ATTENDANCE & SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION

The importance of good attendance

We want every student to achieve their full potential. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to learning, progress and future opportunities. Every day at school matters.

The school, parents and carers, staff and external agencies all have a responsibility to work together to support excellent attendance.

Did you know?

• 90% attendance means missing approximately 19 school days, or 95 hours of learning, in one academic year.

• Missing learning can affect your child’s progress and may reduce their chances of achieving the best possible GCSE grades.

Improve attendance. Improve opportunities.

How parents and carers can help

Parents and carers play a vital role in ensuring children attend school regularly. Please help us by:

• Ensuring your child attends school every day unless they are genuinely too unwell to attend or have another valid reason.

• Making sure your child arrives on time.

• Avoiding unnecessary absences.

• Arranging routine appointments outside school hours wherever possible.

• Not taking your child out of school without authorisation.

• Contacting school promptly if you have concerns affecting attendance.

We monitor attendance closely and follow up unexplained absences by telephone, letter or home visit.

If we are concerned about your child’s attendance, we will contact you to discuss how we can help. Support may include:

• Telephone conversations and advice.

• Meetings with parents and carers.

• Attendance Action Plans.

• Notices to Improve.

• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support plans.

• Early help and Family Help support.

We ask all parents and carers to work positively with the school to improve attendance.

Reporting an absence

If your child is ill

If your child is too unwell to attend school, please contact the Attendance Team as soon as possible.

Attendance Line: 01942 909009 — select Option 1 for Student Absence.

You can leave a message at any time, 24 hours a day.

Please provide:

• Your child’s full name.

• Their year group.

• The reason for their absence.

• How long you expect them to be absent.

You must contact school each day your child is absent, unless you have already confirmed the expected length of absence.

If your child has an appointment

Please arrange routine medical and dental appointments outside school hours wherever possible.

If an appointment during the school day is unavoidable:

• Inform school in advance.

• Provide an appointment letter or card.

• Send a note explaining when your child needs to leave school.

• Ensure your child attends school before the appointment and returns immediately afterwards, where appropriate.

Automated absence texts

We take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously. We may send daily text messages about your child’s absence, even if you have previously provided a reason.

Please keep school updated throughout your child’s absence. If we cannot establish why your child is absent, our Attendance and Safeguarding Team may carry out a home visit.

Punctuality

All students must arrive on time and be ready to learn.

• Students should arrive before 8.25am and use their year group entrance.

• Students must be in their form rooms by 8.30am.

• Students arriving after 8.30am must sign in at the Attendance Office and will be marked late.

• Students who are late more than once in a week may receive an after-school detention.

• Parents and carers of students who are regularly late may be invited to school to discuss how punctuality can improve.

The school register closes at 9.00am.

Students arriving after the register has closed will normally receive a ‘U’ code, which records an unauthorised absence for that session. Parents and carers will be informed, and we will discuss any barriers to arriving on time.

Persistent lateness may lead to further attendance action.

Holidays during term time will not normally be authorised.

Headteachers can only grant leave during term time in exceptional circumstances. You must not assume that a request will be approved until you receive confirmation from school.

National rules introduced on 19 August 2024 changed how penalty notices are issued for school absence. Wigan Council follows the national framework and prioritises support for families where appropriate.

A penalty notice must be considered when a child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence (equivalent to five school days) within a rolling 10-school-week period.

This can include holidays, truancy, persistent lateness after the register has closed and other unauthorised absences. The sessions do not need to be consecutive and may fall across two school terms.

Penalty notice fines

The national penalty notice rates are:

• First penalty notice: £80 if paid within 21 days, increasing to £160 if paid within 28 days.

• Second penalty notice for the same parent and child within a three-year rolling period: £160, with no option to pay the lower rate.

• Further offences within the three-year period: The Local Authority may consider prosecution or other available legal action.

A penalty notice may be issued to each responsible parent for each child. This can mean that more than one fine is issued for the same absence.

Frequently asked questions

I have already booked a holiday. Could I still receive a fine?

Yes. If the absence is not authorised by the Headteacher, a penalty notice may be issued.

Who can receive a penalty notice?

Each responsible parent may receive a fine for each child who has unauthorised absence. This can include adults who live with the child and have day-to-day responsibility for their care, such as step-parents or partners.

Do the rules only apply to holidays?

No. They apply to all unauthorised school absence, including holidays, truancy, lateness after the register has closed and absences without an acceptable explanation.

How do I request leave during term time?

Submit an Absence Request Form at least 20 days before the proposed absence. The Headteacher will consider whether exceptional circumstances justify authorising the leave. Do not make arrangements on the assumption that permission will be granted.

Do the 10 sessions have to be taken consecutively?

No. They can be consecutive or separate and may fall across two school terms, provided they occur within the rolling 10-school-week period.

What happens if I do not pay a penalty notice?

Unauthorised absence may be an offence under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996. A penalty notice offers an opportunity to settle the matter without prosecution. Failure to pay may result in prosecution.

What should I do if I am worried about my child’s attendance?

Contact your child’s pastoral manager as soon as possible. The school can discuss the difficulties you are experiencing and the support available.

Leave of absence for other reasons

Leave during term time may only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.

Absences for shopping for uniform, birthdays, day trips and similar reasons will not normally be authorised.

If your child needs time off for compassionate reasons, a significant family event, a sporting competition or a musical performance, please contact the Headteacher in advance wherever possible. Each request will be considered individually. A performance licence may be required in some circumstances.

Prolonged absence and returning to school

If your child has been absent for an extended period, our pastoral team may arrange a wellbeing meeting with you and your child when they return.

This meeting will help us understand any concerns, identify support and make the return to school as smooth as possible.

Unauthorised absence and legal responsibilities

Regular attendance and punctuality are legal requirements under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.

The school informs parents and carers about penalty notice procedures at the beginning of the academic year and subsequently each term.

We may request that Wigan Council issue a penalty notice where a child has, within a rolling 10-school-week period:

• 10 sessions (five school days) of unauthorised absence.

• Persistent lateness after the register has closed.

• 10 sessions (five school days) of unauthorised term-time holiday.

The Local Authority will consider the circumstances and may issue a penalty notice to each responsible parent.

Students who have been excluded

Under Section 105 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, a penalty notice may be issued if a student who has been excluded is found in a public place during school hours within the first five days of their exclusion, without a justifiable reason.

This may apply to further incidents during the same exclusion or a subsequent exclusion within the same academic year.

Failure to pay a penalty notice may result in prosecution under Section 103(3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

How we can help

If your child is struggling to attend school regularly, please speak to their year team as soon as possible.

We want to work with you to identify any difficulties and help your child access the education and opportunities they deserve.

Support may include advice from school staff, an attendance action plan, an Early Help referral, help from Wigan Council’s School Attendance Service or referrals to appropriate support services.

We work closely with Wigan Council’s School Attendance Service, and our allocated Attendance Officer visits school regularly to monitor attendance concerns and support improvement.

You can also contact Family Hubs for additional advice and support.

Please work with the school and any support services involved to help your child attend school regularly and on time. Although we will do everything we can to help, ensuring your child receives a suitable education and attends school regularly remains the legal responsibility of parents and carers.

Thank you for working with us to ensure every student has the best possible chance to succeed.