Attendance

The Law (Education Act 1996) states ‘every parent has the legal responsibility to make sure their child attends school every day that the school is open, unless they are too ill to attend or have been given permission in advance by the Headteacher.’

We expect all pupils to have an attendance of 100% at Crosby.

We aim to promote an environment where children feel safe and valued. Pupils that have higher attendance have higher scores in tests throughout their schooling. Regular absences lead to your child missing large amounts of their education and may cause them to fall behind with their peers. We believe that only if children attend school regularly, can they take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them.

We understand that there are times when pupils are ill and should not be in school. Please contact the school office before 9am on each day of absence, to provide an explanation of absence and potential expected return date.

You can leave a message on the ‘report a student absence line – option 1’. If you do not provide a reason then your child’s absence will be marked as unauthorised. Please note that just because you have informed school of a reason, this does not automatically mean the absence will be authorised and you may be asked to provide evidence for the school to consider.

Valid reasons for authorised absence may include illness, medical/dental appointments or religious observance. Please note that only the headteacher can authorise absence.

Where possible, please try to make medical/dental appointments outside of school hours. Most appointments will not require a full day’s absence and the school is under no obligation to authorise a full day. Children should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary and are expected to come to school before and after their appointment. Please inform the school before the appointment time in order for it to be considered for authorisation.

Leave of absence must be requested as far in advance as possible (at least 2 weeks) and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances, with the appropriate evidence included. Requests for leave of absence will not be considered retrospectively. Please note leave for a ‘family holiday’ is not considered exceptional and will not be authorised. Leave of Absence forms can be downloaded here or are available from the main office.

Leave of absence forms must include a start and end date. Leave will not be considered/granted if a return date is not specified. Should your child not return to school on the confirmed date, the school will attempt contact with parents to ascertain the reason for continued absence. Your child may be removed from roll under the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations (Amendment) 2016.

You would need to re-apply for a school place through the School Admission Team for the Local Authority on your return and a place at Crosby could not be guaranteed. This process will also apply when you have informed the school of your intention to take leave without the completion of a leave request form.

If leave has been requested for an extended amount of time and is unauthorised, then following 10 school days of absence, the school will initiate its Children Missing in Education process and your child may be removed from roll following this, in line with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations (Amendment) 2016.

Where children are absent and parents have not contacted the school the school will call the child’s parent/carer on the morning of the first day of unexplained absence to ascertain the reason. If the school cannot reach any of the child’s emergency contacts, home visits may be attempted as part of our safeguarding policy. Calls will also be made on each day that the absence continues without explanation.

Unauthorised absences highlight that as a parent/carer you are failing to secure regular attendance for your child. If you fail to work with school to address any barriers preventing your child’s regular attendance then the school may make a referral to Education Inclusion for consideration of a statutory process which may include the issuing of a penalty notice from North Lincolnshire Council (£160 per adult per child if not paid within 21 days of issue) and/or prosecution in The Magistrates Court under s444 (1/1a) of the Education Act.

It is a legal requirement that your child is registered at both registrations – morning and afternoon. If your child misses a registration, the absence remains unauthorised. Taking your child into school and escorting them is the easiest way to guarantee your child arriving on time. A child who arrives late will be marked as such on the register. After 9.20am when registers close, any attendance is considered as an unauthorised late.

Class doors open at 8.30am to help children to be punctual. If your child is 15 minutes late each day that would be the same as 10 lost days of schooling each year.

At Crosby, attendance is celebrated each week. In our Friday assemblies the class with the best attendance is rewarded with a certificate and trophy and a chance to play our Attendopoly game. Each class has an attendance target. If they beat their target for the number of pupils in school each day they can also play Attendopoly.

Pupils with 100% attendance each week are rewarded with stickers. Children that are in school every day each term are rewarded in the Celebration assembly and entered into a prize raffle. Children who achieve 100% for the whole academic year are also rewarded with a prize.

Persistent Absence is classed as absence that falls below 90%. Severe absence is below 50%.

Letters are sent to parents where attendance levels are a concern. We may ask you to provide evidence, for example an appointment card, before we can authorise an absence.

If absence continues, the school will utilise a multi-disciplinary approach and involve local authority partners in order to improve attendance for the child alongside working with parents.

Please work with us if there are attendance concerns, we want to give all children every opportunity to reach their full potential. You may be asked to come to school for a meeting so that we can look at ways to help you and your child. Please talk your child’s teacher, call 01724 844216 or email admin.crosbyprimary@northlincs.gov.uk if you feel we can help.

Attendance Assistant: Ms T George
Family Support Worker: Miss M Allcock
Learning Mentor: Mrs S Parker
Deputy Headteacher: Mr T Sykes