St. Wilfrid’s Catholic Academy Attendance

For a child to reach their full educational achievement a high level of school attendance is essential.

St Wilfrid’s Attendance Colour Code:

GREEN – 97% to 100%

Excellent! Your child is absent for less than 2 weeks in the school year.

YELLOW – 95% to 96%

Very Good but be aware your child could be missing 2 weeks of learning in the school year.

ORANGE – 90% to 94%

Your child is missing up to 4 weeks of learning in the school year which WILL SERIOUSLY AFFECT your child’s education. The Education Welfare Officer will now be monitoring your child’s attendance.

RED – Below 90%

Your child has been identified as a ‘Persistent Absence Pupil’. You will be contacted by the Education Welfare Officer and you could face a fixed penalty notice and court proceedings. Your child could be missing for more than 4 weeks of learning over the school year.

Attendance Targets 

Children at St. Wilfrid’s Catholic Academy are encouraged to achieve a 97% or higher attendance figure. Exceptional circumstances such as serious medical conditions are taken into consideration. Parents will receive a termly letter informing them of their child’s attendance figure.

Attendance Awards 

Attendance is encouraged within school through the use of attendance awards and incentives. These are issued on a weekly, ½ termly and end of year basis for both individual attendance and year group attendance.

Absence Procedures 

If your child is unable to attend school because of illness or any other acceptable and unavoidable reason, please contact the school by email to absence@stwilfridsnewman.co.uk to explain the reason for absence. If the absence continues please contact us on the second day of absence.

A first day of absence contact system is in place where a member of our office staff contact parents to ascertain the reason for any absences should no contact be made by the child’s family with the school.

The attendance rate of any child causing concern will be investigated. If poor attendance is significant, parents will be contacted by letter asking them to meet with a school representative to discuss the issue. If no improvement is secured the matter will be referred to the Educational Welfare Officer. Children in this category will be placed on the school ‘ At Risk Register’.

Application for Leave of Absence 

The Local Authority and The Newman Catholic Collegiate strongly discourages parents/carers from applying for leave of absence during term time.  In line with Government and Local Authority guidance, authorised absence will only be given in exceptional circumstances.

Please be aware that the Education Welfare Service will be informed of any unauthorised absence and it may result in a Local Authority Penalty Notice (fine) being sent to you in relation to your child’s absence from school.

The leave in exceptional circumstances form is available from the school office and should be completed and sent to the Academy Principal in time for the request to be considered well before the desired period of absence.  Principals cannot authorise any leave of absence unless the request is received before the period of absence begins.  Schools cannot give retrospective approval.

Absence codes 

All absences will be recorded on school registers using the national codes attached. Any pupil who is on roll but not present in school must be recorded within one of these categories:

1. Unauthorised Absence – This is for pupils where no reason has been given or whose absence is deemed to be without valid reason.
2. Authorised Absence – This is for those pupils who are away from school for a reason that is deemed to be valid under the Education Act 1996.
3. Approved Educational Activity – This covers types of supervised educational activity undertaken offsite but with the  approval of the school.

Education Welfare Officer.

To Contact our Education Welfare Officer.

Telephone the school office on 01782 235676

Medical Appointments

If possible please arrange for these out of school hours or during the holiday periods. These are classed as an absence. If they are unavoidable it is important that your child returns to school afterwards.

Local Authority guidance

https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20007/schools_and_education/619/school_attendance