Attendance
Wyken Croft Primary School is committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all its pupils and recognises this can only be achieved by supporting and promoting excellent school attendance. There is a strong relationship between good school attendance and achieving positive outcomes for pupils and it is also recognised that attending school regularly can be a protective factor for pupils.
. Pupils need to attend school every day so they can take full advantage of the educational offer available to them.
. Poor attendance and persistent lateness undermines the educational process and leads to educational disadvantage
The whole school community - pupils, parents and carers, teaching and support staff and school governors - have a responsibility for ensuring good school attendance and it is important that this is done working in partnership. All stakeholders associated with Wyken Croft Primary School have a key role to play in supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and have a part to play in ensuring pupils are provided with an environment in which they are eager to learn, have access to positive relationships and look forward to coming into school every day.
Reporting an Absence
Parents/Carers should contact school every day of your child’s absence before 8.30am using the Studybugs App. If an explanation for an absence is not received, it will be recorded as unauthorised. A home visit may occur as a follow-up action.
Parent’s Responsibilities
Ensure your child comes to school every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. Students should be in the building by 8:50 a.m. when the morning session begins. Pupils arriving late will need to be signed in by a Parent/Carer using the Inventory system at the school office. Pupils arriving very late will be marked absent and will require a reason or the absence will remain unauthorised.
Please ensure school have your up-to-date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you if your child is absent and you have not contacted the school. This ensures your child’s safety and any absence is quickly identified. Persistent lateness is monitored and affects the overall attendance figure for each pupil. Consequences are the same for those students with low attendance.
Medical Appointments
In the case of unavoidable medical or dental appointments and in accordance with our policy, we require medical evidence in order to authorise these absences.
We accept the following as medical evidence as this includes the details of the time and date of the appointment:
. Appointment letter/slip
. Text Message or online booking confirmation
Fixed Penalty Notices
The Government’s priority is to ensure that every child attends school regularly and where attendance is deemed to be unsatisfactory, that it is addressed promptly. There is clear evidence that any absence can and will have an impact on attainment. It is therefore important that schools maintain good attendance levels and that parents/carers support this by ensuring their children attend school regularly.
What is a penalty notice and who issues them?
A penalty notice (PN) is an alternative to prosecution and requires the parent(s) to pay a fixed amount as a fine for their child’s irregular attendance at school. It is issued per parent, per child.
In Coventry, the Local Authority issues them through the Attendance and Inclusion Team following notification from the school.
When are they used?
. When a pupil has a minimum of 10 school sessions recorded as unauthorised in a 5 school week period; (a school day is two sessions - morning and afternoon).
. When a pupil has a series of unauthorised absences leading to irregular attendance.
. Persistent late arrival at school after the register has been taken and is recorded as an unauthorised by the Head Teacher.
The Government has directed that Head teachers may only grant leave in exceptional circumstances.
Penalty notice costs with effect from August 2024
When you pay Amount to pay
Payment within 21 days £80
Payment within 28 days £160.00
In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.
Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any 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.
If you would like some support to help improve your child’s attendance, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Webb or Miss Simpson, who will be happy to discuss this with you.
School telephone number: 02476 613932
Request for attendance support: pastoral@wykencroft.coventry.sch.uk
Studybugs web page: https://studybugs.com/about/parents
School Attendance Policy Coventry Primary Admissions Policy
DfE Documents
Working together to improve school attendance – August 2024
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
Supporting Mental Health – February 23
Coventry LA Information
. School Attendance https://www.coventry.gov.uk/attendance-inclusion/attendance
. Leave of absence during term time
. Irregular attendance including persistent lateness
. Fixed Penalty Notices
https://www.coventry.gov.uk/attendance-inclusion/attendance/2
. Parenting Contracts https://www.coventry.gov.uk/attendance-inclusion/attendance/3
Absence Reporting - Studybugs
We are pleased to announce that we are introducing a new, secure system for reporting your child’s absence, called Studybugs. This system will be much more efficient and easier for parents to use. On the day of absence, if we do not have a reason for your child’s absence we will send a message via this system and ask parents to respond by 12.00 pm otherwise this absence will be marked an unauthorised. Please could you download the Studybugs app or register on the Studybugs website in readiness for your child’s return to school on Monday 25th April.