Pack to Assist Schools Term Time Absence

Version 2 – September 2016

Pack to Assist Schools – Term Time Absence

2 Introduction

3 Flow chart – General approach to authorising or refusing a term time absence

4 Flow Chart – Suggested approach to non-attendance as developed by ERW

5 Parental Request for Permission For Absence From School

6 – 9 Exercise of Discretion Form – Holidays Only – Complete Version

(This form is designed should the Head teacher wish to keep a record of their decision making – not all will have time to utilise this form)

10 Exercise of Discretion Form – Holidays Only – Short Version

(This form assists with audit trail should there be a subsequent challenge but is not as robust as the complete version. It would assist those who do not have time to dedicate to filling in the complete version but would still wish to retain some record of decision making).

11 Letter accepting a request for a term time absence

12 Letter refusing a request for a term time absence

13 School not notified of a Holiday or Parents take the child on holiday after permission refused

14 General Warning Letter – Illness Related

15 General Warning Letter – Any Absence – Will arrange a meeting if no improvement

16 Follow up letter following warning – Attendance now improved

17 Follow up letter following warning – Attendance not improved – Meeting to be set

18 Further meeting letter due to parent being unable to attend

19 Notifying a Parent of Illness Absence being marked as Unauthorised

20 Parent eligible for a FPN but discretion used not to refer matter for a FPN

21 Warning Letter – Punctuality the main issue

22 - 23 Home / School Attendance Agreement

24 – 25 Home / School Attendance Agreement Review

26 – 42 Sample School Attendance Policy

43 Sample Statement on Approach to Term Time Holiday Requests Introduction

Please find enclosed a revised pack of template letters for you to consider using. There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to issues of attendance and unauthorised absence but what we hope we have achieved via a multi professional working group is a pack that can be adopted with some small tweaks to meet the individual needs of your school and cluster.

The legal team are exceptionally grateful to the group of head teachers, EWO’s and SAO’s who gave up their time to participate in the working group and help refine the template pack that was provided last year. It was only through these helpful discussions were we able to move beyond a legally driven pack of documents and move towards a more practical working document. Thank you!

An important document to have at hand when using these template letters is the Welsh Government 2010 guidance on School Attendance Codes. This document provides the framework for considering any absence. http://gov.wales/topics/educationandskills/schoolshome/pupilsupport/inclusionpupilsupportguidance/?lang=en

There is one caveat to the use of the Codes Guidance and that is in relation to the authorisation of term time holidays. Since the Codes Guidance was issued in 2010 there have been a number of ministerial clarifications, a new pupil support and inclusion guidance and a High Court decision on term time holidays. The legal advice provided at your Cross Phase Headteacher forum was that you should not place too much, if any, reliance upon a test of ‘special circumstances’. We advised this as Welsh Government have declined to clarify what is meant by special circumstances and all subsequent communications and guidance from them has not included the phrase. There is enough recent guidance to enable you to make sound judgments in relation to term time holidays to not have to rely heavily on a special circumstances test. The test of ‘exceptional circumstances’ remains but this is for holidays which accumulate to more than 10 days in any academic year. If in doubt please use the flow chart at the start of this template pack which should help guide you through the approach to any term time absence.

In the 2015/16 academic year the two biggest challenges to term time absences related to a reliance on an incorrect test when considering a request and the other related to a complaint there was a blanket approach to requests. What has now been made clear is that a blanket approach will not be lawful. If any of your letters, policies or frameworks include a statement that term time holidays will not be approved it would be advisable to remove them from use. Welsh Government has made it clear that you must consider the individual circumstances of a request and therefore a blanket approach prevents that happening. It is for this reason that we would advise against providing prescriptive circumstances when a holiday will be approved and when it will be refused. In seeking to provide clarity you may fall foul of putting into effect a blanket approach as to how a type of request will be dealt with. If your school do feel strongly that you need to set out for parents the types of requests that will be approved and refused please be sure to make it clear that you do so as a ‘guide only’, that the school ‘recognise that all personal circumstances will differ’ and that each request will be considered on its ‘individual merits’.

The slides from our legal briefing to you all have been published online and can be accessed at the legal resource area for schools should you need to download a copy:-

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/staffnet/schoolandeducationlegal

If you have any comments or queries the legal team would be happy to help.

Stephen Holland Stephanie Williams [email protected] [email protected] T: 01792 637544

2 Request for an absence which is not Request for a term time holiday received a holiday

Holiday Holiday requests requests for for year to date year are 10 total 11 days or days or under more

Deliberations Deliberations Deliberations The school will consider: The School will consider - Age of pupil Only in ‘exceptional Attendance Code Guidance - The time of year of circumstances’will this holiday be proposed trip authorised. 2010 - The length of holiday - Impact on continuity of Guidance states that parents must Commonly considered: learning make out a strong case for taking - Overall attendance the child away for more than 10 Code C – Other Authorised pattern days in a year. Circumstances. - The stage of education Public performances, young carers, - Child’s progress As part of our considerations we birth of a child. Balanced with: may consider any factors we Code I – Illness (not medical or - Purpose of holiday believe to be relevant in dental appointments - Wishes and views of determining if there are exceptional Code M – Medical / Dental parents circumstances. This may include appointments. the factors listed for holiday Code R – Religious Observance. Above list is non exhaustive. requests under 10 days. Code T – Traveller Absence

Code O – Unauthorised absence where no other description. Birthdays, shopping, haircut, special The school will keep records of all discussions. treat, market day, couldn’t get up, closure of siblings school.

Absence Authorised or Refused Holiday authorised or holiday refused

3 The School will make 1st day and 3rd day absence telephone calls consistently.

When attendance drops below 92%, the school will telephone families to let them know this. The school will send the first official attendance letter when attendance drops below 90%. (unless medical condition is established with evidence provided)

The school will send the second official letter if there has been insufficient improvement in attendance over a 2-3 week period.

If there are no improvements in another 2-3 weeks, then the school will invite parents/carers for meeting at the school.

At the meeting notes/ agreement will be If genuine illness is identified kept which state the reasons for the and supported by medical evidence then the school will meeting and what outcomes are expected monitor the case and mark and by which party. appropriately

If the parent/carer does Parents/carers will be informed that all not arrive, the school absences may be unauthorised from that will make another meeting and the standard letter provided. appointment. Referrals to support Parents/carers may also be advised of the service may need to be penalty notices process. considered and issues monitored. Failure to respond in 1 week will result in the unauthorising of absence letter being Set a review date around 3-4 weeks  The non-attendance sent process has been fully implemented by school and attendance has not improved  If a lack of engagement by parent/carer  A penalty notice has If there is a lack of improvement then the school will consider issuing a penalty been issued with If there is an notice. There needs to be 10 or more attendance below 90% unauthorised absences that take the improvement then school overall attendance to below 90% for this continue to monitor to be considered.

Refer to Education Welfare Service

4 REQUEST FOR AUTHORISED ABSENCE / NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME

Before applying to take a term time absence please consider the following: Ongoing low attendance is a factor often linked to low levels of academic success and can have a serious impact on opportunities later in life. Children who are absent from school in term time will miss out on important learning opportunities - educational experiences missed cannot be re-captured later. Your child’s teacher will not be able to go back over everything your child has missed. Due to the need for teacher/pupil input into many of our learning experiences, it is not always feasible to provide you with work to complete during the absence. As a parent/carer you can demonstrate your commitment to your child's education by, whenever possible, avoiding term time absences. It is important that term time absences do not contribute to developing poor habits of attendance which are hard to undo later on.

For holidays: Please note that there is not an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and this form, if it is a request for that purpose, is merely a request for permission. There is a margin of discretion for head teachers to agree to your request and in line with national guidance, your Child(ren)’s absence will be judged on merit and may not be authorised. Please see our school policy on attendance (on our school website). You will be notified of the decision shortly. Please note: WG guidance states that schools cannot authorise holidays retrospectively.

Should your child accumulate a level of unauthorised absence which brings their attendance below 90% during the year, the Local Authority may (depending on the circumstances) issue a fixed penalty notice or commence formal prosecution for failing to secure regular attendance at school. The full details of the fixed penalty scheme can be found on the City and County of Swansea website.

Section A: THIS SECTION MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE PARENT/CARER AND THIS APPLICATION FORM FORWARDED TO SCHOOL AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE ABSENCE – IDEALLY AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE.

Names of Pupils:

1. …………………………….…………………………..….. Class:…………………………

2. ………………………..……….……………..………….... Class:…………………………

3. ……………………………………………..…………..… Class:…………………………

Absence dates: From……………………… To: …………………………. Number of days absent: ………......

Holiday address/contact details (for child protection procedures): ______

Is there a sibling(s) from another school who will also be absent for the same reasons. If so, please provide name of the sibling and school attended: ______

My views, reasons and the purpose for requesting a term time absence are (please continue on separate sheet(s) if required) ______

Signed: ……………………………………………………………………. Parent/Carer Date: ……………….

If the pupil/s do/does not return by the agreed date they are at risk of losing their school place/s and they may be removed from the school register in accordance with the admission guidance Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 section 4 which states ‘the pupils has ceased to attend the school and no longer resides within a reasonable distance from the school’. Please note that we cannot guarantee that a place will be available for your child in the school of your choice on your return but you will be offered a place at the nearest school with room available in the year group. Failure to return on the agreed date may also prompt welfare concerns; a child who goes missing from education may be considered to be at risk of significant harm. Any such concerns will immediately be referred to the statutory authorities for consideration.

5 Date: ______Received by school: ______

Signed: ______Please return to the School Office.

6 Exercise of Discretion Form – Request for Term Time Holiday

Name of Pupil: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Issues Specific to Holidays over 10 days

1. Yes No

Does the request for a term time holiday bring the total days for this purpose to over 10 days for the course of the academic year?

Comments

2. Yes No

If the total holiday days are over 10 are there ‘exceptional circumstances’ that warrant the exercise of your discretion?

Comments

Issues Relevant to All Term Time Holiday Requests

3. Yes No

Does the age of the child have a specific bearing on the exercise of your discretion? Explain below if the answer is yes.

Comments

7 4. Yes No

Does the timing of the proposed trip have any bearing on the exercise of your discretion? Explain below if the answer is yes.

Comments

5. Yes No

Have you considered the parental wishes regarding the trip and the nature of the trip?

Comments

6. Yes No

Is the overall attendance pattern of the pupil a concern when considering authorising a term time holiday? (Consider the maximum possible attendance of this pupil if the holiday is agreed.)

Comments

Answers of Yes to any or all of the above questions should not automatically result in a refusal of a term time absence but should lead the head teacher to strongly question and scrutinise whether it would be appropriate to grant the absence as authorised when balanced against parental views and reasons behind the absence. 8 Before utilising your discretion make sure you consider the circumstances of the family, the purpose of the holiday and the wishes of parents.

Decision

I have utilised my discretion and will authorise the absence in full.

I have utilised my discretion and will authorise the following dates of absence only:

I have considered my discretion and will not authorise the absence due to the issues highlighted above

Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Dated: ………………………

9 Exercise of Discretion Form – Request for Term Time Holiday – Name of Pupil……………………………………………

Relevant Consideration Yes No

Does the request for a term time holiday bring the total days for this purpose to over 10 days for the course of the academic year? If so, consider if there are ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Note, the test of exceptional circumstances is only applicable to holidays of 10 + days for the year. Holidays under 10 days should consider the remaining factors below.

Does the age of the child have a specific bearing on the exercise of your discretion?

Does the timing of the proposed trip have any bearing on the exercise of your discretion?

Is the overall attendance pattern of the pupil a concern when considering authorising a term time holiday?

The factors above are a non-exhaustive list of considerations. Are there any other factors or issues you feel are relevant to the exercise of your discretion? If so please detail below.

Answers of Yes to any or all of the above questions should not automatically result in a refusal of a term time absence but should lead the head teacher to strongly question and scrutinise whether it would be appropriate to grant the absence as authorised when balanced against parental views and reasons behind the absence.

Before utilising your discretion make sure you consider the circumstances of the family, the purpose of the holiday and the wishes of parents.

I have utilised my discretion and will authorise the absence in full.

I have utilised my discretion and will authorise the following dates of absence only:

I have considered my discretion and will not authorise the absence due to the issues highlighted above

Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Dated: ………………………

10 Accepting a Parental Request for Authorised Absence

School Logo

Parents name and address:

Dear Parent/Guardian/or full name,

I note that you have applied to take out of school during the school term.

The Education (School Day School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2006 states pupils are expected to attend school for 190 days a year. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between good attendance and high achievement.

As a school we actively encourage parents not to take time off during term time so that children can fully benefit from the opportunities that school provides. We have looked at your request in accordance with guidance issued by Welsh Government including the ‘Guidance on School Attendance Codes – June 2010’. ______[delete the following paragraph for term time absences which are not holidays]

Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and in law have to apply for permission in advance. Head teachers are afforded a margin of discretion as to whether they authorise the absence or not taking into account (amongst other things):-

 Age of the child  Wishes of the parents  Time of year of the proposed trip  Overall attendance pattern  Length and purpose of the holiday  The stage of education  Impact on continuity of learning  The child’s progress  Circumstances of the family  Any cultural issues  Benefits to the child  Any guidance or clarifications issued by Welsh Government or Ministers ______Whilst we are worried about your child’s school attendance given the research regarding its close links with attainment, we will be exercising our discretion and will be authorising the absence on this occasion only. Although we have authorised the absence on this occasion it does not follow we will do so again in the future. If a pattern of absence develops or circumstances are different we may not exercise our discretion in the same way again. Every request for absence will be considered in light of the factors set out in the relevant guidance and a number of these factors relating to the child’s circumstances will change over time. We would strongly encourage parents not to take their children out of school during term time and trust you will work with the school to ensure high school attendance for your child.

We will continue to monitor your child’s attendance and hope you will do the same to ensure there are no further periods of absence over the remainder of the academic year.

Yours sincerely,

Head-teacher

11 Declining a Parental Request for an authorised absence

School Logo

I note that you have applied to take out of school during the school term.

As a school we actively encourage parents not to take time off during term time so that children can fully benefit from the opportunities their school provides. We have looked at your request in accordance with guidance issued by Welsh Government including the ‘Guidance on School Attendance Codes – June 2010’. ______[delete the following paragraph for term time absences which are not holidays]

Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and in law have to apply for permission in advance. Head teachers are afforded a margin of discretion as to whether they authorise the absence or not taking into account (amongst other things):-

 Age of the child  Wishes of the parents  Time of year of the proposed trip  Overall attendance pattern  Length and purpose of the holiday  The stage of education  Impact on continuity of learning  The child’s progress  Circumstances of the family  Any cultural issues  Benefits to the child  Any guidance or clarifications issued by Welsh Government or Ministers ______Having considered the matter and the impact the absence will have, I am of the view that I will not authorise the absence from school.

If you do continue with removing the child from school the absence will be marked as unauthorised. If your child’s attendance drops below 90% you may also be liable to a fixed penalty notice, the details of the operation of this scheme are available on the City and County of Swansea website. If you have previously received a fixed penalty notice there is also the risk that a decision may be taken to prosecute you for an offence of failing to secure your child’s regular school attendance.

We of course however wish to avoid any formal intervention and wish to work with you to ensure a consistent and high level of school attendance. If there are any comments you wish to make in relation to this issue please provide this in written form to our school office.

Yours Sincerely,

Head-teacher

12 School Not Notified of a Holiday or Parents take the child on holiday after permission refused but the attendance is yet to drop below 90%

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I have received notification that you have taken your child out of school for a holiday without permission. As such the absence has been recorded as unauthorised. Head teachers cannot authorise holidays retrospectively.

As a school we actively encourage parents not to take time off during term time so that children can fully benefit from the opportunities their school provides.

The recent absence now means that your child’s attendance is…..%.

The school are able to refer the matter to the Local Authority to consider with us the issuing of a fixed penalty notice or even formal prosecution for failing to secure your child’s regular attendance in school if poor attendance persists or there is a pattern of non-regular attendance. The full details of the operation of the penalty notice scheme can be found on the City and County of Swansea website.

If there is anything you wish to say in relation to the recent absence and your child’s attendance generally throughout the year we would welcome your comments in writing which we would ask you submit to the school office.

Yours Sincerely,

Head-Teacher

13 General Warning Letter – Illness Related

School Logo

As a school, we are concerned about 's attendance, which is currently …%. Unfortunately, this falls below our school's target of …..%. As you will be aware, there is a clear link between poor attendance at school and lower academic achievement. As a school we would like to support you in ensuring that your child’s attendance improves.

An improvement in attendance will mean that your child is receiving the teaching and learning which gives them a greater chance of reaching their potential and thus achieving success.

On the days when your child may be feeling unwell, please ensure that you contact the school on the number above to inform us of the absence and if you have any medical evidence to support that absence then please show it at the school. If there is a prolonged period of illness or a number of scattered days throughout the year then we will insist you provide medical evidence to the school office.

We know that you value 's education and will work with us as a school to improve attendance. If you wish to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

14 General Warning Letter – Any Absence – Will arrange a meeting if no improvement

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Staff at < NAME > School are concerned about 's attendance which currently stands at %. Please see the attached registration certificate for details of your child's attendance.

Attendance is essential in order to maximise your child’s education. will be closely monitored by the school for the next two weeks. If there is no improvement in ’s attendance, we will have no option but to arrange for you to attend a meeting at the school.

If there are specific issues preventing your child from attending school regularly and you would like to discuss these further, please do not hesitate to contact the school on 01792 ……..

We look forward to working with you and your child to help improve their attendance.

Yours sincerely,

15 Follow Up Letter Following Warning – Attendance Now Improved

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You were recently informed that your child’s attendance had slipped below our target of ……%. I am pleased to inform you that the attendance has now improved and currently stands at .

As you will be aware, there is a clear link between attending school and higher academic achievement. This improvement in attendance means that is receiving the teaching and learning which gives a greater chance of reaching their full potential and achieving success.

As a school we will continue to support you and to ensure that the attendance continues to improve.

Thank you for working with us to improve ’s attendance. If you wish to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

16 Follow Up Letter Following Warning – Attendance Not Improved – Meeting to be Set

School Logo

The school works closely with the Education Welfare Service to ensure that students attend school regularly in order to achieve a good education.

We are therefore concerned that has only achieved % attendance this year. A letter informing you that attendance was a cause for concern was sent to you on but the overall attendance has not improved. Due to our concerns you are invited to a meeting on:

If you go to main reception someone will be there to meet you. If you are unable to attend this meeting please could you contact me on the number above to make alternative arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

17 Further Meeting Letter due to parent not being able to attend

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Due to you being unable to attend the meeting arranged for today at I would appreciate it if you could contact me on ………..to arrange another date and time as we need to discuss ’s attendance at School which has dropped to %.

This letter is to be considered as a reminder that attendance really needs to improve. May I take this opportunity to inform you that it is your parental responsibility to ensure that your son/daughter attends school regularly.

I strongly advise you to take the opportunity to attend a meeting at the school so that any issues can be discussed and an action plan produced to support you in improving your son/daughters attendance.

I look forward to your response,

Yours sincerely, Notifying a Parent of Illness Absence being marked as Unauthorised

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The school has a policy of informing parents of their child/ren’s attendance on a regular basis. We are concerned that Olchfa is missing a lot of school.

This letter is to inform you that Olchfa’s attendance is unacceptably low at ….% and has missed over ……. half-day sessions equiivilant to over …. days off school to date due to illness.

I appreciate that you may have provided reasons for the absences via telephone call or a note, however, due to the frequency of absenteeism, the school cannot continue to authorise any more absences for sickness without medical evidence being provided.

Medical evidence can be in the form of: o A copy of medical appointment letters or cards o Copy of a prescription o Evidence of the medicine bottle

The absence will therefore be marked as unauthorised until the required evidence is received. It is important that you do provide the necessary evidence as soon as possible as poor attendance can lead to the issuing of a fixed penalty notice or prosecution for failing to secure regular attendance at school. The operation of the fixed penalty notice scheme can be found on the City and County of Swansea website.

We hope that you will work with us by providing the necessary documentary evidence so that we can authorise this absence.

Yours sincerely,

19 Parent Meets FPN Criteria but discretion used not to refer matter for FPN

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The school works very closely with the Education Welfare Service who support the school in checking the registers and in this role we have identified that you are liable to a Penalty Notice in accordance with the City & County of Swansea Code of Conduct which complies with the Education Act 1996 and The Education (Penalty Notice)(Wales) Regulations 2013.

As Headteacher I have decided to use my discretion on this occasion and not request a penalty notice be issued to you providing that attendance improves and no further unauthorised absences are taken. Future absences may lead to a penalty notice being issued.

By utilising my discretion to not request at this stage a fixed penalty notice or formal prosecution I am not authorising or condoning the previous non-attendance. Should your child’s attendance not drastically improve we will rely upon the previous non-attendance for any future penalty notice or prosecution as evidence of your failure to secure regular attendance.

Research shows that there is a strong correlation between good attendance and high achievement so regular attendance is essential in ensuring that children have the opportunity to maximise their individual potential.

I also request that should you child have any periods of illness that you notify the school and provide evidence in the form of appointment cards, hospital appointment letters, cards or proof of medication so the absence can be authorised.

Should you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact …….

Kind regards,

Head Teacher

20 Warning Letter - Punctuality the Main Issue

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As a school we work closely with the Education Welfare Service to regularly monitor punctuality and due to this I have to express my concerns that during this academic year your son/daughter has been late to school to date and late after registration closes at on occasions.

School starts at any arrivals after this time they will be marked ‘L’ which means late. If they arrival after they will be marked as ‘U’ which is an absent mark.

Being late by just ten minutes every day for a year adds up to over 30 hours, that’s over six full days of learning lost to your child.

As a parent/guardian it is your responsibility to ensure that your child arrives in school on time, failure to do so could result in you being issued with a penalty notice or prosecution under the Education Act 1996. The full operation of the fixed penalty notice scheme can be found on the City and County of Swansea website.

We would appreciate your co-operation in this matter and if you wish to discuss further you can contact the above number.

I look forward to your response,

Yours sincerely

21 Home/school Attendance Agreement

The purpose of this meeting is to plan support that will encourage improved attendance in order for your son/daughter to achieve to the best of their ability.

Date of meeting: Time of meeting:

Parent/carers name:

Child’s name:

School representative:

Education Welfare Officer:

Name and relationship of any other persons attending the meeting:

______

Key issues:

  

The parent/carer will support by:

  

The pupil will support by:

  

The school will support by:

  

Is the family being supported by other services and if so whom:

22 Service Named person Contact details

How will they support this plan:

  

Have the parent/cares been given the letter to confirm that no absences will be authorised without medical evidence from this date and the consequences of that letter: Yes  Any additional information discussed:

Does the parent/carer give permission for the school to link with the additional support to aid the attendance and wellbeing of the pupil in question.

Yes  No  Signed by parent/carer: ………………….

The partners will ensure they adhere to the plan and understand the importance of working together to promote improved attendance.

Signed by partners:

Signed: (parent) ……………………………. Printed name: ………………..………..

Singed: (pupil) ………………………………

Signed: (School) ……………………………

Review Date: ………………………………..

23 Home/school Attendance Agreement: Review

Date of meeting: Time of meeting:

Parent/carers name:

Child’s name and DOB:

School representative:

Education Welfare Officer:

Other service representatives invited to the review and apologies noted:

    

o The review of targets is based on attendance evidence with a focus on what has been achieved or not achieved.

o If the evidence confirms an improvement to a level acceptable to the school then consider a monitoring period or discuss actions that will support the maintenance of the attendance.

o If there is little or no improvement then discuss the reasons and decide if additional actions need to be set. In such cases ensure that time scales are recorded in which all parties feel the actions can be achieved and set another review.

o Parent/cares need to be made aware that failure to adhere to actions on the original agreement or the review may result in a penalty notice or prosecution under the Education Act 1996.

24 Key issues discussed at previous meeting:

Issues Raised at Evidence of Evidence of lack Actions Taken and Previous Meeting Progress of / limited progress By Whom

Review date:……………………………………………………

25 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY

Policy Adopted by Governing Body September 2017

Date for Review September 2020

26 Policy

Rationale

A child’s success at school is likely to be affected negatively if their attendance is poor. Those who do not attend regularly may fall behind in their learning leading to feelings of frustration and unhappiness. As inclusive schools within the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster, we seek to provide environments in which all young people can flourish as a member of a happy, caring and safe community. It is our goal that each of our pupils attends school regularly and on time, making the most of the opportunities available to them. In the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster, we believe that promoting positive behaviour and excellent attendance is the responsibility of the whole school and wider Community.

In the Olchfa Comprehensive School Cluster, we promote positive behaviour and good attendance through our use of an appropriate curriculum which is geared to the child's age and ability. We aim to create a learning community, which benefits from the positive behaviour, regular attendance and well-being of its pupils and staff. Good attendance and behaviour are recognised and praised.

All children should be at school, on time, every day that it is open, unless the reason for absence is unavoidable. Schools have a legal duty to publish attendance figures and to promote attendance. Equally, parents have a duty and responsibility to ensure that their children attend school on a regular basis.

It is acknowledged that all children are sometimes reluctant to attend school. Any problems, which arise with attendance, are best resolved between the school, the parents and the child. If a child is reluctant to attend it is inappropriate to cover up this absence or to give into pressure to excuse them from attending. This gives the parents and the child the impression that attendance does not matter and in fact will only make the situation worse.

ESTYN states:

“There is a strong link between attendance rates and examination success. Research shows that missing 17 days of school a year (an attendance rate of 91%) can result in a drop of a GCSE grade across all subjects. In the workplace unauthorised absences would not be accepted and we need to help our children and young people to prepare for the workplace”

"The statistical link between attendance and attainment is strong. In Wales in 2014, over 92% of pupils with NO absence attained the expected level 4 in English, mathematics and science at the end of key stage 2. For pupils with attendance between 80 – 90%, this figure drops notably to 77% of pupils. Based on the statutory number of 190 school days per year, a pupil with 90% attendance will miss 19 days of schooling each year. Between entering primary school in the reception class to the end of primary education in Year 6, a pupil with an average attendance of 90% will miss 133 full days of school. This is well over half a year of learning."

Non-attendance is an important issue that is treated seriously. However, every case is different and we will always try to support families to improve the situation. The Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster Attendance Framework is designed to help teachers, parents and pupils understand their rights, responsibilities and roles when it comes to school attendance. By working in partnership, it is our hope that every pupil achieves at least over 96 %, whilst our expectation is that our pupils will be in school 100% of the time. 27 Purpose

The purpose of this framework is to:

 give attendance and punctuality a high priority;  clearly define roles and responsibilities to ensure consistency and rigour;  provide support, advice and guidance to families;  use attendance data systematically to evaluate success;  use rewards to celebrate good attendance;  use sanctions sensitively and only when necessary;  work in partnership with the Education Welfare Service to improve attendance;  support pupils returning to school after significant periods of absence.

Commitments (rights, responsibilities and roles)

 The Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster Attendance Framework has its basis in Article 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We believe that all young people have the right to education, based on equality of opportunity, and that the school, in partnership with parents and other parties, must take measures to encourage regular school attendance and reduce rates of absenteeism.

 All schools within the Olchfa Cluster are required under The Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010, to take attendance registers twice a day; at the start of the morning session and once during the afternoon session.

 Parents are required under section 7 of the Education Act 1996, to ensure that their child receives efficient full-time education.

 The Olchfa Cluster Attendance Framework is written to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

All schools within the Olchfa Cluster will work in partnership with young people, parents and families so that pupils can benefit from the educational opportunities provided to them at school.

Key members of staff within each school include:

 School Attendance Officers

 Lead SLT from each of Primary School and Comprehensive School

Interplay with Other Guidance

This framework is to be interpreted in accordance with Welsh Government Guidance and Codes of Practice that may be issued from time to time. It is acknowledged that new guidance may be issued by Welsh Government after the adoption of this policy.

It is expected that this policy will be interpreted in light of any subsequent formal guidance from Welsh Government. Should any subsequent guidance significantly change the operation of any

28 aspect of this policy the Headteacher acting in conjunction with the Chair of Governors shall publish as soon as is practicable on the school website any temporary arrangements pending the policy being reviewed by the Governing Body. It is expected that only those sections affected by any subsequent guidance will require temporary arrangements and that the remainder of the policy shall remain in force until formal review.

Should the Local Authority change its Code of Practice relating to fixed penalty notices the same procedure applies as in the case of subsequent Welsh Government Guidance affecting any part of this policy. School staff and parents are able to view the current Code of Conduct arrangements on the City and County of Swansea public website.

Important external documents which may be updated in due course currently include:-

1 Inclusion and Pupil Support Guidance 203/2016 issued March 2016

2 School Attendance Codes Guidance issued June 2010

Both can be found at the following link:

http://gov.wales/topics/educationandskills/schoolshome/pupilsupport/inclusionpupilsupportg uidance/?lang=en

3 Guidance on Penalty Notices for Non Regular Attendance at School 116/2013 issued September 2013

http://gov.wales/docs/dcells/publications/130925-guidance-regular-non-attendance-en.pdf

4 City and County of Swansea Code of Conduct on use of Fixed Penalty Notices for Non Regular Attendance – Jan 2015

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/educationpenalty

5 Welsh Government Guidance on School Attendance and Religious Observance 2016

http://gov.wales/topics/educationandskills/publications/guidance/school-attendance-and- religious-festivals-guidance/?lang=en

The above list is non exhaustive.

29 Olchfa Comprehensive School Cluster Attendance Framework

1. Registration

1.1 To ensure accuracy and consistency, all pupils’ attendance marks are registered electronically via the Capita School Information Management System (SIMS).

1.2 Pupils are registered at the beginning of the morning and afternoon session.

1.3 Teachers are required to record present or absent against each pupil’s name. Absence marks must be followed up with the appropriate code being added once the reason for absence has been ascertained (see below).

1.4 The individual schools, upon investigating incidents of absence, use the following codes as set out by the Welsh Government Guidance on School Attendance Codes 2010:

B Educated off-site Approved Educational Activity C Other authorised circumstance Authorised Absence D Dual-registered Approved Educational Activity E Excluded Authorised Absence F Extended family holiday (agreed) Authorised Absence G Family holiday (not agreed) Unauthorised Absence H Family holiday (agreed) Authorised Absence I Illness Authorised Absence J Interview Approved Educational Activity L Late (before registers close) Present M Medical appointment Authorised absence N No reason yet provided for absence Unauthorised Absence O Unauthorised absence Unauthorised Absence P Approved sporting activity Approved Educational Activity R Religious observance Authorised Absence S Study Leave Authorised Absence T Traveller absence Authorised Absence U Late after registers close Unauthorised Absence V Educational Visit or Trip Approved Educational Activity W Work Experience Approved Educational Activity Y Partial or enforced closure Attendance not required X Non-compulsory school age abs Attendance not required # School closed to all pupils Attendance Z Pupils not on role Attendance not required

2. Absence, lateness and medical appointments

2.1 Parents are asked to contact the school by telephone at the beginning of the first day of their child’s absence. Individual schools monitor telephone calls each morning.

30 2.2 Should a pupil be absent from school without explanation, the individual school will follow its own procedures for contacting home (telephone, text, etc) where a request will be sent to parents asking them to make contact with the school both as a safeguarding precaution and also to allow parents to indicate the reason for absence and provide an indication of when their child will be able to return to school. Unless an indication in terms of length of time, is given, parents are expected to inform the school at the beginning of each subsequent day of absence unless other arrangements have been mutually agreed.

2.3 Should the school be unable to ascertain the reason for absence, a letter will be sent to parents seeking explanation.

2.4 Lateness, especially if persistent should be treated in the same way as irregular attendance. Parents can be prosecuted if the issue of persistent lateness is not resolved. Lateness can be as damaging to a pupil's educational career as persistent absence can impact upon learning.

2.5 If a child arrives late to school, pupils / parents must ensure that they sign in to a ‘late book’ contained in the reception, stating a reason for being late. If pupils are required to leave school within the day, prior notice must be given to the school (agreed at the discretion of the Headteacher).

2.6 Whenever possible medical appointments should be booked outside of the school day. If appointments are not possible outside of the school day, then proof of the appointment will be required and pupils should return to school afterwards unless there is a valid medical reason given. Where an absence is authorised, the school will use the appropriate code to record the absence. If a pupil is feeling unwell during the school day, then they will be sent to the school medical area where they will be treated appropriately. At this point, a decision will be made as to whether the pupil should be sent home or not.

3. Authorisation of absence (including holidays)

3.1 Absences may only be approved by authorised member of staff at the school within the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster. Schools will exercise caution in the authorisation of absence and parents must seek to provide the school with a full picture of the reasons and in some circumstances documentary evidence relating to their child’s absence. The Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 states that all absences are to be treated as unauthorised until schools have agreed that a satisfactory explanation has been given which should normally be within one day. If a reason is accepted it needs to be recorded on the SIMs system using the correct code.

3.2 The Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 give schools discretionary power to grant leave for the purpose of a family holiday during term time. Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw their child from school for a holiday and, in law, have to apply for permission from the school in advance. Schools within the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster will only authorise family holidays at the head teacher’s discretion where parents are able to demonstrate that in the individual circumstances warrant it being authorised.

We, in Olchfa Comprehensive School Cluster are very clear about the effect of term time holiday absence on student attainment performance and progress as they will be at a severe disadvantage compared to their peers.

31 The Social Worker and not the Foster Carer would ordinarily make requests for leave of absence for Children who are Looked After; if such a request is received, the school should liaise with the social worker and the Local Authority LAC team. It is noted however that Social Services in appropriate cases are moving towards a system of delegating more parental responsibility and day to day decision making to foster carers. This scheme of delegation is designed to ensure a LAC child can have a more normal family experience rather than having all decisions delayed and passed via social services. The school will accept a request from a foster carer upon production of a delegation form signed by social services.

3.3 When assessing requests for a holiday, the Headteacher will consider:

 The age of the child  The time of year of the proposed trip;  The length and purpose of the time off;  Any impact on continuity of learning;  Overall attendance pattern;  The stage of education  The child’s progress  Any guidance issued by Welsh Government

Balanced with

 The circumstances of the family  The wishes and views of the parents; and  The purpose of the holiday

The above list is not exhaustive and the Headteacher is entitled to take into account other factors which they feel to be relevant to the exercise of their discretion. Parents are expected to be clear at the time of making their request the family circumstances, purpose of the trip and any views they have.

3.4 Should the holiday take the total absence due to holidays for the year to being over 10 days then only in exceptional circumstances should this holiday be granted. The test of exceptional circumstances applies only to holidays which accumulate over the course of the year to more than 10 days. Holidays which accumulate to 10 days or less throughout the year need to be considered in accordance with paragraph 3.3 above.

3.5 The cluster has set 96 % attendance as a minimum target for all pupils.

The fundamental principle underlying this policy is that schools are open for 190 days a year. Children and families have 175 days off school to spend time together, including weekends and school holidays. Parents are to be actively encouraged to take time off and book holidays outside of term time as it is only with parental cooperation will it be possible to achieve and maintain a high level of attendance and attainment.

32 If an event can reasonably be scheduled outside of term time, it would be normal for the Headteacher to closely scrutinise the individual circumstances of the request if it relates to a term time absence.

3.6 Parents should not expect and head teachers should not assume that because a term time absence is agreed one year that it will be authorised the next. As children become older and progress through the stages of education there will inevitably be different circumstances applicable as they will be learning new topics and studying for a different key stage. Likewise, it should also not be assumed that if there is an extended family / friends holiday where the children attend different schools that if the term time absence is agreed in one school that the other school will also agree the absence. The exercise of discretion lies solely with the individual Headteacher of any particular school and the circumstances and attendance records of individual children will inevitably differ.

3.7 Head teachers also have the discretion to authorise only part of a term time absence. If the request is for a 10 day term time absence the head teacher can authorise 5 days and inform the parent that any days taken beyond the 5 days will be unauthorised.

3.8 It will be good practice for schools within the cluster to periodically discuss on an anonymous basis the cases whereby the discretion has been exercised to authorise a term time absence and when it has been refused. Whilst the discretion to authorise term time absences ultimately lies with individual head teachers it would be helpful to discuss with other head teachers your approach to try and work towards achieving greater consistency across the cluster. Care should be taken when seeking consistency not to develop rigid rules or blanket approaches to absences and the head teacher must always have in mind that each request must be considered in light of its individual circumstances.

3.9 For non-holiday related requests for absence the Headteacher should consider the Welsh Government School Attendance Codes Guidance 2010.

4. Early Intervention

4.1 Dunvant primary school recognise the important role that parents play in promoting good school attendance. The school therefore seeks to provide professional, quality information and advice, communicated frequently by text message, social media, leaflets, parents’ evenings, school reports and the school website.

4.2 When a pupil has been absent for an extended period, they are welcomed positively on their return. Where possible work will be provided to ensure that the pupil can keep as up to date as possible with the curriculum.

4.3 The EWO, in conjunction with all the schools in the cluster, will ensure that attendance and punctuality is given a high priority throughout the duration of pupils’ compulsory education.

4.4 There are a range of initiatives and rewards that can be utilised across Swansea schools and some examples include:

33  A late pack that may be given to pupils who are persistently late. A pack could include an alarm clock, information on how a lateness impact upon a child’s learning. A preparing for learning guide to assist pupils to develop a healthy sleep routine, check that they have the correct uniform, equipment and lunch for next day.

 An attendance strategy /policy which is reviewed regularly and its requirements clearly understood by both pupils and parents.

 Effective reintegration of pupils when they return from absence.

 Making sure parents and pupils are clear on the impact of non-attendance on their learning

 Fully utilising school social media to highlight and promote attendance and ensure that parents are full aware of expectations.

 An attendance cup awarded termly to the best performing class or pupil.

 Point systems – pupils gain points for attendance and punctuality and then get a prize for achieving the most but also for making the best effort.

 Certificates- for attendance ,punctuality, best achievement, most improved attendance etc

Head teachers and school staff are encouraged to try new strategies and continually seek to try and promote positive attendance.

34 Hierarchy of Sanctions

4.6 Schools within the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster always seek to resolve matters of poor attendance through effective partnership working with parents. On the rare occasion that the school is unable to elicit from parents the support deemed necessary to ensure pupils attend school, sanctions may be used. In the first instance, parents may receive letters which:

 Request reasons for their child’s absence;  Request medical evidence for their child’s absence;  Express concern about their child’s absence and offer advice and support;  Advise them about their child’s lateness and ask for their support in getting their child to school on time;  Advise them that the school has taken the decision not to authorise an absence and the consequences of this in relation to penalty notices and involvement of EWS.;  Advise them of their legal responsibilities to ensure their child attends school regularly;  Advise them that they are at risk of receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice;  Advise them that a referral has been made to the Educational Welfare Service.

4.7 In some circumstances following warning letters, the school may seek further advice and recommendation from EWS or request that the EWS issue parents/carers with a Fixed Penalty Notice under The Education (Penalty Notices) (Wales) Regulations 2013. The school should warn a parent when their child’s attendance is approaching the criteria for a fixed penalty notice. Once the criteria is met for a fixed penalty notice the Headteacher should consider whether a warning is sufficient or contact should be made with the EWS to discuss issuing a fixed penalty notice or prosecuting the parent for failing to secure regular attendance.

4.8 The criteria for issuing a fixed penalty notice is set by the Local Authority. As the criteria may be reviewed or updated the school should always ensure they are working with the most up to date version of any code of conduct. The code of conduct can be located on the City and County of Swansea website.

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/educationpenalty

The criterion for considering a fixed penalty notice is currently as follows:

 when a pupil has a minimum of 10 sessions (five school days) that have been lost due to unauthorised absences during the current term and this brings the pupils overall pupil attendance to below 90% in the school year to date (these absences do not have to be consecutive);

35  unauthorised absences of at least 10 sessions (5 school days) due to holidays in term-time if the absences take the pupils overall school attendance to below 90% in the school year to date (these absences do not have to be consecutive);

 persistent late arrival at school i.e. after the register has closed ( ‘U’ code as in the Codes Guidance Document 2010). Persistent for the purpose of this document means at least 10 sessions of late arrival within a term; these do not need to be consecutive but should bring the pupils overall school attendance to under 90% in the school year to date;

Should the Local Authority alter the criteria for issuing a fixed penalty notice the newly published code of conduct will take precedence over the criteria set out in this paragraph. The school should be sure to ensure that parents are made aware of any changes made to the code of conduct via their school website or newsletters and the school should as soon as is reasonably practicable revise this policy to reflect the new criteria.

4.9 When the school feels that, despite its best efforts to support the family, attendance is not improving, a referral will be made to the Education Welfare Service. A referral might be made when, for example:

 A pattern of irregular unauthorised attendance has developed;  A period of entrenched non-attendance has become established with the pupil attendance dropping to below 90% with unauthorised absences.  There is a lack of parental cooperation in ensuring a child’s regular attendance; or  A pattern of truancy is persisting.

4.10 Schools within the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster will liaise with the Education Welfare Service to provide the evidence required to prosecute parents who fail, without reasonable justification, to cause their child to attend school regularly, under sections 444(1) and 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996.

4.11 Before considering whether to make a referral to the local authority, action should be taken by the school to improve a pupil’s attendance and investigate and address any underlying cause of problems, such as:

- bullying - experience of racism - caring responsibilities - ill health - unmet SEN, or unidentified SEN or disability

36 5. Monitoring and evaluation

5.1 The SLT and EWO are responsible for maintaining accurate attendance records through SIMS for each pupil.

5.2 The EWO meets regularly with every school in the cluster to discuss individual cases of absenteeism, truancy or lateness and reflect upon the effectiveness of interventions to date. Decisions are taken at this time as to whether individual cases meet the criteria for referral to the Educational Welfare Service. As a result of the EWO's overview of the whole cluster, the EWO will strive to promote consistency when working with a family that might have children in more than one cluster school.

5.3 The appropriate member of staff in each school will meet with the Educational Welfare Officer as required to review cases and seek support. The Educational Welfare Officer is responsible for contributing to the Olchfa Comprehensive Cluster’s drive for school effectiveness through providing advice on proven good practice and promoting attendance.

5.4 Attendance data is reviewed at the end of the academic year by the Senior Leadership Teams of the Olchfa Comprehensive cluster schools and is used to populate the Self- Evaluation document and inform the School Improvement Plan.

5.5 The school and EWO should make use of attendance data to try and identify trends or problems and to evaluate the effectiveness of attendance strategies.

6. School Targets

6.1 Parents are informed of their child's attendance via reports.

6.2 The target for the school is set annually by Governors and reported in their annual report to parents. For the year 2015-2016 the attendance targets are available for each school in these reports

6.3 Attendance is reported to governors in every termly meeting via the head teacher report.

List of appendices

Appendix 1 – ‘Five Step System of Attendance Management’

37 Appendix 1

THE 5 STEP APPROACH TO MANAGING ATTENDANCE

In order to achieve our shared goal, of improving attendance and welfare for all children, young people and families a good working relationship between the EWS and the school is vital. The EWS will work with the designated person who is responsible for initiating the ‘in school’ action, and making referrals in accordance with the 5 Step Approach.

Step 1: School Based Interventions

This step focuses on school based approaches to supporting and improving attendance for all pupils.

Every school should have policies and procedures in place designed to ensure its pupils attend regularly. There should be a consistent and whole school approach, where all members of the school community are clear about their role. In summary, they should:

 Demonstrate a strong attendance ethos;  Have a clear policy on absence, stating how it will be managed;  Apply the policy fairly and consistently to all pupils;  Shared the policy with all parents/carers at the time of admission to the school and regularly draw it to their attention;  Have a named member of their management team with lead responsibility for attendance;  Re-enforce and communicate positive attendance messages throughout the year;  Have effective systems for monitoring attendance, including first day calling, analysis of data and follow up by form tutors when pupils return from absence;  Have efficient systems of registration which encourage children and parents to account promptly for any absences, which are in accordance with legal requirements and which show a consistent approach to the classification of absences as either authorised and unauthorised;  Set and monitor an annual absence target;  Nominate a school governor with a specific attendance remit;  Ensure all relevant staff receive training about attendance issues;  Ensure regular training for staff with registration responsibilities and monitor of practice to ensure high standards by class teachers and others with key responsibilities;  Promote the importance and legal requirements of good attendance to pupils and parents;  Intervene early when individual pupil absence gives cause for concern  Reward and celebrate good and improved attendance;  Make best use of additional support for pupils and parents with the greatest need;  When absence problems do not respond to interventions from class teacher/form tutor or Learning Manager; refer appropriately to the School Attendance Officer.

Research has shown that schools’ success in improving attendance depends on continual attention to detail, consistent application of agreed procedures and most of all the provision of a stimulating and appropriate curriculum for the needs of all pupils.

Step 1  Regular monitoring of registers.  Phoning/texting home on the 1st day of unauthorised absence.  A referral will be made to the EWO on the 4th consecutive day of unauthorised absence.  Liaison with other school staff.  Keeping records of actions/contacts regarding each case

38 Step 2: Advice and Consultation

 Parent/guardian(s) should be encouraged to visit school to discuss attendance and strategies for improvement. The parent and pupil should be given achievable target(s) to improve attendance. A date should be set for review.  If attendance has not improved the Class Teacher, Learning Manager or Attendance Officer should prioritise the list of pupils to be referred to the SAO.  There should be regular formal advice meetings between Education Welfare staff and the Learning Managers / Headteacher to identify pupils who are experiencing attendance difficulties. This should include regular examination of attendance registers. The frequency of which will vary according to mutually agreed need. These should take place in both Secondary and Primary schools as appropriate. The Senior Lead for Attendance should attend these meetings at agreed intervals.  The SAO and EWO will discuss and agree actions which needs to be taken; when and by whom.  Commitment required from all parties to undertake agreed actions by the next scheduled meeting.  Discussions, advice and actions to be recorded, with a copy kept by both the EWS and school at the end of each consultation and other appropriate feedback as agreed with school staff.  EWS will provide advice and support to the school on issues relating to attendance, access to education, welfare and safeguarding, exclusion or related matters in order that future action can be agreed.  SAO’s to keep accurate & up-to-date electronic casework records of any contact and communication with parents/guardians/pupils/other agencies.  The EWS will feedback information in relation to work which has been undertaken on cases open to EWS.  An early referral and subsequent involvement of both SAO/EWO may help to prevent a child going missing, or prevent truancy and other social problems from becoming entrenched. Delay in making an appropriate referral is often detrimental to the interests of the child involved and once truancy becomes entrenched it can be very difficult to bring about a return to regular school attendance

Schools may wish to consider using a formal ‘Attendance agreement’ which outlines expectations, actions and responsibilities for the pupil and their parent(s) for improved attendance, which they must agree and sign together with the school staff.

PROPOSED AGENDA FOR MEETING WITH LINK EWO

It is best practice to plan for regular meetings with the School’s link EWO. The EWS suggest the Schools’ Attendance Officer and the lead person with responsibility for attendance are part of these meetings. • General Preventative – to discuss, agree and review procedures and short-term strategies or projects to improve general punctuality and attendance in the year group/whole school. • Early Intervention – to identify, discuss and review individual pupils with emerging punctuality or attendance problems. Decide what school-based or other actions could be used to address concerns. • New Referrals to EWS for support – to identify, discuss and make formal referrals to the EWS of those pupils that have a level of unauthorised absence where EWS intervention is needed over and above school’s actions to address attendance concerns. • Reviewing Cases – EWO and school to provide feedback and share information about progress with existing referred cases via return of the referral or email.

39 Step 3: Referral to the Education Welfare Service

 Referrals should be made only after appropriate strategies have been explored by the school and undertaken at step 2.

 The referral will only be accepted if there is evidence of work completed by the school and School Attendance Officer.

 The referral will only be accepted if the School Attendance Officer has undertaken the non-attendance process, sent appropriate letters and met with parents/carers to seek improvement/address any difficulties.

 Referrals to EWS can only be made if there are unauthorised absences and must be made using formal SAO and EWS referral forms.

 An up to date print out of the registration certificate should accompany the referral.

 Once the case has been formally referred to the EWS, the case will be monitored by the SAO and the EWO and joint working will ensure consistency of support for the pupil.

 At the outset of casework by the EWO, the Local Authority EWS process will begin and the EWO will maintain communication on cases until the attendance improves, the support necessary is implemented or the case goes to prosecution.

Mandatory Practice

If there are concerns that the pupil’s family have moved out of the area, without leaving a forwarding address/name of new school, the School Attendance Officer must follow the Local Authority Children Missing Education (CME) protocol and make every effort to find the pupil by all means necessary before forwarding the case to the EWS for further tracking.

Good Practice

Before accepting a referral from a School Attendance Officer, the EWS will expect the school to have first undertaken a number of steps to address the pupil’s non-attendance. These would include:

 action by the class teacher/form teacher;

 action by the Learning Manager (secondary) or Head or Deputy Head (primary)

 contact with parents; including the school sending a sequence of letters of concern to the parents before formally involving the SAO;

 Inviting parents to a meeting in school ensuring that this is correctly documented.

 Offering help and support in the first instance;

 Challenging the outcome if not satisfactory – i.e. if absences for illness continue to be covered by notes – advise parents that medical confirmation is required.

 Undertaking a minimum of 1 face to face meeting and speaking to the parents about making improvements/addressing attendance difficulties

40 Step 4: Case Review and Assessment

When there is no progress at Steps 1, 2 & 3. The EWO will undertake a range of actions and interventions aimed at facilitating the pupil’s return to regular school attendance.

Casework will be based on an assessment of needs and action planned appropriate to the individual circumstances of each case, but may include:

 Home visits in order to assess the situation and agree a way forward. Arranging meetings between the school, parents and pupil in school or elsewhere.

 A range of interventions which could include liaison and joint working with other professionals. All casework will involve close and continuous liaison with the pupil’s school. Regular reviews and feedback to schools through a variety of methods which may include face to face consultation, phone, and written communication on work undertaken.

 In cases where the main causes of non-attendance may be school-related (e.g. alleged bullying, peer pressure, difficulties with a particular lesson or teacher) the EWO will discuss these with the school in order to develop strategies to overcome these difficulties.

 Keeping accurate casework records detailing all EWS involvement and interventions.

 Ensuring that parents are fully aware of their legal responsibilities and subsequent actions if attendance does not improve.

Step 5: Statutory Action

The Education Welfare Service will ensure that all parties are fully aware of the legal processes with regards to penalty notices or prosecution for regular non-attendance under the Education Act 1996.

41 Sample Statement

Parental request for term-time absence for holidays.

The Local Authority is fully supportive of the national drive to raise school attendance, recognising the crucial link between attendance and attainment. Great strides have been made in Swansea and across Wales to ensure that excellent attendance is a priority.

Whilst considering each request on its merits, head teachers do play an important role in scrutinising term time absence and should properly apply any discretion based upon their knowledge of the pupil and their family. Where possible and in appropriate circumstances the taking of an absence during term time should be actively discouraged.

Parents should be advised to avoid term time disruption and reminded of the link between attainment and attendance.

Head teachers should carefully consider before granting a leave of absence:-

 Age of the child  Wishes of the parents  Time of year of the proposed trip  Overall attendance pattern  Length and purpose of the holiday  The stage of education  Impact on continuity of learning  The child’s progress  Circumstances of the family  Any cultural issues  Benefits to the child  Any guidance or clarifications issued by Welsh Government or Ministers

For term time holidays approval must be sought in advance with a request submitted ideally two school weeks in advance to enable sufficient time for consideration. Head teachers cannot by law authorise a term time holiday after the event and in such cases the absence will be marked as unauthorised.