Attendance policy.pdf
- School Vision & Ethos
- Rationale
- Legal & Statutory Framework
- Definitions & Recording (C2k Attendance Codes)
- Rights, Roles & Responsibilities
- Shared Expectations
- Restorative Practice & Support-First Approach
- Attend to succeed
- Empowering Pupils Curriculum
- Daily Procedures (Registration, Punctuality, First-Day Response)
- Authorised vs Unauthorised Absence
- Monitoring, Early Help & Thresholds for Action
- Rewards & Recognition
- Escalation & Legal Processes (EWS, Fines, School Attendance Orders, ESO)
- Data, Reporting & Safeguarding Links
- Communication with Parents/Carers
- Monitoring & Review
- Key People & Contacts
- School Vision & Ethos
“Our vision is for all pupils to become confident, well‑rounded individuals who strive to make the most of every opportunity and aspire to achieve their full potential.”
Our ethos is positive, supportive and restorative, recognising that attendance is everyone’s business and is integral to safeguarding, learning and wellbeing. Departmental guidance emphasises whole‑school culture, strong relationships with families and a support‑first approach to attendance. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Rationale
Excellent attendance and punctuality are vital to achievement, wellbeing and life chances. DE’s Improving Pupil Attendance Strategy – “Miss School = Miss Out” and associated materials show the link between attendance and outcomes, including GCSE/Level 2 performance. [education-ni.gov.uk]
We aim to:
- Promote, support and celebrate excellent attendance and punctuality.
- Identify and remove barriers to attendance early through pastoral and multi‑agency support.
- Apply restorative approaches consistently, with proportionate interventions where needed.
- Legal & Statutory Framework (Northern Ireland)
- Parental duty: Under Article 45 of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986, parents of children of compulsory school age must ensure they receive efficient full‑time education suitable to age, aptitude, ability and any SEN, by regular attendance at school or otherwise. [eani.org.uk]
- Regular attendance of registered pupils: Schedule 13 (para 3(1)) of the 1986 Order requires parents of registered pupils to secure their regular attendance at school; offences may lead to fines up to £1,000 per parent per child. [eani.org.uk]
- School Attendance Orders: Under The Education (NI) Order 1996, Part II, a Board (EA) may issue School Attendance Orders where a parent fails to satisfy that the child is receiving suitable education. [legislation.gov.uk]
- Education Supervision Orders (ESO): Courts may make an ESO under Article 55 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 to secure a child’s education, typically via EWS application. [eani.org.uk]
- Definitions & Recording (C2k Attendance Codes)
Note: Departmental updates since 2024 have included refinements to certain codes and associated FAQs to improve consistency of recording across NI schools. Staff should always consult the current DE circular, SIMS codes and FAQs. [education-ni.gov.uk], [northernireland.gov.uk]
- Rights, Roles & Responsibilities
Staff
- Promote a welcoming, safe environment; build positive relationships; use restorative approaches; remove barriers to attendance; record accurately in C2k; analyse data; engage families; coordinate support with Year Heads/EWS. [education-ni.gov.uk]
Pupils
- Attend punctually every day; engage in learning; communicate difficulties early; participate in agreed support plans.
Parents/Carers
- Ensure regular attendance and punctuality; notify reasons for absence promptly; work in partnership with school/EWS. DE’s Attendance Matters – A Parent’s Guide sets out parental responsibilities and practical advice. [northernir...and.gov.uk]
Governors
- Monitor attendance data and challenge trends; ensure leaders fulfil statutory duties and maintain a clear policy that everyone understands. [education-ni.gov.uk]
Education Welfare Service (EWS)
- Each school has a named EWO who supports improvements in attendance, advises on coding, and may progress legal interventions where necessary. [eani.org.uk]
- Shared Expectations
We respect and care for ourselves and others; we arrive on time, prepared and ready to learn; we move safely around the school; and we represent the school positively in full uniform.
- Restorative Practice & Support‑First Approach
Restorative practice is a cornerstone of how we manage attendance‑related concerns—focusing on relationships, accountability and repairing harm (e.g., learning loss, disrupted routines), while identifying barriers (health, anxiety, caregiving, transport, unmet SEND needs) and coordinating early help. This approach aligns with DE’s emphasis on a whole‑school culture, work with families, and multi‑agency support where issues go beyond the school gate. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Attend to succeed Programme
As part of the schools early intervention procedures an 8 week program is run each year with carefully selected Ks3 and Ks4 pupils to educate and improve pupil attendance in partnership with Parents.
- Empowering the pupils curriculum
Pupils in City of Armagh High School take part in a 5 year pastoral education programme that covers a wide range of topics in partnerships with several outside agencies including women’s aid, reach mentoring and the PSNI. This includes attendance and removing barriers to learning. More info on our school website.
- Daily Procedures
Registration & Punctuality
- Pupils should arrive by 8:45am. Registration runs 8:45–9am; pupils attend Form/Assembly.
- Pupils arriving after 9 am must sign in at the office; persistent lateness will be addressed using restorative meetings and appropriate sanctions in line with our Positive Behaviour Policy.
First‑Day Response
- If a pupil is not in school by 9:45am, a text message is sent to parents/carers. Parents may reply to authorise; this note is retained on SIMS.
Appointments/Signing Out
- Pupils may leave during the day only for medical/emergency appointments with written request authorised by Year Head; they must sign out and be collected by a parent/carer/designated adult. On return, pupils sign in at the office.
- Authorised vs Unauthorised Absence
- We determine whether absence is authorised or unauthorised in line with DE Attendance Guidance and C2k codes (e.g., M medical/dental, I illness, V educational visits, etc.). Evidence may be requested to authorise certain absences. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Family holidays during term time are not normally authorised, consistent with Departmental advice. [nidirect.gov.uk]
- Monitoring, Early Help & Thresholds for Action
- Daily: First‑day response; safeguarding checks where concerns arise; accurate coding.
- Weekly: Form Teacher/Year Head reviews of attendance and punctuality via SIMS; pupils trending downwards are invited to a restorative conversation and may receive a support plan (e.g., staged reports, reasonable adjustments, mentoring, attendance targets). Following three consecutive days of absence without contact from Home, Form Teachers will phone parent/Guardian
- Half‑termly: Analysis of cohorts (e.g., year groups, SEN, Free School Meal Entitlement, newcomers, Looked After, medical/EBSA), actions reviewed with Pastoral Team and EWO.
- Persistent or severe absence: We intervene early when absence risks becoming persistent/severe, using a support‑first multi‑agency approach; cases escalate to Targeted Support with EWS as needed. (Terminology and expectations on early, multi‑disciplinary support are set out in DE guidance.) [education-ni.gov.uk]
Note: DE guidance focuses on support and early help rather than a single fixed percentage trigger. Schools analyse patterns and act early to prevent escalation, working with EWS as appropriate. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Rewards & Recognition
- Celebrating Excellent Attendance
At City of Armagh High School, we promote positive behaviour and place strong emphasis on regular attendance and punctuality. In recognition of this, we celebrate pupils who demonstrate outstanding commitment throughout the school year.
Each year, during our annual Prize Giving ceremony, pupils who achieve full attendance are formally recognised and receive both a certificate and a prize in acknowledgement of their achievement.
- Daily Rewards for Punctuality
To encourage consistent punctuality, pupils are awarded House Points each morning for arriving on time. This daily incentive supports good routines and reinforces the importance of being prepared and present for learning from the start of the school day.
- Escalation & Legal Processes
If attendance does not improve despite support:
- Stage 1 – School‑led: Form Teacher/Year Head restorative meeting; daily report; Texts/phone calls; reasonable adjustments; early help.
- Stage 2 – Targeted: Meeting with Attendance Officer/Year Head/Parents; EWO consultation and joint plan; possible reintegration timetable where lawful and time‑bound; monitoring against targets (See current DE circular for forms & expectations.) [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Stage 3 – Legal: Where parents fail to secure regular attendance, EWS may recommend prosecution (fine up to £1,000 per parent per child), a School Attendance Order (under the 1996 Order), or an Education Supervision Order (Children (NI) Order 1995). [eani.org.uk], [legislation.gov.uk]
- Data, Reporting & Safeguarding Links
- Attendance data are recorded on C2k/SIMS in line with DE coding guidance and retained per statutory requirements. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Attendance concerns can be safeguarding indicators (e.g., CME risk). Staff follow school Child Protection procedures and consult EWO/EA where appropriate. (See also wider safeguarding circulars and Children Missing Education resources as applicable.) [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Communication with Parents/Carers
We communicate the importance of daily attendance and punctuality via prospectus, website, texts, assemblies and parent meetings. DE’s “Attendance Matters – A Parent’s Guide” is shared with families on request. [northernirelanand.gov.uk]
- Monitoring & Review
- The Attendance officer, Senior Leadership Team and Governors review attendance data at least termly, examining trends and the impact of interventions, in line with DE expectations for governance oversight. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Policy review: three‑year cycle or sooner if DE issues new circulars/codes or school evaluation highlights needed changes. [education-ni.gov.uk]
- Key People & Contacts
- Principal – Mrs K Mulholland
- Vice Principal / Pastoral Care Coordinator / Designated Teacher for Child Protection – Mr K Rendall
- SENCO –Mr G Veale / Ms C Greer
- Attendance Officer – Dr T Hutchinson
- Education Welfare Officer (EWS) – Ms M Powell
- Reception – Mrs C Darragh / Mrs E Clarke
References (Departmental Guidance & Legislation)
There may be minor variations to this policy where in the Principal’s judgement it is in the best interests of the school.
Evaluation- This policy will be reviewed as part of the school’s three-year review cycle.
RECORD OF POLICY AMENDMENTS
The following table outlines any significant changes/amendments made to this procedure since it was ratified by the Board of Governors on:
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