Attendance & Unauthorised Absence

Student attendance to school

Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all students can fulfil their potential is student attendance to school. Missing out on lessons leaves students vulnerable to falling behind. Students with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school. (Working together to improve school attendance, August 2024).

At Kingsmead school we monitor student attendance very closely. We understand that there are additional factors affecting student attendance to school during the pandemic and analyse each student and their context on an individual basis. We work alongside our pastoral team to offer a nurturing environment which supports students who have issues with attendance due to factors outside of their control and we endeavour to work with families to get students into lessons and learning.

Student absence requests

If your child has an appointment during school hours, you must submit a note requesting an authorised absence along with evidence of their appointment at least one week before the appointment date. If evidence is not received in advance of the appointment, we will not grant their absence.

The absence request and evidence can be submitted via email to: attendance@kingsmead.org or handed in by your child directly to the Attendance Officer in the main office.

Doctor and dentist appointments are encouraged to be booked outside of school hours to avoid unnecessary loss of learning time. Orthodontist, hospital, medical and extenuating circumstances will be considered.

Reporting Your Child’s Absence

All student absences should be reported as early in the day as possible, ideally before 8:30 am, either via email or by calling the school’s phone number.

Reporting Your Child’s Absence via Email:

Please use the email address we have for you on our Arbor system.
You can email our attendance team at: attendance@kingsmead.org

Please ensure you include the following information:

• Your child’s full name
• Your child’s form group
• The reason for the absence

Reporting Your Child’s Absence by Calling the School:

Call the school’s phone number on 020 8351 5000 and select Option 1.

Please leave a brief, clear voicemail message, including:

• Your child’s full name
• Your child’s form group
• The reason for the absence

What Happens if You Don’t Inform Us of Your Child’s Absence:

Once our attendance checks have been completed, if we have not been informed of your child's absence or lateness, you will receive an "Absent from School" email or text alert. Please ensure you respond as soon as possible by calling the school, so we can update the attendance record. Absences that are not confirmed will remain unauthorised and will negatively impact your child’s attendance.

 

Our procedure is outlined below:

Attendance	Action taken
Attendance falls below 96% and has no evidence of a legitimate reason	School attendance letter issued warning you that your child’s attendance is starting to drop
Attendance continues to fall and remains unauthorised	Phone call from our Parent Support Advisor. Home visit by our Parent Support Advisor
Attendance falls	The Education Welfare Officer (EWO) from the Synergy Education and Welfare Service (SEWS), will take over the case and parents may be issued with a penalty notice warning letter.
Attendance continues to fall despite warnings and intervention	School based meeting with the EWO to discuss the concerns followed by a review meeting. A penalty notice fine will also be considered.
Attendance continues to fall and remains unauthorised	Court warning letter sent which may lead to a prosecution.

It is imperative that we work together to safeguard and oversee your child’s attendance to school.

If you have any questions about attendance, please email attendance@kingsmead.org

 

Timings of the School day

The School Day

Students must be in school before 8:24am so they are ready to line up by 8:25am every day to be in lessons by 8:30am.

	Y9/Y10/Y11		Y7, Y8, KS5
0830	P1	0830	P1
0925	Break	0925	P2
0945	P2	1020	Break
1040	P3	1040	P3
1135	Lunch	1135	Tutorial
1215	Tutorial	1215	Lunch
1255	P4	1255	P4
1350	P5	1350	P5
1445	Intervention/Clubs	1445	Intervention/Clubs
1530	End	1530	End

 

Punctuality

Students who arrive at school after 8:24 am and up until 8:40 am will receive a Late to School consequence, which is a C2 and results in a 30-minute detention the following day. Students who arrive after 8:40 am receive a Late to School after 8:40am consequence which results in a 60-minute detention after school the following day. Please note that students who arrive 30 minutes later than expected. If a student arrives at school after 9am, they will be given a U code, meaning their absence for that day will count as 50%.

During the school day, students have a 4-minute transition window to get from one lesson to the next. If students are late, they will be issued with a lateness to lesson (C2). If they are 2 minutes or more late after the designated time, they will be issued with a truancy sanction (C3).

 The Role of the EWO

We work with our Educational Welfare Officer from the Enfield Borough to offer guidance and support.

The EWO in schools plays an important role in supporting students' attendance and welfare. Their responsibilities typically include:

1. Monitoring Attendance: They track students' attendance patterns, identify those with irregular attendance, and intervene when necessary to prevent further absences.
2. Supporting Families: They work closely with families to address any barriers to regular school attendance, such as illness, bullying, or family issues.
3. Providing Guidance: The EWO offers advice to school staff and parents about attendance-related policies and legal requirements.
4. Liaising with Other Services: They often collaborate with other services, such as social services or health professionals, to ensure that students' well-being is addressed holistically.
5. Improving Engagement: The EWO helps improve student engagement by identifying reasons behind non-attendance and developing plans to address these issues.

The EWO also plays a role in addressing persistent absenteeism through legal measures, including fines and court proceedings. Here's a more detailed breakdown of their responsibilities in this area:

1. Fines for Non-Attendance: If a student's attendance remains poor despite support and intervention, the EWO can issue fines to parents or guardians. These fines are typically applied when a child has unauthorised absences from school without a valid reason.
2. Legal Action and Court Proceedings: If attendance does not improve after fines have been issued, the EWO may initiate further legal action. This could lead to a parental prosecution in the Magistrates' Court. In such cases, parents may be required to attend court and could face additional fines or other legal consequences if found in breach of the school's attendance policies.
3. Ensuring Compliance with the Law: The EWO ensures that parents are aware of the legal obligations regarding school attendance, as it is a requirement under UK law for children to attend school regularly. They will inform parents of the legal implications of continued non-attendance.

The School and the EWO worked together to prevent such measures by working closely with families early on to find solutions and remove obstacles to regular attendance. However, when necessary, they take these actions to ensure that students are receiving the education they are entitled to.