Attendance

Attendance is a priority at Lawn Manor Academy; this is because research has shown that regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in pupils achieving their full potential.

Lawn Manor Academy is committed to providing a full and efficient education to all, and encouraging our pupils to strive for excellence. Therefore, for a pupil to reach their full educational achievement, a high level of attendance is essential.

Pupils who attend school regularly also feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships and are significantly more likely to be set up for a strong future.  Good attendance is an expectation of employers and it is proven to have the biggest impact on pupil outcomes than any other factor, apart from good teaching of course.

We wish to work in partnership with parents and carers and so are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends school every day and on time. We are always pleased to work together with parents/carers in resolving any difficulties, but we are also committed to improving attendance levels at Lawn Manor Academy.

The target attendance figure for all pupils is a minimum of 98% attendance. Pupils will be informed of their Attendance Group each week in ILEARN, according to the Attendance Diamond below.

Regular attendance is also a legal requirement.  There are a number of important steps that parents/carers can take to ensure your child maintains a high level of attendance:

  • Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. School begins at 8.40am; arrival after this time will result in a C4 same-day detention.
  • Ensure the school has up to date addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you by text through Text to Parents or by telephone if your child is absent and you have not contacted the school. This ensures that truancy is quickly identified.
  • If your child is ill, contact the school on our Attendance Line:

 01793 427749

or email

attendance@lma.ascendlearningtrust.org.uk 

by 9am on the first day of absence and on any subsequent days of absence.

  • If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as unauthorised as ultimately the school is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not.
  • Only genuine absence will be authorised. You will be asked to provide medical evidence if your child has a poor attendance record.
  • Ensure that medical appointments are made outside of school time.
  • Avoid trivial absence such as, ‘buying new shoes’ or ‘celebrating a birthday’; this would not be accepted as a reasonable absence.
  • Holidays should not be taken in school time. Holidays will not be authorised during term time and a Fixed Penalty Notice will be issued by Swindon Borough Council.
  • Respond to school letters, emails or telephone calls regarding attendance and punctuality.
  • Contact your child’s Year Leader if you are experiencing difficulty in getting your child into school.
 

Under Section 44 of the Education Act 1996, parents and carers are legally required to ensure their child attends school every day. Lawn Manor Academy aims to ensure that pupils receive a full-time education that maximises opportunities for each pupil to reach their true potential.

  • Parents/carers must send their children to school regularly and they may risk prosecution if they do not.
  • It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their children attend punctually and remain in the school.
  • The school must support attendance and take seriously any problems which may lead to non-attendance.
  • By law, the Local Authority (LA) must enforce school attendance. Our Education Welfare Officer (EWO) acts on behalf of the LA.
  • By law, only the school can authorise absence, not the parent/carer.
  • Parents/carers must ensure that their children arrive at the school punctually, in full uniform, properly equipped and ready to learn.

At Lawn Manor Academy, I LEARN Tutors record pupils as present or absent at 8.40 a.m., as do class teachers at 1pm (start of I LEARN Reading).  Any pupil who arrives during the registration period, but after these times will be recorded as late by their I LEARN Tutors.

Pupils who arrive after 9.00am must sign in at Student Services.  Detentions will be issued for lateness if a pupil arrives after 8.40am.  Subject teachers also record attendance at every lesson on their laptop computers, through Arbor.

It is a legal requirement to record attendance carefully as records may be used as evidence in a court of law.

This is an automatic communication system that will contact you directly where appropriate if your child is marked absent from AM registration.  Please ensure that you have signed up to ParentMail alerts; if you are unsure, please contact the school.

Parents/carers must inform the school via the dedicated absence line of a reason for absence on the first day of absence; this absence line is available via the school’s main switchboard and the telephone number is on the front of this page.

Parents/carers must send a note to cover all dates of absence on the pupil’s return to school.

An absence may be authorised if:

  • The school is satisfied that the pupil is absent because of genuine illness or bereavement and a note has been received to that effect.
  • The school is informed in writing of the absence before it happens, e.g. a medical appointment. We ask that where possible, such appointments are not made in school time.
  • The absence is on a day which is of religious significance to the family.

An absence is unauthorised if:

  • There has been no explanation for an absence.
  • The absence is for a reason that is unacceptable to the school, e.g. shopping, birthday treat, care of younger siblings.
  • The absence is one which should not have happened but has been supported by parents.
  • The pupil is frequently late without good reason.
  • The pupil arrives late and does not register at Student Services.
  • The pupil has truanted.

In September 2013, the law changed regarding taking holidays in term time. The Governors have decided that pupil holidays will not be authorised for any pupils regardless of year group except in exceptional circumstances. 

There are approximately 175 non-school days each year – please use these for holidays.

1 week holiday – 2.5% drop in Attendance – 25 lessons missed – 25 hours missed learning

2 week holiday – 5% drop in Attendance – 50 lessons missed – 50 hours missed learning

NB: If a child takes unauthorised holiday in term time a penalty notice fine may be issued to each parent.

Lawn Manor Academy recognise attendance levels between 95% and 90% as ‘irregular’ and levels 90% and below as ‘persistent absence’ in line with Local Authority and Government guidelines.

  • Pupils must bring a dated and signed note to explain the absence and this must be handed in to their I LEARN Tutor on the day of return.
  • The note should include days and dates of absence.
  • All notes will be checked and, if necessary, followed up.
  • Pupils should arrange with their teachers, to catch up on any missed work.

We aim to recognise pupils with good or improved attendance, via texts, postcards and letters home, achievement certificates, as well as inter-I LEARN group competitions.

A full copy of the school’s attendance policy is available from the school, and is also on this website’s ‘School Policies’ page. 

Key Staff:
Attendance Manager: 01793 427749

Mrs Nina Harris – attendance@lma.ascendlearningtrust.org.uk

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they’re unwell.

There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn’t.

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, let the school know.

Is my child too ill for school?

Should I keep my child off school?

SOL Diamond flyer