Attendance and Punctuality

At Oasis Academy Watermead we take attendance and punctuality very seriously.  We expect all pupils to attend school regularly and to arrive at school on time and ready to learn. Our robust systems for monitoring and improving attendance give pupils the best possible chance of success both academically and socially. We will support families to ensure that this happens and our inclusion team are available each day to discuss issues which may be impacting upon your ability to ensure regular attendance.                                                                               

Attendance and your legal responsibility

You have a legal responsibility to make sure that your child attends school regularly.  If your child is not attending school regularly the Learning Mentor will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns that you may have. We have a duty to report unauthorised absences to the local authority and the parents of pupils who have a record of persistent and/or unauthorised absence may be fined or have legal action taken against them.

Punctuality and your legal responsibility

Being on time for school establishes good habits for the future. Being late for school has a significant impact on learning time and will ultimately affect the attainment of both your child and that of his/her peers; due to the disruption it causes.

Illness and medical appointments 

Please contact us on the first day of absence if your child is ill and will not be attending. If we are not provided with a reason for absence and we have been unable to contact you, a member of the Safeguarding & Inclusion team will undertake a safe and well home visit. If your child requires medicine that has been prescribed by a GP, then you can give us permission to give them their medicine in school. Please make all dental/optician appointments for out of school hours. If you cannot avoid making an appointment during school time, please let the school know in advance. 

Term time holidays

We are unable to authorise holidays during term time; however in exceptional circumstances the Principal may authorise term time leave. The Principal will make a decision based upon the individual circumstances of each case and will take into account current attendance and attainment levels. The Principals decision is final and families who take term time holidays without the permission of the Principal will be referred to the local authority’s multi agency support teams, who will initiate proceedings for a fixed term penalty fine.

What can you do to help?

• Do not take holidays during term time.
• Make sure that your son/daughter comes in to school every day unless he or she is genuinely ill. Remember we will administer medicines if prescribed by a doctor and you give your consent.
• Explain to your child how important attendance is.
• Establish good bedtime and morning routines.
• Always let the school know each day that your child is absent from school.
• Please book dental or medical appointments out of school hours.
• Contact the Learning Mentor for advice and support on improving attendance.

Persistent Absence

With effect from 01 September 2015, the Government is reducing the threshold for persistent absence from 15% to 10%. This means that a child with attendance below 90% will be classed as a persistent absentee, compared with the previous figure of 85%, regardless of whether the school has authorised or unauthorised the absence. 

The figure equates to 38 sessions or 19 days of absence across the whole school year and every school is legally required to report details of persistently absent children to the Local Authority. 

Regular attendance at school is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to fulfil their potential. The Department for Education has published data on their website that clearly shows the link between attendance and attainment. It also highlights the impact on a child education if attendance is not consistently above 95% throughout their schooling.