Attendance and Illness

• To avoid gaps in learning 
• To help achieve good exam results 
• To help with applications for sixth form/college or apprenticeships. 
• To show a good attitude towards learning/ 
• To avoid further action from the school or local authority. 

• To look after another member of the family. 
• To go shopping or visiting other relatives. 
• Because they are menstruating. 
• Because they woke up date. 
• For family birthdays or outings. 
• Because they couldn’t sleep 

• A student is defined as persistently absent when their attendance falls below 90% 

 Please note that SEVERLY ABSENT is when a student’s attendance is below 50%.  

The Fast Track framework is a time-focused model of case management and, where appropriate, prosecution. The Fast Track model promotes early intervention by both schools, the LA and parents in cases of persistent absence. It aims to ensure appropriate, and time limited intervention is in place to tackle the underlying causes of poor or non-attendance as soon as it becomes apparent. It is a mechanism for ensuring parents focus their attention on their responsibility for ensuring their children attend school both regularly and punctually by engaging with them and specifying, by way of an attendance contract, what improvements need to be made. This should generally be concluded within a 12-week period. 

 In order to start Fast Track the following criteria must be met: 

Pupils must have at least 15% unauthorised absence within a period of 6 school weeks. This is equivalent to 9 sessions of unauthorised absence. 

 For further information please see the Norfolk County Council website below:  

https://www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk/pupil-safety-and-behaviour/school-attendance/attendance-toolkit/legal-interventions/fast-track  

As you will be aware, current attendance regulations stipulate a Principal may not grant a leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.   

Under the Academy Transformation Trust policy we are unable to grant any requests for leave of absence due to holiday.  Each application for a leave of absence will be considered on a case-by-case basis and on its own merits.  It is for the Principal to decide what they view as ‘exceptional’ and it is at their discretion if the circumstances warrant the leave to be granted. 

If the leave is granted, the Principal is able to determine the number of school days a child can be absent for. 

The academy can only consider leave of absence requests which are made by the ‘resident’ parent.  Where applications for leave of absence are made in advance and refused, the child will be required to be in the academy on the dates set out in the application. 

If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence, which may result in legal action being taken against the parent(s)/carers, by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice.  Failure to make an application for leave in advance can also result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued to the parent(s)/carers.  Where a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and not paid within the required timeframe as set out in the notice, the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal proceedings under S444 of the Education Act 1996. 

Parents/carers are asked to respect the new regulations under which the School must work and if there is a need to take a child of TNHA during term time, an application or request must be made in advance and make clear how the circumstances are exceptional. 

• If your child is unable to attend the academy, the parent/carer must inform our attendance officer before 8.30am that day. 
• If you are leaving a message to report a student absence please include their name, year or form group, reason for absence and expected length of absence. 
• If you are unsure of the length of absence please inform the attendance officer before 8.30am on each day of absence. 

• If you cannot access class charts, please contact the attendance officer – please use the details below: 

• Parents and carers can explain absences, but they cannot authorise them.  Only the academy can decide whether explanations about absences are acceptable and can be authorised. We determine if absences are authorised based on what the Department for Education and our Trust policies state. 
• For all students whose absence is below 95%, the academy will insist a Doctor’s note or some form of medical evidence is provided.  Those without evidence and all other absences will be coded as ‘O’ and will not be authorised. 

• At TNHA we try and promote resilience if your child becomes unwell at school, they will be monitored by staff and if they should deteriorate we will call home.

• If a student needs to take medication during the academy day, we advise that parents/carers inform the academy via reception, and we will make arrangements for the parent/carer to complete the medical information paperwork and to safely store the medicine.  Students must not carry any medication on them with the exceptions of inhalers, epi pens and diabetic medication. 

• • They will be at a disadvantage 
  • They may miss important knowledge and content at the start of the lesson and interrupt learning. 
  • The school day starts at 8.45am when all students are expected to be in their designated area. 
  • Students are expected to arrive on time for each period of the day including registration and assemblies. 
  • Students arriving late will be marked late in the register and a consequence will be applied. 
  • Late to school is defined as any student arriving after 8.45am. 

  Students who arrive at school after 8.45am will receive a 20 minute same day after school detention that day.  

• • Please click the link below which is from our ATT attendance policy. thresholds flowchart