Here at Cloudside Academy we are continually striving to raise attendance levels in order to maximise the educational achievements of all our pupils. The Cloudside Academy Team regard the regular attendance of children at school as being vital to each child’s education and development. Parents play a significant part in school attendance and we appreciate your support in this.
There is great deal of information available about achievement nowadays and it clearly shows that even quite low levels of absence have a negative impact on learning and future achievement both at school and beyond. The school aims for all its students to have 100% attendance and regards good attendance to be 97% or above with no unauthorised absences. We expect children to be present and ontime for school every day. It is for this reason that non attendances (however short or infrequent) are treated seriously and always followed up. If your child does not attend school and we do not have contact from you with regards to why your child is absent we will send you a text, if we do not receive a call or message to explain your child’s absence we will then call parent / carer to ascertain the reason for absence. Following this if contact can not be made, a home visit will take place to make a ‘Safe and Well Check’. In cases where a ‘Safe and Well Check’ can not take place we will need to contact the police so they can support with the completion of the ‘Safe and Well Check’. Your child’s safety and wellbeing is paramount to us and we have a duty of care to safeguard every child and family who attend our school. On the second day of absence, a home visit will be completed, even if you have been in contact with school every day to complete a ‘Safe and Well Check’.
We monitor all pupil absence and pupils with below 97% attendance are tracked and monitored. If your child’s attendance drops below 97% you will receive a letter to inform you that your child’s attendance has fallen below the expected 97%. Attendance checks are made fortnightly. Once letters have been sent if we do not see an improvement in attendance, parents may be invited in for a meeting to discuss any support or strategies that can be implemented to help improve your child’s attendance. We work closely with the Educational Welfare Officer from the Local Authority.
Covid has had a massive impact on children’s learning over the last two years, therefore it is more important than ever that your child attends school every day to catch up on vital learning that they have already missed.
The law requires the school to record your child’s absence from school as either authorised or unauthorised.
Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a genuine reason such as illness, medical/dental appointments which fall in school time, emergencies or other exceptional circumstances. Please be aware that the school will require medical evidence (a doctor’s appointment card or prescribed medication) to authorise regular absences. Where possible, appointments should be made outside the school day. If you are unable to provide medical evidence, your child’s absence may be recorded as unauthorised.
If your child is off school it is important to telephone the school by 9.15am or as soon as practically possible on the first day of the absence and inform the school office of the reason for absence. There is an answerphone to leave a message, parents can email the school office [email protected] or leave a message via the Gateway app.
Persistent lateness is a serious concern and may affect your child’s educational progress. Late arrival in class also disrupts lessons, can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage absence.
The school day starts at 8.30am where the children will begin their learning, class teachers will close the register at 8.40am but we encourage parents to ensure that children are in class for an 8.30am start.
Parents are legally obliged to send their child into school every day. From the 1st September 2013, the DFE issued guidelines giving no entitlement to parents to take their child on holiday during term time. Term time holidays will not be authorised at Cloudside Academy.
Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be coded as unauthorised and may result in a Penalty Notice being issued to parents. If a child has unauthorised leave of absence a parent may be issued with a Penalty Notice of £120 per parent per child (discounted to £60 if paid within 21 days) or, the case could be referred by the Local Authority directly to the Magistrates’ Court for the purposes of criminal prosecution.
Coronavirus Advice from DFE for Schools
