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Attendance

Attendance is taken very seriously at Chelmer Valley High School and we are working hard to help students achieve 100% attendance. We believe that;

• Regular attendance promotes the effective and continuous learning of all students. 
• Regular attendance promotes positive friendships and well-being.
• Failing to attend school on a regular basis is a safeguarding matter.
• Good habits of attendance and punctuality will assist to develop self-discipline and responsibility in preparation for future employment.

School Punctuality

Lateness = Lost Learning = Minutes amount to days

Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that their son/daughter arrives at the school punctually. Students should arrive at the school for no later than 8.40am. The school offers Breakfast Club from 8.10 until 8.40am every morning.  Registration begins at 8.45am and form tutors electronically take the first register of the day (there is also a register taken at 2.10pm). Students must report to the reception office to sign in if they arrive after 9.00am. Arriving after 9.00am without a legitimate reason will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. If a student needs to leave school early they need to bring a note to show their form tutor and make sure they show the note to reception and sign out when they leave. The school will contact you if we have concerns about punctuality and ask that you support our detention procedures re: student lateness.

Reporting an Absence

If your child is unable to attend school you must:

• Contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence, preferably before 9.00am. Please make sure you state your child’s name, form group and the reason for absence. Please speak clearly and spell any unusual names.
• Send a note in on the first day they return with an explanation of the absence – you must do this even if you have already telephoned us;
• Or, you can call into school and report to reception, who will arrange for a member of staff to speak with you.

If your child is absent we will:

• Telephone or text you on the first day of absence if we have not heard from you;
• Invite you in to discuss the situation with our Attendance Officer, Pastoral Manager and/or Head of Year if absences persist;
• Refer the matter to the Educational Welfare Service if attendance moves below 85%.

Good Attendance

What does your child's percentage attendance mean? Parents/carers often become confused about what good attendance is. As a school our target attendance percentage is 95%.

Research has shown that 17 days absence in a year results in a drop of one grade at GCSE

Reasons for Absence

Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school (not by the parents), as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required, preferably in writing.

Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason and that are permitted under government guidelines like illness, medical/dental appointments which unavoidably fall in school time, emergencies or other unavoidable cause. Medical and Dental appointments, where possible, should be made for after school or during school holidays. The School understands that this isn’t always possible, however, students should attend school prior to or following a medical/dental appointment and avoid a full day’s absence.

Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no “leave" has been given. This type of absence can lead to the School and the Educational Welfare Service using sanctions and/or legal proceedings.   This includes:

• Parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily
• truancy before or during the school day
• absences which have never been properly explained
• children who arrive at school too late to get a mark
• shopping, looking after other children or birthdays
• day trips and holidays in term time which have not been agreed. 

Holidays

Taking holidays in term time will affect your child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children away in school time. Remember that any savings you think you may make by taking a holiday in school time are offset by the cost to your child’s education. There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time to go on holiday.               

All applications for leave must be made in advance and at the discretion of the school a maximum of 10 days in any academic year may be authorised. In making a decision the school will consider the circumstances of each application individually, including any previous pattern of leave in term time.  It is important that you understand the circumstances when leave in term time will not be agreed by us:

• When a pupil is just starting the school. This is very important as your child needs to settle into their new environment as quickly as possible.
• Immediately before and during assessment periods or any other public examinations.
• When a student’s attendance record already includes any level of unauthorised absence.
• Where a student’s attendance rate is already below (90%) or will fall to or below that level as a result of taking holiday leave.

Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be classed as unauthorised and may attract sanctions such as a Penalty Notice.

Promoting Attendance

Staff and Students at Chelmer Valley are fully aware of the expectations surrounding attendance.

• Regular assemblies take place in school highlighting the importance of Attendance.
• Weekly attendance figures are given for each form in assembly.
• Rewards given for excellent, good and improved attendance.
• Rewards given to forms groups for achieving the best attendance.
• Informative displays regarding attendance in school.