Attendance

At Sandhurst School, we believe that consistent attendance and punctuality are the cornerstones of a successful education. Every day at school provides essential opportunities for learning, personal growth, and social development. As attendance deteriorates, so does achievement, friendships, self-esteem, and performance.

We are committed to meeting our obligation regarding school attendance through a whole-school culture that values good attendance. This page outlines our processes, the reasons why attendance is so important, and the steps we take to support families. Improving attendance is everyone's responsibility.

The critical link between attendance and success

Regular attendance at school is the key to a pupil's social, emotional, educational progress, and attainment. By attending, pupils gain the skills they need to achieve successful outcomes for their future. Every day, and indeed every lesson, matters.

• There is a clear link between attendance and academic achievement. Data from the Department for Education consistently shows that pupils with high attendance have significantly better GCSE results. Missing just 17 school days in a year can lead to a drop of at least one full grade at the GCSE level.
• Pupils who are persistently late or absent soon fall behind with work and may not understand current lessons when they return. This can negatively impede their ability to concentrate, engage in lessons, and may even result in poor behaviour. Our school attendance target is 96%.

How parents can support good attendance

Parental support is vital for maintaining high attendance. You can help your child by establishing a routine that prioritises school. This includes ensuring your child goes to bed at a reasonable hour, wakes up on time, and has their uniform and equipment ready the night before. Reinforce the importance of education and discuss what your child is learning to show your interest. If your child is expressing reluctance to attend, encourage and promote school attendance, whilst also unpicking the root cause of this reluctance. Please contact the school to seek advice and support before the issue escalates into a prolonged absence. Finally, please aim to arrange non-urgent appointments (dental, optician, etc.) outside of school hours to minimise disruption to their learning.

Support for families

We understand that a student's attendance can be an area of difficulty for some families. We are committed to working with you to overcome barriers to attendance. If you or your child have concerns, please do not hesitate to contact their form tutor, the Attendance Officer, or the Head of Year. They will work with you to understand the situation and make appropriate referrals for support, whether it's for physical or mental health needs, or other personal circumstances. We have a wide range of interventions that we may use to support you, including the use of home visits. 

Sandhurst School attendance processes

Sandhurst School's attendance system is designed to promote good attendance and act early to support and address patterns of absence.

1. Reporting an Absence

• Parents/carers must make sure their child attends every day/timetabled session on time.
• You must contact the school to report your child's absence before 8:15 AM on the day of the absence and each subsequent day of absence.
• The preferred method for reporting absence is through the Studybugs app or website.
• Alternatively, you can email our Attendance Officer, Mrs. C. Silvey, at attendance@sandhurstschool.org.uk. You can also call 01344 775 678.
• If we do not receive a reason for a student's absence on the first day, we will contact home through our first-day response system to ascertain the reason and ensure their safety.

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell.

There are government guidelines for schools that say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't. Please visit this NHS website for more information. 

It's fine to send your child to school with a slight cough or common cold symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat or headache, as long as they're otherwise well and do not have a high temperature.

2. Punctuality and Registration

The school day starts at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:00 PM.

• Your child needs to be in the tutor lineup by 8:30 AM the latest.
• The register closes at 9:15 AM.
• A pupil who arrives before the register has closed will be marked as late. Any student arriving after 8:30 AM will receive a same day breaktime detention.
• A pupil arriving after 9:15 AM (after the register has closed) will be marked as absent (Unauthorised Absence, code U) and receive a lunchtime detention, unless an explanation is provided and accepted by the school.
• Persistent lateness can also result in a fixed penalty notice (FPN) as per government guidance. 

3. Absence Categories and Evidence

• Authorised Absence (Code C): Granted when the school has accepted the explanation offered as satisfactory, or given approval in advance.
• Unauthorised Absence (Code O/N): When the school has not received a reason for absence or has not approved a child's absence after a parent's request.
• Illness (Code I): Absence due to illness is authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity. Avoid keeping your child off with minor ailments such as a headache or cold.  If authenticity is in doubt, the school may request medical evidence (e.g., a doctor's note or prescription).
• Medical Appointments (Code M): Attending a medical or dental appointment will be authorised if the school is notified in advance. Parents/carers are encouraged to make appointments out of school hours where possible.

4. Monitoring, Support, and Escalation

We regularly monitor and analyse attendance data (including punctuality). Our attendance policy follows a “support first” approach. 

• We will inform you by email when your child’s attendance drops below 96% and again when it falls below 93%.
• We will also inform you by email if your child has received three late marks or three unauthorised marks in one week
• If attendance does not improve, parents/carers may be asked to discuss the matter with the appropriate school link. An Attendance Action Plan (AAP) may be considered appropriate.
• Our attendance strategy follows our graduated response; with interventions following the assess, plan, deliver and review cycle.
• If a student or parent/carer has a concern, you should contact the form tutor, the attendance officer, or Head of Year for support. We want to work with pupils and families to remove any barriers by building strong, trusting relationships.

Statutory reporting the the local authority

Poor attendance is a safeguarding issue. We work closely with the Local Authority’s Education Welfare Service (EWS).

• First Day Response: Where any pupil expected to attend does not, the school will contact the parent/carer/guardian on the morning of the first day. If contact cannot be made, the school may escalate to appropriate agencies.
• 3-Day Absence: Where a student's absence continues for three days without explanation, the school will escalate inquiries, which may involve a home visit or involving other appropriate agencies.
• 10-Day Absence Notification: We are required to report to the EWS where a student has been absent for a continuous period of ten school days and their absence is recorded with one or more unauthorised codes: G, N, O, and/or U.
• 15-Day Sickness Notification: We report to the EWS where a student's absence is recorded with code I (Illness) and they are reasonably expected to miss 15 consecutive or cumulative school days due to illness.

 Leave of absence during term-time and legal sanctions

Parents have a legal duty to ensure their child receives education.

• Exceptional Circumstances: The Headteacher will only grant a leave of absence during term time if they consider there to be 'exceptional circumstances'. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the Headteacher's discretion.
• Please note that the term of ‘exceptional circumstances’ may refer to the following situations:

- A request to attend a funeral of a family member

- To support the terminal illness of a first-degree relative of the student

- To attend an DfE approved sporting or extra curricular event by an official organisation

• The Law: Parents do not have an automatic right to take a child out of school. Any application must be made in advance using the school's request for leave of absence form.
• Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs): Leave taken without authorisation may be referred to the EWS and may result in a prosecution or a Fixed Penalty Notice. An FPN may be issued when a pupil has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. This includes unauthorised holidays and sessions of arriving late after the register closes.
• FPN Structure (from 19 August 19 2024): The fine is issued per parent, per child.

- First Offence: £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

- Second Offence (for the same child/parent within 3 years): £160 if paid within 28 days (no reduction).

- Third Offence: A Penalty Notice will not be issued; the case will be referred for criminal prosecution.

• Prosecution: Failure to pay an FPN will result in prosecution at the Magistrates’ Court. This can lead to a criminal conviction and fines of up to
  £2,500 per parent, per child, or a term of imprisonment.

Application for Leave of Absence During Term Time

Corvus Penalty Notice Card

Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)

EBSA refers to reduced or non-attendance rooted in emotional, mental health, or well-being issues, not a deliberate act of defiance. If a pupil exhibits EBSA, the school will consider co-producing an agreed action plan with the pupil, parent/carer, and appropriate professionals.

The strategic lead for school attendance is Mr. J. Bronkhorst, Assistant Headteacher. You can email him at jbronkhorst@sandhurstschool.org.uk.