Attendance

We know that good attendance builds good habits. It helps students stay on top of their learning, develop strong relationships, and make the most of the opportunities available to them – in school and beyond.

As a school, we have a clear attendance policy which is based on the expectations set out by the Department for Education and Penk Valley Academy Trust. We politely ask that you take a moment to read the PVAT attendance policy, so you are clear of our expectations around punctuality and attendance.

We believe that our whole school culture of high attendance is underpinned by clear expectations, procedures, and working together. We work closely with families, VIP Education and Staffordshire Country Council to ensure that our attendance policy is understood and followed by all.

	Mr R Cole - Deputy Headteacher - Attendance Champion
	Miss J Colley - School Attendance Administrator
	Mrs A Cooling - External Education Welfare Officer from VIP Education

Student Absence Procedure

• Please inform school as soon as possible on each day of absence. To report the reason - call 01785 413400 or use ClassCharts.
• If absent, please provide evidence to support it. Evidence can be handed into the office in person, sent to the office via ClassCharts or emailed to office@Penkridge-middle.org.
• For planned absences, please inform the school at the earliest opportunity by ringing or emailing the school office and providing proof of the appointment.

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. Research has shown that pupils with the highest attainment have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment. Therefore, we thank you for continuing to ensure your child regularly attends school. We understand that there may be unavoidable circumstances that may cause your child to miss school. However, we ask that you make every effort to avoid absences that are not absolutely necessary. Absence If the need arises to report an absence, please contact the school office by 8:45am on the morning of each absence. Absences can be reported via the ClassCharts report absence function or via telephone 01785 413400.

Impact of absence over a year:

90% attendance = 19 days off school  

85% attendance = 29 days off school (a whole half-term)

80% attendance = 38 days off school  

70% attendance = 57 days off school (a whole term)

Medical Appointments

We expect parents to make medical and dental appointments for their children before or after school or during the school holidays, whenever possible. If this is not possible, confirmation of the appointment will be required prior to authorising the absence. Children are expected to attend school prior to the appointment and parents are expected to return their children to school following the appointment. Evidence of such absence can be handed in to the office in person, sent to the office via ClassCharts or emailed to the office@Penkridge-middle.org.

Term Time Holidays

Holidays during term time will be recorded as unauthorised absences and the local council will process a fixed penalty notice for any parent taking a child out of school for a school holiday. All holidays should be taken in the 13 weeks holiday each academic year.

Punctuality

At 8:45am school has begun and all children are expected to be in classrooms where registers are taken.  Arriving after will result in a late mark being recorded. Should a child arrive after the register closes at 9:15am this will be recorded as unauthorised on the register.  We understand, on odd occasions, there are genuine reasons why your child may arrive slightly late for school. If your child arrives late to school, they will be unable to access the playground and will need to sign in via reception with the child’s guardian providing reason for lateness.  Where children arrive after 8:45am for school, with no adult or reason, the office will alert you via ClassCharts that they arrived after 8:45am. Given the importance of making every minute in school count, if your child arrives late to school, they will complete a late care catch-up to make up the missed time with the Senior Leadership Team. The statistics below highlight the impact of poor punctuality across the course of the school year.

Impact of lateness over a school year:

5 minutes late every day = 3 days absent

15 minutes late every day = 10 days absent

30 minutes late every day = 19 days absent

As always, we are thankful to all families for their continued support of the school and for ensuring your children do not miss out on valuable teaching and learning time. If you have any questions or concerns about attendance, please do not hesitate to contact us.