Attendance/Absence
Children who attend 100% are 5 times more likely to work at, or above, the expected standard.
Coming to school everyday allows your child to get the best possible education.
Co-op Academy Woodslee recognises that regular school attendance is central to raising standards in education and improving the life chances of all children. Regular attendance at school enables children to gain maximum benefit from a range of educational and wider opportunities available to them. Children are expected to attend school for 190 days each academic year. At Co-op Academy Woodslee attendance is given a high priority. Parents of children of compulsory school age are, by law, required to ensure that their children receive a suitable education through regular attendance at school. Children must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age, children who are not yet of compulsory school age but access our Foundation One (Nursery) provision are still required to have a good level of attendance 96% or above.
| Attendance During One School Year | Equals Days Absence… | Which Is Approximately Weeks Absent… |
| 95% | 9 Days | 2 Weeks |
| 90% | 19 Days | 4 Weeks |
| 85% | 29 Days | 6 Weeks |
| 80% | 38 Days | 8 Weeks |
| 75% | 48 Days | 10 Weeks |
| 70% | 57 Days | 11.5 Weeks |
| 65% | 67 Days | 13.5 Weeks |
The table illustrates percentage attendance over a school year and the equivalent days/weeks of learning missed
Academy Routines
Doors open from 8:40a.m.
Registers are marked by 9a.m; if children arrive in class after this time, they will receive a late mark in the register (code L).
In line with recommendations from the Department for Education (DfE), registers will close at 9:20 a.m. If children arrive after this time, they will be recorded as having arrived after closure of registers (code U). This counts as an unauthorised absence for that session.
Late arrivals will be monitored and Punctuality Letters will be sent to those who are persistently late.
Community Attendance Expectations
Our pupils will:
- Attend school every day punctually 8:45a.m. (Nursery) 8:50a.m. (Reception- Year 6).
- Attend appropriately prepared and equipped ready to learn each day.
- Take ownership of their attendance and be able to tell the Class Teacher or a member of our Attendance Team if there is anything that might be affecting their attendance.
Our parent/carers will:
- Ensure that their child arrives at school punctually for 8:45a.m./ 8:50a.m. every day and is prepared for the day ahead. A reason should be offered for any lateness.
- Help their child to regularly attend school as part of their legal responsibility.
- Contact school daily, call our main office, if their child is absent or if they know in advance that their child will be unable to attend school. If parents do not communicate with school, and staff are unable to establish contact, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.
- Make all medical appointments outside Academy hours whenever possible, and to inform school in advance of any medical appointments that cannot be scheduled out of school time. Medical Evidence is required for the appointment to be authorised.
- Take family holidays during school holiday periods, and to be aware that there is no entitlement to withdraw children for authorised leave of absence during term time. Any requests for leave of absence during term time should be made in writing and in advance to the head teacher Application of Leave Request.
- Work in partnership with school and notify staff as soon as possible should their child be reluctant to come to school for any reason, or if there are any other issues impacting on school attendance. This is so that any problems can be quickly identified and overcome.
- Will ensure that school has at least two sets of full contact details, and school is immediately informed of any changes made to the contact details.
Where reasonably possible, schools and colleges hold more than one emergency contact number for each pupil or student. This goes beyond the legal minimum. It is good practice to give the school or college additional options to make contact with a responsible adult when a child missing education is also identified as a welfare and/or safeguarding concern. (KCSIE, Part 2, Para 88)
Our Academy staff will:
- Encourage an open communication channel and work in partnership between home and school to improve attendance and punctuality.
- Promote the importance of good attendance to pupils and their parents/carers at every opportunity (via newsletters, assemblies, school website, social media and any other communications between school and home)
- Investigate all unexplained absences to obtain reasons from parents and through child voice Return to School Interview .
- Academy staff will carry out a Home Visit if contact cannot be established with regards to your child’s absence and attendance concerns are ongoing. A call at home letter will be sent to parents.
- Regularly inform parents of the percentage attendance of their child. Make initial enquiries regarding pupils who are not attending regularly or are absent for an extended period of time. Our Attendance Team will carry out unannounced home visits in a bid to support getting children into school.
- To incentivise, reward and celebrate good and improved attendance on an individual, group, and whole school level; creating a positive culture in which good and improved attendance is highly valued.