Attendance & Punctuality
| Attendance Policy | Safeguarding Policy | Withdrawal From Learning Form |
At Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary, we take attendance and punctuality very seriously. We expect all pupils to attend school regularly and to arrive at school on time and ready to learn.
Our robust systems for monitoring and improving attendance give pupils the best possible chance of success both academically and socially.
We provide support for families through our Attendance Team. Please speak with a member of them if there are issues you would like to discuss that are impacting on your child’s regular attendance.
Our Assistant Principal and Attendance Lead is Ms Valerie Anderson. You can contact her on info@oasisshirleyparkprimary.org .
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Ms Valerie Anderson (Assistant Principal & Attendance Lead) |
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Ms Libbie Whitman (Receptionist & Attendance Officer) |
Attendance and your legal responsibility as parents
You have a legal responsibility to ensure that your child attends school regularly. If your child is not attending school regularly the Attendance Officer will contact, you to arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns that you may have. We have a duty to report unauthorised absences to the local authority and the parents of pupils who have a record of persistent and/or unauthorised absence may be fined or have legal action taken against them.
Punctuality and your legal responsibility as parents
Being on time for school establishes good habits for the future. Being late for school has a significant impact on learning time and will ultimately affect the attainment your child due to the disruption it causes.
NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE TARGET IS 97%
Our aim is to be at 100%. The government persistent absence percentage is 90% and all schools/academies are required to show that they have a robust system in place to track and support any attendance which falls below this level.
Authorised and unauthorised absence
If a student is absent from Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary, it is vital that their parent lets the school know as soon as possible to give a reason either via telephone 0208 662 7310, email info@oasisshirleyparkprimary.org or at the office. All absences from school without prior knowledge can result in a telephone call and/or a home visit.
If absences are not reported to school, we will contact the parents asking them to inform school of the reason. If not contact is still made from home, a home visit will be undertaken by one of the attendance and safeguarding team.
Please note that we now require medical evidence for all illness absence over 3 days.
Appointments during term time
We understand at times that there can be genuine reasons for absences. Please remember to keep the Academy Office informed. As per our safeguarding procedures if contact is not made then the attendance team will carry out a home visit as it is important that we know where your child is.
Term time holidays
In order to maximise individual achievement, parents should not take family holidays during the term time period. The Local Authority has the power to fine parents if their child is absent from school without authorisation. Please note, the academy will not authorise holiday during term time unless there is an exceptional circumstance. You will need to complete the form below:
What if my child’s attendance continues to go down and isn’t improving?
If your child's attendance continues to decline, the academy can offer a range of support measures. Please speak to the attendance team or your child’s class teacher. However, if after support is provided and the attendance has not improved, the Local Authority may issue a fine, according to the new guidance which came into effect from 19th August 2024.
What can you do to help?
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Do not book holidays in term time.
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Make medical appointments after your child has had the morning or afternoon attendance mark and always return to school afterwards.
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Do not take your child out of school unless in exceptional circumstances.
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Always ring the school to let us know where your child is and why they are absent.
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If your child has been ill, encourage them to attend as soon as they are fit and able.
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Be punctual and set good routines, as persistent lateness will affect their attendance.
Persistent Absence
All parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary on a regular and punctual basis. It is a criminal offence under Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act to fail to secure regular attendance of a registered pupil at Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary.
Regular attendance at school is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to fulfil their potential. The Department for Education has published data on their website that clearly shows the link between attendance and attainment. It also highlights the impact on a child education if attendance is not consistently above 95% throughout their schooling.
Any pupil who misses 19 days or more of school and has attendance below 90% is classed as persistently absent. This figure is not acceptable, and it will be expected that the family will work relationally with the academy and local authority in order to improve your child’s attendance. These families will be regularly tracked and invited into school to attend meetings in how to improve their child’s attendance. If a parent shows support and starts to show improvements to their child’s attendance, then they will be monitored. If attendance continues to drop and support isn’t followed, unfortunately this will give the school no further option than to contact the local authority to process fixed penalty fines.
If you wish to find our more information regarding attendance, please follow the link below for Croydon Council.
Severely absent pupils
A pupil becomes a severe absentee if they miss 50% of their schooling across the academic year. Absence at this level can cause a considerable amount of damage to a child’s educational prospects. The school will work closely with families whose child falls into this figure, and the family may be referred to social care for educational neglect. At this point a Designated Safeguarding Lead will be involved in this process.
Educational neglect
Schools have a statutory duty under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Regular school attendance is predominately the responsibility of parents and carers. Primary aged children where school attendance is 75% or less over an academic year (three terms) halves their possibility of achieving the recognised average level for a child at the end of Key Stage 2.
Signs of Educational Neglect:
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Parents consistently failing in maintaining schooling or identifying provision for their child.
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Parents failing to engage in school meetings to address attendance concerns.
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Parent unable to provide substantiated reasons for absences from school.
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Parent failure to engage in statutory or non-statutory interventions to improve attendance.
Our children’s thoughts about coming to school
‘School will help us get a good job in the future’
‘At school I can learn safely and get a good education’
‘I can learn new skills’
‘I can make friends’
‘I learn how to socialise with other children and adults’
‘School prepares you for when you get older and go to work’