Attendance and Holidays

Every pupil at Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy is expected to maintain an attendance level of 97% and above, this is in line with the Government's expectations. It is the responsibility of everyone in our school community – parents, carers, pupils, staff and governors to ensure they achieve this. Therefore we monitor and review the attendance of all pupils constantly.

"Absences add up! Missing just 2 days a month means a child misses 10% of the school year."

Each year there are 190 school days which leaves 180 days for holidays, shopping, birthday treats, holidays and non-urgent medical and dental appointments. Therefore, the school will not authorise absence for these reasons.

Therefore, if your son or daughter attends for at least 97% of one school year they will have had less than 10 days absent.

Below is a chart showing a comparison of attendance for a full academic year and what impact it has on your attendance and academic achievement.

What your absence percentages mean
Percentage	No of days absence	Learning missed	Total Absence over 5 years
100%	0 days missed	0 lessons
99.5%	1 days	5 lessons	1 week
99%	2 days	10 lessons	2 weeks
98.5%	3 days	15 lessons	3 weeks
98%	4 days	20 lessons	1 month
Penalty Warning Letter issued
97.5%	5 days (1 Week)	25 lessons	1¼ months
Educational Penalty notice, Parenting Contract or Parenting Order may be issued if child's attendance does not improve.
97%	6 days	30 lessons	1½ months
96.5%	7 days	35 lessons	1¾ months
96%	8 days	40 lessons	2 months
95.5%	9 days	45 lessons	2¼ months
95%	10 days (2 Weeks)	50 lessons	2½ months
At this stage there is Local Education Authority involvement and prosecutions may be issued.
92.5%	15 days	75 lessons	3¾ months
90%	20 days	100 lessons	5 months
87.5%	25 days	125 lessons	6¼ months
85%	30 days	150 lessons	7½ months
82.5%	35 days	175 lessons	8¾ months
80%	40 days	200 lessons	10 months

At Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy we appreciate that children are unwell and there can be exceptional circumstances for absence. Please think carefully before keeping your child off school as missing days for minor illnesses has a negative impact on your child's progress. There is a strong connection between good attendance and achievement at school. Absence is proven to have a significant negative impact upon a child's educational attainment.

Lateness

Pupils need to be in school no later than 8.30am.

In cases where a child persistently arrives at school after the register has closed and has acquired fourteen unauthorised (U) late marks within a period of no more than 10 weeks, an Education Penalty Notice may be issued. Pupils who arrive late to school will receive a consequence in line with our punctuality procedures.

Poor school attendance combined with lateness which amounts to 14 sessions lost within a period of no more than 10 weeks can also trigger an Education Penalty Notice.

On the rare occasion your child needs to be off school due to illness or any other appropriate reason it is the parent/carers responsibility to contact the attendance team EVERY day of the absence before 8.30am.

Two ways to inform:

Voicemail: 0151 477 8770 (Option 1 or extension 1269)
Email: SEACA-attendance@seaca.pfcmat.org

(ONLY FOR ATTENDANCE. ANY OTHER INFORMATION WILL BE DISCARDED)

Please leave child's full name, year group and reason for absence when contacting. A letter/note in planner/medical evidence is needed on return and presented to attendance office.

Known Absence (including appointments during the school day)

All appointments should be made out of school hours; however, in extreme circumstances a pupil may need to attend an appointment during the school day. If this is the case the following procedure should be adhered to:

The student should present a note from the parent/carer to the Attendance Manager stating the reason for the request to leave school early. The time and date of the appointment should be written on the note.
When the student wishes to leave the school, they are to present the note at the attendance office and sign out before leaving.
The school reserves the right to refuse permission to permit students to miss school or to leave school early. If in doubt, parents/carers or pupils should refer the matter to their respective Year Manager or Attendance Officer.

Permission must be given by a parent or carer for a child to leave the school site unaccompanied by an adult for any appointment.

Holidays

Holidays are not authorised by the school unless it is classed as exceptional circumstances. Holidays taken in term time and not classed as an exceptional circumstance may be awarded an Educational Penalty Notice.

Attendance rewards and initiatives

Pupils at school can expect to receive either:

Certificates/ badges/stickers.
Letters to parents to acknowledge excellent attendance.
Their name and photograph on displays
Personal congratulations from members of staff.

Pupils can also receive bonus class chart points if their form has 100% attendance or 100% punctuality for that week. Form group 'Jump the dinner queue passes' can be won for highest attending for group(s) of the week. Certificates from Progress Leaders are also awarded in end of term assemblies for 100% or significantly improved attendance.