Inclusive Attendance

 

Woodhouse West is proudly recognised as an Inclusive Attendance school. Our unwavering commitment to attendance centres around child-centric actions, evidence-informed practices, and a shared understanding of everyone’s roles and collective responsibilities to promote exceptional attendance.

 

At Woodhouse West Primary School, we are driven by an unwavering commitment to making school attendance a top priority, fully integrated with every aspect of school improvement.

 

Using the Inclusive Attendance Model – the first and only accredited programme providing the pedagogy of practice – we support children and families to connect, belong, and thrive.

 

Inclusive Attendance Professional Development Model
The Inclusive Attendance professional development model fundamentally guides our attendance approach. Comprising six tailored Learning Modules, this model empowers us to deepen our understanding by facilitating continuous professional learning for all staff. Within this model, the four domains of practice ensure the provision of professional learning, professional development, evidence-based practices, and exemplary leadership and management, seamlessly integrate theory into practice.

 

 

Multi-Tiered System of Support

To guarantee a comprehensive approach to attendance, we implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for school attendance involves three tiers of intervention, with roles for teachers, the school, children, parents, and external agencies – including the Local Authority.  Data-driven decision-making and training requirements are pivotal to the implementation of the system.  The system aligns with the Department for Education’s (DFE) “Working Together to Improve School Attendance” guidelines.

 

Tier 1 – Universal Approach: A universal attendance approach that benefits all children.

 

 

Tier 2 – Individualised Strategies and Early Help Support: Tailoring strategies to individual needs and providing early help support for persistent attendance challenges.

 

 

Tier 3 – Higher Needs Strategies Support: Specialised support for children, young people, and families with complex attendance requirements, including access to external agency support when necessary.

 

 

Recognition Based Approach

Our attendance philosophy is rooted in a recognition-based approach that recognises both personal and collective achievements. This approach serves to cultivate positive environments, nurture relationships, foster inclusivity, and ultimately cultivate intrinsic motivation among our children, families, and staff.

 

The Importance of School Attendance

School attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental part of education. It plays an important role in shaping academic success, personal growth, and future prospects, making it an essential aspect of any educational system.

• Relationships: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.

• Teacher Interaction: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.

• Wellbeing: High levels of school attendance contribute to the overall wellbeing.

• School Engagement: Children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.

• Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.

• Sticky Knowledge: School is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.

• Preventing Knowledge Gaps: Frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in long-term academic struggles.

• Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.

• Legal and Parental Responsibility: Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child’s regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.

 

 

Please see the diagram to the left for details of what percentages mean to us. Promoting school attendance is a key component of the Government's strategy to raise standards in education and included in this is a drive for school's to reduce persistent absence. Students who are 'persistently absent' are those who regularly have time off school and whose attendance falls below 90%

 

We understand that from time to time, children will need to be absent from school, due to illness or other special circumstance and we ask parents/carers to please contact school, before 9am, to let us know the reasons for your child's absence.

 

We review pupil attendance, every half term, along with the Inclusion team. If a child's attendance drops below 96% and the reasons for absence give cause for concern, then a member of the Inclusion team will make a phone call or home visit to offer their support and advice.

 

Absence Procedure

 

It is critically important that children attend school everyday unless too ill to do so. Unless your child has had sickness or diarrhea (in which case they need to have 48 hours off school to avoid the spread of nasty bugs) please make every effort to bring your child into school every day. Typically, mild colds and coughs should not prevent a child from attending school.

 

Reporting an absence:

If your child is too ill to attend school, please ring us before the start of each school day where they will be absent on 0114 269 2602. 

 

Requesting a known absence:

If you wish to request a term-time absence, please put your request in writing to the Headteacher explaining the length and nature of the absence. Please note: the school will not authorise holiday absences under any circumstances, and may request a fixed penalty notice for any unauthorised absence of more than 10 sessions within a 35 day period (see policy for details).

 

Absence can be authorised if:

• The pupil is ill or prevented from attending by unavoidable cause.
• The absence occurs so that the pupil could take place in a religious observance set apart by the religious body to which the parent/carer belongs.
• The school at which the child is registered is not within walking distance of the child’s home and no suitable transport, boarding accommodation arrangements or alternative school placement have been made by the LA.
• The pupil is the child of Traveller parents/carers
• There is a family bereavement.
• The pupil is involved in an exceptional special occasion (to be determined by the school).

 

Absence will be counted as unauthorised if:

• No explanation is forthcoming. The school should be informed on the first day of any absence and the reason and expected length of absence given.
• The school is dissatisfied with the explanation.
• The pupil stays at home to mind the house or look after siblings.
• The pupil is shopping during school hours.
• The pupil is absent for unexceptional special occasions.
• The pupil is away from school on a family holiday.