Attendance

Attendance

Attendance is of the utmost importance at E-ACT Venturers' Academy, as it supports students’ academic progress, helps them achieve their potential, and is crucial for promoting and safeguarding their well-being.

The academy’s effectiveness is measured by various indicators, including attendance. To best support and safeguard our students, E-ACT Venturers' Academy asks that parents, staff, governors, and students collaborate with the academy to achieve the highest possible attendance rates.

E-ACT Venturers' Academy has established systems and practices that aim to:

  • Foster a culture where good attendance is the norm.
  • Monitor the quality of the school experience to ensure a safe, secure, happy, and engaging environment that encourages good attendance.
  • Raise student awareness about the importance of punctuality and uninterrupted attendance, instilling a sense of responsibility.
  • Track attendance and punctuality levels and provide relevant data.
  • Strengthen cooperation between home and academy to support good attendance and address related challenges.
  • Recognise good attendance and punctuality as achievements through rewards.
  • Inform families regularly, through newsletters and the website, about the importance of good attendance and punctuality and their role in ensuring this.

General Principles

  • Regular, punctual attendance is key to every student’s success.
  • Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that their child attends E-ACT Venturers' Academy regularly. Where necessary, support and encouragement will be provided to help improve attendance.
  • Promoting and improving attendance is a shared responsibility of all staff, working in a coordinated manner.
  • E-ACT Venturers' Academy works in partnership with parents and external services to develop a systematic and coordinated response to attendance issues.
  • Secure data, effective communication, and supportive intervention are critical to the academy’s approach to attendance.
  • Early intervention is essential to prevent negative habits of unauthorised and authorised absence.
  • The academy does not authorise holidays during term time unless under exceptional circumstances.
  • Absences will only be authorised with evidence of a genuine medical or compassionate reason.
  • External agencies will be engaged to provide additional support when necessary.

Responsibilities of the Deputy Head for Wellbeing and Welfare

  • Fully implement the academy’s Attendance Policy.
  • Promote, celebrate, and reward good attendance.
  • Advise the Executive Headteacher on target-setting for improving attendance.
  • Lead policy development and review related to attendance.
  • Report periodically on attendance to the governing body.
  • Monitor the Attendance Policy and evaluate its impact.
  • Keep all stakeholders informed of attendance patterns and trends.
  • Ensure staff are held accountable for attendance matters, responding to post-registration data as needed.

Parent/Carer Information

Parents and carers are informed about:

  • What constitutes authorised and unauthorised absence.
  • The importance of notifying the academy about absences.
  • The academy’s role in addressing low attendance, truancy, and persistent lateness.
  • Their child’s attendance and punctuality levels through termly reports, annual reviews, meetings, and letters.

Parent/Carer Procedure

  • Unplanned Absence: If a child is absent due to illness or another unforeseen reason, parents/carers should contact Reception by phone as soon as possible on the first day of absence, providing the reason and likely duration.
  • Planned Absence: For planned absences, such as medical appointments, parents/carers must notify the academy by phone or in writing in advance.

Recording Attendance

Tutors are required to record students' attendance twice daily using SIMS, for reporting and analysis.

E-ACT Venturers' Academy maintains an Attendance Register for all students from the first day of admission, recording whether each student is:

  • Present.
  • Attending an approved educational activity.
  • Absent; or
  • Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances.

The academy follows up on absences to:

  • Ascertain the reason.
  • Take appropriate safeguarding actions.
  • Determine whether the absence is authorised; and
  • Ensure correct coding in the school’s electronic register for school census purposes.

Holidays in Term Time

As per the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations, holidays in term time are not permitted except in exceptional circumstances. Parents/carers taking their child on holiday during term time may face penalties under the Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations.

Working with External Agencies

The academy understands that low attendance can reflect a range of circumstances and works closely with external agencies to provide support where needed.

Agencies include:

  • Educational Psychologists (EP),
  • Children’s Social Care Services,
  • Police, and
  • Youth Offending Teams (YOT).

Data Protection and Confidentiality

The academy complies with the Data Protection Act and shares information with police or social services when necessary for safeguarding.

Students not collected at the end of the day

Section 175 Education Act 2002 places a duty on Local Authorities (LA’s) and Governing Bodies to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.  It is important that parents keep the Academy informed of change of addresses or contact details, if no prior arrangement has been made with the Academy, or a parent/carer has not advised the Academy will have a duty to follow the procedures as set down in the Academy’s Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

Attendance rates and actions

Attendance Rate

Action

100%

This is the aim for all children. Students who achieve this are recognised at Open Day on their Open Day Report, there is an award for attendance at Open Day and students are rewarded through the Credit System.  Children are also invited to celebrate their 100% attendance at their termly tea with the Principal.

97-99%

Excellent attendance and is recognised through the credit system.

95.7% or above

Good/high attendance and is recognised through the credit system.

94.9% - 95.6%

Above average attendance.

94% - 94.8%

Average attendance.  Students will be encouraged to raise their attendance levels further through; positive reinforcement of the credit system and awards, weekly target setting, exploration of barriers to attendance with key worker and support from the school nurse where appropriate.

90% - 94%

Low attendance and will be addressed with support for the student and family from the Academy Leadership Team. It may be discussed with the student’s case officer or social worker, raised at Annual Reviews and Child Protection/Looked After Child meetings.

Below 90%

This constitutes a level of absence that gives school cause for serious concern for a student’s welfare and safety. The school will contact the Education Welfare Office in the student’s home locality to investigate the reasons for the level of absence and support an improvement in attendance.


Promoting good attendance - Information for parents/carers

What is your duty?

You are legally responsible for:

  • Ensuring your child is in receipt of full time education.
  • Their regular and punctual attendance at the Academy.

What can you do?

If your child is absent from the Academy you must:

  • As early as you can on the first day of absence phone the Academy, or send a notice, or call the Academy. 
  • When your child returns to the Academy always send a signed note which should be dated and give the reason for absence.

The reasons your child should NOT be kept away from the Academy include:

  • To look after brothers or sisters
  • To mind the house
  • To visit relatives
  • For long weekends
  • For shopping trips
  • For birthdays.

The above will be recorded by the Academy as unauthorised absence.  Where possible all medical appointments like doctors or dentists should be made outside of school time.

How can I help my child attend school regularly?

  • Talk to your child about their day.
  • Keep in touch with the Academy and teaching staff about any concerns you or your child may have.
  • Attend parents' evenings, Academy meetings and other events.

How can we help?

The Academy is committed to providing a full time and efficient education for all students.

The Academy can offer help by providing advice and support to you and your child.