, they must enter via our main reception and sign in at Student Services.

Being 5 minutes late every day will result in your child losing around three learning days a year.
Being 15 minutes late every day equates to having two complete weeks off a year.
Being 30 minutes late daily equates to losing nineteen learning days a year.

Persistent lateness can result in a penalty notice being issued, which carries a fine.

Sickness

If your child is absent through sickness or any unavoidable cause, please contact the academy by telephone by 9.00am on the first day of absence. This will be an authorised absence.

Appointments of any kind, such as a doctor’s or dentist appointment, should be arranged outside of academy hours where possible.  If this is unavoidable, please let the academy office know and this will be authorised.

Children returning to the academy after illness should clearly be fit to do so and free from any infection.

Term Time Holidays

Government guidance does not permit parents to take children on holidays during term time except under the most exceptional circumstances.

If you do decide to take your child on a family holiday that has not been authorised, their absence will be recorded as 'unauthorised' and could result in a prosecution and a fine.

Please click the link at the bottom of the page to download an Application for Leave of Absence Form.

Celebrating Good Attendance

Weekly reward

• Students with 100% attendance will awarded a HAP for the week. This is not cumulative so each week is a fresh start and students will have the opportunity to gain this reward each week.

Termly reward:

Autumn term: 98% attendance and no more than 5 referrals. Students will be invited to a Christmas shopping trip in Milton Keynes.

Spring term: Students with 98% attendance for the term or above 98% for academic year and no more than 5 referrals for the year. Venue to be confirmed.

Summer term: Students with 98% attendance for the terms or 98% attendance for the whole year and less than 5 referrals. Venue will be confirmed.

• Any Isolations will exclude students from the reward trip that term and will then be reviewed on an individual basis.  Any Suspension preclude any attendance on reward trips for the entire year. Students must also be in on the last day of each term to ensure eligibility for reward trips.

Academy Closure

Academy closures will be announced as soon as the information has been verified and become available via the following methods:

• Academy website
• Text alert
• Warwickshire County Council school closure website

Our full Attendance Policy is available on our Policies page