We set an attendance target of 100% as the minimum that we expect for all students.
Evidence shows that those children who attend regularly make better progress academically and socially. To help a child achieve full attendance, parents and carers play a critical role in supporting the UTC to promote good attitudes towards attendance.
Together, it is important we ensure that children are present at every opportunity, arriving on time, and not being taken out of the UTC without authorisation. A child's attendance is monitored closely, and we will follow up unexplained absences with parents or carers.
Where a child's attendance record is below the UTC threshold (96%), we will contact the child's parents or carers to work collaboratively to ensure their child’s attendance remains the best it can be.
We ask that a child's routine medical and other appointments are made out of school time, where possible.
We understand that this is not always possible though and we ask that we are notified in advance. This can be done by telephone, email or a note provided from home. An appointment letter or card is expected.
Where possible, the child should attend the UTC before the appointment and return to lessons afterwards.
The parents or carers of a child have a legal duty to make sure that child attends school regularly. We can make a referral to the local authority where parents or carers are failing this legal duty.
Persistent Absence is a serious problem for children, as much of the work children miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving them at a considerable disadvantage.
A child will be defined as a 'Persistent Absentee' if they miss 10% or more of school.
The local authority has the power to enforce school attendance where this becomes problematic, including the power to prosecute parents/carers who fail to ensure a child's regular attendance at school. For reference, if found guilty parents or carers could be fined up to £2500 and/or imprisoned for three months.
It is important for parents and carers to note that the government has also strengthened schools' ability to respond by increasing Fixed Penalty Notices to £60 if paid within 21 days and £120 if paid between 21 and 28 days. These are an alternative to prosecution of parents or carers for failing to ensure a child attends school regularly. Failure to pay can result in prosecution in the Magistrates Court.
If a child is too ill to attend School, it is important that the child's parents or carers contact us as soon as possible by telephone on 01302 976515.
We ask you contact us each day that your child is absent.
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