Attendance

Attendance information for Parents & Carers

Why attendance is so important at The Roundhill Academy.

As you are aware, the school follows this structure for the day:

TimeEvent
8:35Arrive at School
8:40-9:05Tutor Time
9:05-10:20Lesson 1
10:20-10:40Break
10:40-11:55Lesson 2
12:00 - 13:15Lesson 3
13:15-13:55Lunch
13:55 - 15:10Lesson 4
15:10End of school day

The day comprises of 4 x 70 minute lessons. During these lessons, a significant amount of content is covered in great depth. Each lesson builds sequentially to ensure pupils have the necessary knowledge and understanding to make progress. Therefore, a child’s attendance plays a crucial role in their ability to engage with their curriculum and ultimately influence their outcomes. We have set the target attendance for each child at 97% by the end of the academic year because we believe this is the standard that a child should meet to give them the very best chance of success.

Below is a table to show how the overall percentage attendance translates to the number of days absent and lost learning for an academic year:

 

Every Day Counts.

Overall Attendance  Days absent  Learning missed (minutes)  Descriptions 
100% 0 0 Outstanding attendance.
98% 4 1200 Good attendance, above target.
97% 6 1800 Good attendance, on target.
95% 10 3000 Below target.
92% 15 4500 Below target and cause for concern. You are missing too much school.
90% 19 5700 Serious cause for concern, you are a persistently absent student. You are missing too much school.
Below 90% More than 19 days >5700 Your attendance places you as one of the lowest attenders in the school. Your attendance must improve by the end of the year.

Absences

Absences fall into two categories:

Authorised – there is a valid reason for the absence.

Unauthorised – no valid reason for the absence has been provided or the reason provided is not valid and is not considered an acceptable reason.

Examples of unacceptable reasons (not an exhaustive list):

  • Attending events such as concerts or shows.
  • Caring for a family member.
  • Parent illness.
  • Shopping trips to celebrate events such as birthdays.
  • Persistent lateness due to transport issues (arrival after register is closed).

If you need to report that your child is absent, please follow the instructions below:

To report a student absence click on the link below:

Click here to report student absence https://forms.office.com/e/ZtqN7UhByb 

Alternatively, you can call and leave a voicemail on
0116 269 3896
Press 1 for Student Absence and then select the relevant Year Group. 

Persistent Absence and Absence Patterns Causing Concern.

A pupil is considered to be persistently absent if they have an attendance of 90% or below.

Each pupil’s attendance is monitored on a monthly basis. When a pupil’s attendance causes concerns, for example an attendance below 90% or several periods of absence a phone call, a meeting or written correspondence may be actioned to allow the necessary support to be put in place and improve the pupil’s attendance.

Serious cases of low/ non-attendance.

When a pupil’s absence is causing serious concern. The school has a duty to report this to the Local Authority and this may result in fines and legal procedures commencing

The school day starts at 8.40am and pupils are expected to be on site at 8.35am. Pupils who arrive after 8.40am to school will be logged as late. If a pupil arrives after 9.10am this will be recorded as ‘late after register closes’ this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence if a valid reason is not provided. A break or lunchtime detention will be issued for unexplained lateness.

We fully understand that parents face very challenging decisions when their child is ill. We have put together some frequently asked questions and answers to hopefully aid your decision when deciding if to send your child into school.

 

Why is attendance so important?

Good school attendance gives your child a high chance of success. By attending each day, you ensure that your child will learn all the content required, they will form good habits and most importantly they are safe. Attending each day will not guarantee success, but if your child displays a good attitude to learning to their school life studies along with good attendance, they have every chance of reaching their full potential.

 

How does attendance affect the outcomes for my child?

 

Pupils who have good attendance generally settle well in school, this is because they practice the routines and build resilience daily. A third of pupils who have an attendance between 90-80% go on to get a GCSE pass in English and Maths. Three quarters of pupils who have an attendance above 90% will secure a pass in English and Maths, according to national statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child has a mild cold? What do I do?

Colds and similar viruses will occur throughout the year, you can still send your child into school with mild cold symptoms.

My child has a minor injury? What do I do? 

Notify the school, we will plan to support your child through the school day.

My child has contacted me using their mobile phone telling me they are unwell, what do I do?

Please contact the main reception, we will check on your child and contact you. Please do not organise to pick up your child without notifying us.

My child is feeling better this afternoon. What should I do?

Please send your child in. Each lesson is 100 minutes and therefore they will receive the benefits of attending school.

My child is refusing to come into school I know/ don’t know the reason.

Contact reception and ask to speak to your child’s Head of Year. In this situation we will want to support your child quickly and provide the necessary advice.

My child has a Medical or Dental appointment.

Where possible please organise medical appointments out of school hours. However, we appreciate that parents will have limited choices when offered appointments. Please notify the school in advance of any medical/dental appointments and aim to return your child to school as soon as the appointment is completed. Your child must come to the main school reception on arrival so that they can be signed in.

I want to take my child on holiday during term time.

Holidays taken during term time will not be authorised. There may exceptional circumstances when authorised absence will be granted but this is at the discretion of the Headteacher and will considered alongside DFE and Trust guidelines. Parents who choose to take their child on holiday during term time may be issued a fixed penalty notice.

My child has had a sickness bug, when can I send them in?

You can send your child in as soon as you feel confident that the sickness has passed and that they are well enough to return. You do not need to wait 48hrs since the last time your child was sick.

Useful links for Parents:

We hope that you find the information on this webpage useful.

The Roundhill Academy is very fortunate to have incredible support from parents, we are confident by jointly working together to promote good attendance we will support your child to meet their full potential.

 The Roundhill Academy Attendance Team.