0113 293 0236 | info@eastsilc.org

Attendance

Attendance

The East SILC is committed to providing an exceptional education to all learners. We provide a welcoming and caring environment where every learner feels safe and valued. Regular attendance and excellent punctuality are essential in ensuring learners make sustained academic progress and social development, and we believe that parents and carers have a vital role to play in promoting good attitudes towards attendance.

 

School Procedures

Lates

For John Jamieson, Roger Cannon, Jack Clark and The Bridge registration is at 9.00am. The register closes at 9.15am. Learners arriving between 9.00 and 9.15am will be marked as L (Late). Learners arriving after 9.15am will be marked as U (unless they are late due to transport or there is an agreed late arrival plan in place). U is unauthorised absence.

For Temple Moor registration is at 8.25am. The register closes at 9.00am. Learners arriving between 8.25am and 9.00am will be marked as L (Late). Learners arriving after 9.00am will be marked as U (unless they are late due to transport or there is an agreed late arrival plan in place). U is unauthorised absence.

 

Unplanned Absence

The learners parent or carer must notify the school of the reason for the absence on the first day of an unplanned absence by 9.00am or as soon as practically possible by calling the school main office, 0113 293 0236 and leaving a message on the school answer phone or by speaking to a member of the school admin team.

We will mark absence due to illness as authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness.

Please note that passing messages via transport is not acceptable

 

Planned Absence

Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised if the learner’s parent or carer notifies the school in advance of the appointment and shows proof of the appointment. Parents or carers can do this by calling school and speaking to admin staff. We do however encourage parents and carers to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Due to the complex medical needs of many of our learners this is clearly not always possible. We do ask that for routine medical appointments, the learner should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary. Parents and carers should provide evidence of an appointment, such as a letter, text, appointment card. This can be given to a member of the admin team or class staff.

 

Exceptional Leave of Absence/Term time holidays 

The East SILC recognises that for many of the learners who attend the setting, taking holidays during the school holidays are not possible due to their additional needs, i.e. sensory or physical.

 

Therefore, the Executive Principal will authorise exceptional leave for one holiday per school year, up to a maximum of 10 days. This will only be authorised where there is a genuine reason as to why you are unable to travel during the school holidays and will not be granted for the following reasons:

 

  • Availability of cheap holidays
  • Availability of the desired accommodation
  • Holidays booked as surprises by family members
  • Poor weather experienced in school holiday periods
  • Overlap with the beginning or end of term
  • Only time available due to work (unless documentation is provided by employers which clearly states restrictions)

 

You will need to complete an exceptional leave form in advance of travelling, where a form is not completed, or handed in after you have returned; this will not be authorised.

 

Following up on unauthorised absences

Where any learner we expect to attend school does not attend, without reason, the school will follow first day contact procedures:

  • A member of the admin team will telephone the learner’s parent or carer to establish reasons for the absence.
  • Identify whether the absence is approved or not.
  • Identify the correct attendance code to use and input it as soon as the reason for absence is ascertained.
  • Where there is no response via phone a text message will be sent.
  • If an attempt to ring the 1st person on the pupil’s contact list is unsuccessful, the second and third contacts provided by the family may be attempted.
  • If no contact has been made by the end of the 2nd day of absence a home visit will be carried out to establish the reason for absence.

 

Following up continued absences

At the East SILC we appreciate that some our learners have complex medical needs, including mental health needs.

Where there are ongoing issues around attendance the East SILC uses a graduated approach.

This looks at the reasons for non-attendance and what support can be provided to support the learner accessing education.

 In exceptional circumstances this may include the use of a reduced timetable or a delayed start or earlier finish time.

Where there are no exceptional reasons for ongoing non-attendance, we will follow the East SILC attendance policy which may result in a referral to the SILC Cluster Attendance Officer, a fine or a fixed penalty notice.

 Attendance Graduated Approach for the East SILC

Please see the link to the School Financial Benchmarking website:

https://financial-benchmarking-and-insights-tool.education.gov.uk/school/108119