Attendance

Tewkesbury School Attendance Expectations

We expect all students to have 100% attendance.

Our minimum expectation is that all students attend school regularly (at least 95%).  All parents/carers have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly.   This is our minimum expectation as missing school damages children’s attainment levels, disrupts school routines and the learning of others.

As stipulated by the Local Authority, “If your child fails to attend school regularly and punctually and the absence is recorded by the school as un-authorised, you are guilty of a criminal offence under Section 444 of the Education Act.”  As a result, a Penalty Notice may be issued.

Tewkesbury School is committed to improving the overall attendance and reducing Persistent Absence (attendance of less than 90%) and we use a graduated set of attendance procedures working closing with SOL Attendance and their tracker.

As a parent/carer we request your support with the following:

• Ensure your child attends school every day punctually, unless there are genuine reasons.
• Minor ailments are NOT acceptable reasons for your child not to attend school.
• Registration begins at 8.40am. Pupils should be in the building by 8.30am. Pupils arriving after 8.40am will be marked late and will receive a lunchtime detention. Pupils arriving after 9.30am means the pupil will be marked absent.
• If your child is late they must sign in with the Attendance Officer in the Pastoral Centre. 
• All appointments are to be taken outside of school hours.
• If this is unavoidable, please ensure your child attends school either side of the appointment. Our school day is divided up into a morning and afternoon session, for example - 2 days of absence equals 4 sessions of absence.
• If your child needs to leave the site, they must sign out at the Pastoral Centre.
• Requests for Leave of Absence in term time will not be authorised by the Headteacher unless there are exceptional circumstances, which are largely decided by the Local Authority.  Each case will be considered on its own merit.    Please put all requests for absence in writing and email attendance@tewkesburyschool.org
• Where it is not possible or practicable for a student to attend school his/her parent/carer should notify the school before 8:40 on the first day of absence and on each subsequent day, preferably by:

• telephoning the absence line 01684 851806 or,
• texting the student absence number 07418 397589 stating child's name (this number can only be used for text messages - no phone calls)
• contacting the school by letter or email: attendance@tewkesburyschool.org on the first day of any absence 
• and give details of the reason for the absence and stating an estimated return time. 

We will contact you by text through the automated system if your child is absent and you have not contacted us. It is essential that you respond to this message if you have not already informed us of absence.

If no contact is received regarding the absence, the absence is recorded as unauthorised. Ultimately, the school is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not. Only genuine absence will be authorised. You may be asked to provide medical evidence if your child has a poor attendance record.

If you are experiencing difficulties in getting your child into school or there are any issues which may impact on their attendance, please contact your child's Head of House.

Please note that there are approximately 175 non-school days in a year, thus leaving plenty of time for holidays, appointments and duvet days.

Thank you for working in partnership with us to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance and punctuality at school.

Please read the docments below for further information.