Attendance

The Nuneaton Academy promotes good school attendance and punctuality for every child. Regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities. School attendance is also a component of safeguarding children. The Nuneaton Academy aims to ensure learners attend school and will work consistently towards a goal of 100% attendance for all learners, as regular and punctual attendance is of paramount importance in ensuring that all young people have full access to the curriculum. Valuable learning time is lost when learners are absent or late. Learners should be at school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. It is the parent/carer’s legal responsibility to ensure their child’s regular attendance to school and permitting your child to be absent from school without a good reason is an offence in law and may result in prosecution.

Absence Procedures

If a child is absent parents/carers must: telephone the school as soon as possible, preferably before 08.40am, on each day of absence, stating the reason for absence; please save evidence in the form of appointment cards, prescriptions or referral letters should they be required at a later date. If a child is absent we will telephone or text parents/carers on the first day of absence if we have not heard from them, and discuss strategies for improvement, with parent/carers, before referring the matter to Educational Welfare Officer if the attendance figure falls below acceptable figures.

Reminder for Parents – Leave Of Absence during Term Time

As you will all 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 Midland Academies 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 she views as ‘exceptional’ and it is at her 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 School 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 School 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 / carer(s), 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 / carer(s). Where a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and not paid within the required timeframe as set out on the notice, the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal proceedings under S444 Education Act 1996. Parents are asked to respect the new regulations under which the School must work and if there is a need to take a child out of school during term time, an application or request must be made in advance and make clear how the circumstances are exceptional.

Attendance Strategy

The Nuneaton Academy recognises and rewards pupils for excellent attendance to school. We also recognise that where a child’s attendance is below expectations support strategies need to be implemented to improve their attendance. With this in mind, the Academy rewards and supports improved attendance.