The friends of bourne
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Parents/carers are expected to make contact with school on each day of their child’s absence.
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OVERVIEW
The proper place for students on a school day is at school.
Regular school attendance is essential for all of our students to make good progress, achieve their academic potential and consequently have better chances in life.
At Bourne Community College we expect a high level of attendance and punctuality. Good attendance is recognised as being 96% and we expect everyone to aim for this.
While illness and injury are an unfortunate part of everyday life, it is important that they do not hamper your child’s education and we encourage all students to be in all lessons. Necessary medical or personal reasons for absence must be kept to a minimum and parents/carers should follow the absence procedure below.
Although it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their youngsters attend school, Bourne Community College will seek to support and maximise the attendance of its students.
We strive to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all students and endeavour to work with students and their families to ensure students attend regularly and are punctual to both school and lessons.
Statistics show that pupils attending more than 95% of the year achieve GCSE results that are at least one grade higher than those that do not.
Under 90% attendance severely impacts results with statistics showing an average underachievement of 7.5 grades!
Missing school means missing out on so many things such as being with friends, experiencing new activities and learning new skills as well as impacting on future prospects.
DEFINITION OF ABSENT:
A student is classed as absent if they arrive after the register has closed at 8:45 or if they do not attend for any reason.
SAFEGUARDING:
Students may be at risk of harm if they do not attend school regularly. The school will provide support and advice as appropriate with any attendance concerns. Failure to attend school on a regular basis isregarded as a safeguarding matter and could lead to a referral to Children’s services Early Help or Pupil Entitlement.
ABSENCE PROCEDURES
If students are not in school there must be a justifiable reason and the Attendance Team should be informed before 8.30am on the first day of absence. Parents/carers should follow one of the following steps to report an absence. Please record the students name, year and reason for absence. (Planned absences should be reported in advance).
Parents/carers are expected to make contact with school on each day of their child’s absence.
- Email studentabsence@bourne.org.uk (able to click and start email)
- Telephone, text or whatsapp our attendance mobile on 07798913415
- Telephone: 01243 375691 –select option 5, a 24 hour answer machine you can call anytime, day or night.
- A signed note passed to reception to pass through to the attendance team.
Please ensure that children return to school as soon as they can.
REPEATED ABSENCE
Parents’ Legal Responsibilities Regarding Attendance and Punctuality
Parents have the primary responsibility for ensuring that their children attend school regularly and punctually until the school leaving date at the end of June in Year 11.
Parents are able to monitor attendance themselves using the SIMs parent app.
Authorised Absences
Authorised absence is where the school has either given approval in advance for a student to be away, or has accepted an explanation afterwards as satisfactory justification for absence. Parents may not authorise absence, only the school can do this. Absence may be authorised in the following circumstances:
- Illness
- Medical
- A day set aside for religious observance
- Approved work experience
- College interviews
All other absences must be treated as unauthorised.
Unauthorised Absences
The school will not normally authorise more than two days absence for minor illnesses. Any further absence may be unauthorised unless a prescription, appointment card, doctors note is produced or other evidence as agreed by the attendance team on a case by case basis.
All attendance is monitored. Regular days off ill may be challenged by letter and parents may be asked to provide medical evidence for any future absences. Lack of any medical evidence for these days off will lead to unauthorised absences which will then lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Fixed Penalty Notices may be pursued for 10 or more unauthorised absences in 10 weeks, including family holidays.
PERSISTENT ABSENCE
A student becomes a ‘persistent absentee’ (PA) when their attendance is at 90% or below for whatever reason. Absence at this level is doing considerable damage to any child’s educational prospects and we need parents’ fullest support and co–operation to tackle this.
We monitor all absence thoroughly. Any case that is seen to have reached the PA mark or is at risk of moving towards that mark is given priority and you will be informed.
PA students are tracked and monitored carefully through our pastoral system.
APPOINTMENTS
- Medical or dental appointments should always be made after school or in the school holidays when possible. If appointments are unavoidable during school hours, students should bring their official appointment card to school to show when requesting permission to leave school or when signing in. Please ensure that children return to school as soon as they can.
HOLIDAYS IN TERM TIME
- Taking holidays in term time will affect a student’s schooling as much as any other absence and it is expected that parents help us by not taking students away in school time. If a holiday request is not authorised by the Headteacher and parents do take their child on holiday during term time, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and a Fixed Penalty Notice (fine) will be issued.
- We are no longer be able to authorise family holidays during term time except for limited cases with very exceptional circumstances.
- A school can, if needed, change an authorised absence to an unauthorised absence and vice versa if new information is presented. An example of this would be where a parent states a child is unwell but on return to school there is evidence they have been on holiday.
PROMOTING GOOD ATTENDANCE
The school aims to be proactive in promoting good attendance. A system of rewards and personal monitoring results in measures such as:
- Certificates presented for tutor groups and individuals throughout the year.
- Excellent attendance celebrated in school assemblies and rewards presented to celebrate.
- Letters sent home to celebrate improved attendance.
- Attendance lottery held for 100% attendance with prizes to be won.
- Publicity of excellent attendance through our newsletter.
PUNCTUALITY
Official registers are marked at 8.30am and close at the start of tutor time and at the start of lesson 5 in the afternoon. After these times any students that has arrived are deemed to be late. They will be marked as ‘L’ (Late) and ‘U’ (unauthorised) – if more than 20 minutes late. Students arriving late should report to reception upon arrival, this is essential for safeguarding and in case of a fire alarm.
Students who are consistently late are disrupting not only their own education but also that of the other students. Ongoing and repeated lateness is considered as unauthorised absence and will be subject to legal action.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND ADVICE
Attendance and Removal from Roll
Is my child too ill for school
Persistence Statistics
Fixed Penalty Notice Leaflet
