Introduction
Attendance is always a priority for Newark Orchard School as we know that pupils cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school.
Newark Orchard aims to meet 92% overall whole school attendance. We know how important it is to work with parents and carers as well as other professionals to support pupils to attend school every day.
We have a dedicated attendance leader, Ryan McWilliams, who oversees all aspects of tracking, monitoring and supporting pupil attendance. Should you wish to contact the attendance lead please do so by email rmcwilliams@newarkorchard.notts.sch.uk or phoning school on 01636 682255.
In line with our attendance policy we work with parents/carers at the earliest point of concern, to help address any underlying reasons for irregular, low or persistent absence.
Working with parents, carers and professionals
Sometimes it can be difficult for parents/carers to determine whether their child is well enough to attend school. The NHS link https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/ provides clarity about if their child can attend.
If your child must be absent from school, for example if they are too unwell to attend school, please ensure that you inform school by 8.45am with a clear explanation with the reason for absence so that we can accurately code the register.
We do not authorise holidays during term time. If parents require their child to be absent for exceptional circumstances, they must email the Head teacher at matt.joyce@newarkorchard.notts.sch.uk
Tracking and monitoring attendance:
We recognise that pupils may have specific reasons why they can’t attend school, such as medical appointments that can’t be taken outside of the school day however, we set our expectations high and analysis any improvements or decline in attendance for individuals and groups of pupils. Below is a summary of our attendance ladder:
96% – 100% Well done!
91 – 94% Risk of underachievement
85 – 90% Serious risk of underachievement
Below 85% Serious cause for concern and underachievement
School Attendance Data Compared to National Special School Data
Safeguarding children and young people
Our attendance policy is compliant with the expectations set out in Working Together to Improve School Attendance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
At Newark Orchard, we acknowledge the link between attendance and safeguarding. Not only can regular absence, particularly unexplained absence, be a safeguarding concern, but only when children are in school can they talk to staff and be given support for any pastoral and safeguarding problems. For the most vulnerable pupils, regular attendance is also an important protective factor and the best opportunity for needs to be identified and support provided. Research has shown associations between regular absence from school and several extra-familial harms. Children missing education can act as a vital warning sign to a range of safeguarding issues including neglect, sexual abuse and child sexual and criminal exploitation.
Our safeguarding and attendance teams will liaise regularly to track and monitor pupils who are persistently absent from school or whose attendance pattern changes. Where reasonably possible, we hold more than one emergency contact number for each pupil so we can more easily and quickly contact a responsible adult when a child missing education is also identified as a welfare and/or safeguarding concern.