Right Place, Right Time! Punctuality, Attendance and Absence

►Standards

►Educational Welfare Officer/Parent Support Advisor

►Punctuality

►Attendance

►Absence

►Leaving the Site during the School Day

►Standards

We promote the highest possible standards of behaviour, based upon respect for self, for others and for property. We believe that these are best developed when children know that home and school share the same standards.

 

Understanding the importance of being in the right place at the right time is vital if pupils are to achieve their full potential.

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►Educational Welfare Officer/Parent Support Advisor

An Educational Welfare Officer and Parent Support Advisor work with Achievement Coordinators to ensure that children attend regularly and punctually. They are also responsible for vetting the employment of school-age children to ensure that it does not breach the statutory guidelines and for issuing work permits. Parents should note that BMBC by-laws do not permit children under the age of 13 to work. Back to top

►Punctuality

Pupils are expected to arrive at school by 8.30am for the morning session and by 1.00pm for the afternoon session. Those who bus must be at the stop in good time each morning and may arrive at school a little early. Parents are asked to inform both school and the bus company about any problems with bus services. As lateness is punished by detentions, parents are asked to notify us whenever exceptional circumstances apply. If parental contact results in no improvement, persistent lateness is referred to the Educational Welfare Officers for action. Back to top

►Attendance

Parents have a legal obligation to ensure that their children attend school whenever they are fit to do so. They must not be kept away from school to child-mind or to care for sick relatives. Regular attendance is appreciated not only by the school, but also by prospective employers; consequently the school places good attendance at the heart of its positive discipline system. In order to earn the highest awards, pupils must attend school regularly.
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►Absence

Parents are asked to contact school on the first day of absence - otherwise we will attempt to contact you - and to send a note of confirmation (signed and dated with full details) upon the child's return. This ensures that children do not play truant. School has an obligation to pursue all absences until explanations have been received. When this fails, absences are recorded as 'unauthorised' and reported to the Educational Welfare Officer for action.
Holidays During Term Time - Folllowing the direction of Barnsley Local Authority the school does not authorise absence unless the application for absence meets every one of the following criteria:

 

Letter from employer stating that holiday must be taken during term time

Must not be during the first half term starting in September

Pupil must have more than 95% attendance

Must not be in Yr 9 between January-March during SATS

Must not be in Yr 11 due to final exams

Must not be more than 10 days

Must not have had a previous holiday

Must not be 6 weeks prior to any school or external examinations

 

If any of the above criteria are not met the LA may issue a fixed penalty fine of between £50 and £100 per child.

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►Leaving the Site during the School Day

Pupils must not leave the site during school sessions unless they are under supervision -e.g., on an educational visit -or with prior agreement between school and their parents - e.g., to attend medical appointments, college, to go home for lunch.

Pupils are not allowed to leave the site simply in response to a telephone call, unless we can confirm that the caller is definitely the child's parent or carer or someone acting on the parent's behalf.

 

Before leaving the site, pupils must report to the main office where they will be formally "booked out" and removed from emergency register.

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