ATTENDANCE
Attendance Statement
At Turves Green Boys’ School, we are committed to creating an environment where every pupil can reach their full potential, thrive in their learning, and feel safe and secure. Regular school attendance is critical in achieving these goals, as it lays the foundation for academic success, emotional well-being, and personal development. Good attendance not only supports your child’s learning but also develops positive habits and resilience, preparing them for a successful and fulfilling adult life.
Irregular attendance, on the other hand, can lead to significant educational disadvantage, increasing the risk of underachievement and limiting future opportunities. Additionally, it may place children at risk of being drawn into anti-social or even criminal behaviour. Safeguarding our pupils is our top priority, and consistent attendance plays a crucial role in ensuring our pupils safety and well-being.
Punctuality is equally important. Arriving late disrupts the learning process for your child and others in the classroom, affecting the overall learning environment. We encourage all parents and guardians to support their children in arriving on time each day.
Attendance and punctuality are shared responsibilities that require strong partnership and collaboration between home, school, and the local authority. We are committed to working closely with families and external agencies to support and promote regular attendance. Effective communication is central to this, and we encourage open dialogue between parents, guardians, staff, and pupils to address any issues or concerns regarding attendance.
Our Attendance Policy can be found HERE.
Our Commitment:
Encouraging Regular Attendance
We aim for every pupil to have at least 96% attendance, and we will celebrate those who achieve this.
Supporting Families
We offer support and guidance to families who may face challenges that affect their child's attendance.
Monitoring Attendance
We closely monitor attendance patterns and will address any concerns promptly and sensitively.
Collaboration
We work in partnership with parents, guardians, and the local authority to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.
Parental Responsibilities
As parents and guardians, you play a vital role in ensuring your child attends school regularly and punctually. We ask that you:
• Promote the importance of education by encouraging your child to attend school every day.
• Notify the school as soon as possible if your child is unable to attend due to illness or any other reason. Parents and guardians are required to telephone the House office to report their child's absence each day they are not attending school.
Austin House: Option 1 Head of House: Mr. Brennan sbrennan@tgbs.co.uk HOHPA: Mrs. Liddle
Boulton House: Option 2 Head of House: Mr. Stafford dstafford@tgbs.co.uk HOHPA: Miss. Nash
Tolkien House: Option 3 Head of House: Mr. Kelley jkelley@tgbs.co.uk HOHPA: Ms. Tresignie
• Ensure your child arrives at school on time and is prepared for the school day.
By working together, we can provide your child with the best opportunities for success, both now and in the future. We thank you for your continued support and cooperation in this shared responsibility.
Understanding 'Persistent' and 'Severe' Absence
Persistent absence is a term used to describe when a pupil’s attendance falls below 90% over the school year. This means that the pupil has missed around one day of school every two weeks, which can significantly impact their learning and progress. Severe absence is an even more serious concern, referring to when a pupil’s attendance drops below 50%. At this level, the pupil is missing half of the school year, putting them at a severe disadvantage academically and socially. At Turves Green Boys’ School, we work closely with parents and guardians to address and improve attendance issues, as regular attendance is essential for your child's success and well-being.
New Penalty Notice Guidelines
There are new national rules on issuing penalty notices for school absences. Schools must consider issuing a penalty notice if your child has 10 or more sessions (equivalent to 5 days) of unauthorised absence within a 10-school-week period, and when additional support to improve attendance is not appropriate or has not been effective. Penalty notices are typically issued in cases like unauthorised holidays during term time or when efforts to improve attendance are not being engaged with. The fine for a penalty notice will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.
If you do not pay the fine, you may be prosecuted in court. If a second penalty notice is issued for the same child within three years, the charge will be a flat rate of £160, with no reduction for early payment. You cannot receive more than two penalty notices for the same child within a three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.
If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.
Important Documents on School Attendance
We encourage all parents and guardians to carefully review the essential documents related to school attendance available on our website. These include "Working Together to Improve School Attendance," "Letter to School Leaders on Mild Illness and School Attendance," and "Is My Child Too Ill for School?" These documents provide valuable guidance on how we can collectively ensure consistent attendance, address issues of illness, and make informed decisions about when your child should stay home from school. Understanding and engaging with these resources will help us work together more effectively to support your child's education and well-being.
Working Together to Improve School Attendance - A guide for parents on school attendance
Letter to School Leaders on Mild Illness and School Attendance
Is My Child Too Ill for School
Who to contact
To address or discuss any issues related to your child’s school attendance, please contact your child’s Head of House. They are here to help remove barriers and create a support plan tailored to your child’s needs.
• Austin House: Mr. Brennan, Email: sbrennan@tgbs.co.uk (Option 1)
• Boulton House: Mr. Stafford, Email: dstafford@tgbs.co.uk (Option 2)
• Tolkien House: Mr. Kelley, Email: jkelley@tgbs.co.uk (Option 3)
If you or your family need support or assistance, please contact the school. We are committed to providing help through the Early Help process. For more details on Early Help, please visit the link below. If you wish to discuss any related issues, please contact Sean Rogers, Hannah Brooker, or Lyndsy Sanders using the contact information provided:
• Early Help Link
• Mr Rogers, Deputy Headteacher: Email: srogers@tgbs.co.uk
• Ms Brooker, School Support Worker: Email: hbrooker@tgbs.co.uk
• Ms Sanders, Attendance Manager: Email: lsanders@tgbs.co.uk
