Everyday Counts!

At Wygate Park Academy our aim is for every student to have excellent attendance and punctuality. The school day starts at 8.50am and finishes at 3.20pm. In order to fully maximise on learning opportunities, excellent attendance is needed. Parents/carers play a pivotal role in promoting positive attitudes towards attendance. We ask for support in ensuring that pupils are on time and ready to learn at every opportunity, avoiding absence which is unnecessary.

Research shows that pupils who attend school regularly make better progress within their academic studies as well as socially. Excellent attendance not only supports pupils academically and socially but also prepares them for the world of work.

We strive for all our pupils to have 100% attendance, making the most of the opportunities that are made available to them both within lessons, social times and within our extra-curricular activities. Every interaction at our academy is a new opportunity and will have a positive impact your child both now and for their future choices.

Reporting Absence

What to do if your child is unwell:

If your child is too unwell to attend the academy, parents/carers must contact the Academy Attendance Office as soon as possible:

• Please ring the school  before 9am each day on 01775 714506.  You must contact the school on every day of absence.  Please clearly state your child’s name, year group and the reason for the absence.
• Alternatively, you can send a message via the Weduc App.
• If your child is absent and we have not received a message, school will phone to find out about an absence.
• If no contact is made with the school and we are unable to ascertain a reason for your child’s absence, please be aware that a home visit may be made by one of our Education Welfare Officers, in line with the academy Attendance Policy.

We also request that parents/carers send a note on the first day their child returns to school with a signed explanation as to why they were absent this needs to be given to their form tutor.

What to do if your child has an appointment:

We request that all routine medical, dental or other appointments, where possible, are made outside of school time. Where an urgent appointment is required or a hospital appointment during school hours, we request that you provide medical evidence in the form of an appointment card or letter in order to authorise the absence from school. We ask where possible parents/carers ensure that your child attends school before and after the appointment to maximise their learning opportunities for that day.

Medicines

If your child is prescribed medicine by the doctor, then the following rules apply:

• Medicine prescribed 3 times per day WILL NOT be given by staff. Parents can give the prescribed dosage morning, after school and bedtime.
• Medicine prescribe 4 times per day WILL be given by a member of the administration staff, but parents will need to complete and sign a form giving permission for this to happen.

For safety reasons, no children should be bringing medicines or tablets to school in their school bag.  Any medicine brought into school, must be given in to the Front Office, where it will be securely stored.  Generally, we would expect a child to have no more than 48 hours off school if they are given medication from the doctor unless necessary.

Punctuality

The academy gates open at 8.40am and we expect all learners to be in class at the start of the school day at 8.50am, registers are marked at this time.

The academy has a strategy to support punctuality which is known as ‘Late Gate’. Parents/carers are required to provide an explanation for any late attendance. Persistent lateness may result in parents/cares being contacted by one of the Trust Education Welfare Officers.

Leave of Absence

Government regulations introduced in September 2013 state that pupils should not be taken on holiday during term time.  The law states that parents do not have an automatic right to take their child out of school for this.

Any absence may now only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. The decision rests with the Headteacher and Trust Educational Welfare Officers.

Should you need to take your child out of school for exceptional circumstances during term time, you must apply in writing to the Headteacher, at least four weeks in advance of the period of absence.  An appointment may need to be made with the Education Welfare Officer.  You will be notified of the outcome of your request in writing.

Absence could result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued under Section 444(B) of the Education Act 1996, as is in line with the academy Attendance Policy.

Persistent Absence

A persistent absentee is any student whose attendance falls below 90% as stated within government guidelines. Persistent absence has a detrimental effect on pupils as work missed is often not fully completed leaving pupils at a disadvantage to their peers.

Pupils with poor attendance are less likely to achieve their academic potential and may find that they suffer socially. We have a responsibility to ensure that pupils are given all the opportunities to succeed both academically, socially and for their future life choices, hence the academy have a designated Attendance Team to support pupils and families where there are concerns regarding student’s attendance.

Support for Attendance

The academy monitors the attendance and punctuality of each individual pupils closely daily and follows up all absence which is unexplained with parents/carers as soon as possible by telephone, written communication and/or home visits. If a pupil’s attendance becomes a concern to us, then contact will be made with parents/carers to discuss this further and support put in place where needed.  Working together to support your child is key in order to ensure that they are achieving their academic potential and to support their well-being.

If you would like to discuss any concerns that you have around your child’s attendance or are aware of any issues which may impact your child’s attendance, please contact the Attendance Team directly on 01205 319900 to discuss what support can be offered.

Celebration

Celebrating and positively rewarding pupils for good attendance is a part of academy culture. This takes place during form time and year group assemblies as well as celebration assemblies throughout the year.

Pupils attendance is a focus of form time each day, discussions are had around good attendance habits and pupils are celebrated for their good attendance and punctuality.

We recognise 100% attendance as being a huge achievement and one that needs significant reward and celebration! The 100% attendance awards are rewards for those pupils who show resilience and excellent attitudes to school.