Attendance & Punctuality

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Attendance & Punctuality

Regular school attendance & excellent punctuality to school is essential if children are to achieve their full potential. At Dean Trust Ardwick we aim for all pupils to achieve 100% attendance. 

We believe that regular school attendance is the key to enabling children to maximise the educational opportunities available to them and be successful in their adult lives. Furthermore,  It has been statistically proven that poor attendance & punctuality directly correlates with poor achievement at GCSE level.

All parents and carers should promote good attendance and work in partnership with school to ensure that their learning opportunities are maximised. We all want the best for our children, to nurture and care for them. Having an excellent attendance record at school contributes greatly to this goal. 

Working together, we can ensure that your child attends school on time, every day, which will provide them with the best opportunities for success so that they can thrive as citizens of the world. 

Reporting Absence

On occasions where your child may not be well enough to attend school, please ensure that you contact school via telephone (0161-972-2988) or via email (attendance@deantrustardwick.co.uk). 

Parents and Carers should contact the Attendance Officer in the first instance to report absence.

Parents and carers should contact school every day their child is absent unless medical evidence has been provided for a specific number of days.

Home Visits

When a pupil has been absent from school for 3 days in a row, the school is legally obliged to complete a home visit to check on the well-being and safety of a child/children. Pastoral Support Managers, the Welfare Team and the Attendance Officer will complete a home visit in the circumstances. A home visit may also be completed if the school is not fully satisfied with a reported reason for absence from school.

If there is no answer at the address, home visits will continue on a daily basis until either the well-being & safety of the child has been confirmed or until the pupil returns to school. When a home visit is complete, members of staff in attendance must visibly see the pupil/pupils and be able to discuss their well-being with them directly.

If attending staff fail to visibly confirm the well-being and safety of the pupil/pupils, or if parents & carers refuse to support attending staff, this will be reported to the school welfare team. On these occasions, the school welfare team may be required to complete a referral to children’s services if the well-being & safety of a child/children cannot be confirmed.

Why is good attendance important?

Good attendance and punctuality are vital for success at school, and to establish positive life habits that are necessary for future success.

Furthermore, it has been statistically proven that poor attendance & punctuality directly correlates with poor achievement. Pupils with less than 97% attendance are much more likely to see negative progress and attainment when taking their GCSE examinations.

Through regular attendance, pupils can:

  • Engage in learning and enjoy academic success in a safe, calm environment 
  • Build friendships and feel part of a community
  • Develop essential life skills and self-discipline

Parents, carers and pupils should not underestimate the importance of excellent attendance and being punctual. Even one day missed can have a negative effect on learning:

Days & lessons missed per year:

At DTA we expect all pupils to achieve 100% attendance, with a minimum target of 98% for all pupils. Pupils that fall below 98% attendance will be offered a range of ‘in-house’ support methods so that we can work together in order to improve poor attendance and address any barriers to attending. Our methods of support also include liaising with external agencies, including Early Help, Childrens’ Services and The Local Authority Attendance Team.

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