How to report absence Years 7-11
If you know your child is going to be absent please use one of the following methods to inform us:
- Report the absence via the ParentMail “Notify Absence” option.
- Call the Attendance Officer Mrs Kadir on 01865 415901
- Email Mrs Kadir Skadir@spires.anthemtrust.uk
If leaving a telephone or email message please include the following information:
- The name, form and year group of your child.
- Your name and contact details.
- Reason for absence.
- Expected date of return.
- Please inform us of each seperate day of absence either via phone, email or ParentMail.
If your child is absent from school and we have not received notification we will endeavour to contact you. If we are unable to make contact with you on the third day of absence will conduct a home visit. If this is unsuccessful we are duty bound to contact social services and the police of a child being missing from education. Good communication between home and school prevents unnecessary worry and work for all of us.
How to report absence: Years 12 & 13
- Students, please email Ms Spittle Zspittle@spires.anthemtrust.uk before 8:30am each morning of your absence.
- Copy your teachers and parents into the email.
Attendance and Punctuality
Research has shown that regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in students achieving their full potential in education. At Oxford Spires Academy 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 school.
The target attendance figure for all pupils is a minimum of 97% attendance. Based on current attendance figures your child will be placed in one of the following groups below.
The child attends for 97% – 100% of the time.
The child attends for 95% – 96.9% of the time.
The child attends for 93% – 94.9% of the time.
The child attends for 90% – 92.9% of the time.
The child attends for 0% – 89.9% of the time.
Your child will be informed of their Attendance Group by their form tutor. Oxford Spires Academy are monitoring students closely whose attendance is falling and will contact you if your child’s attendance does not improve. As a parent/carer you are committing an offence if you fail to ensure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, even if they are missing school without your knowledge. It is important that parents/carers monitor single day’s absence, as these days soon add up to weeks. You can monitor your child’s attendance via Go4Schools.
Please note that we will actively pursue low attendance with the use of penalty notices and where necessary prosecutions. If your son or daughter has an absence rate of 5% or greater, which is not supported by documentation authorising exemption, then each adult that has responsibility for a student’s attendance is at risk of prosecution. As a rule Oxford Spires Academy does not authorise extended holiday leave, and we issue fixed penalty notices when cases arise. An example of a fixed penalty notice letter for unauthorised holiday is included in the links below.
Please note that the school gates open at 8:25am and that tutor time starts promptly at 8:30am. Any student arriving after that time will be recorded as being late for school.
There is a clear link between success at school and a high level of attendance. Therefore unless your child is really too unwell to attend, in which case the best place for him or her is at home, please support the school by ensuring regular attendance at school. Attendance is linked to attainment and is key to your child’s success. Every day your child is absent impacts on their education. Last year, 97% students with attendance over 95% (missing fewer than ten days of school over the academic year) achieved 5 A* – C grades at GCSE. Of those whose attendance was below 90% (missing more than nineteen days of school over the academic year) only 54.5% achieved the same grades.
The message is equally important with punctuality. The school day begins at 8.30am, the first bell is rung at 8.25am and all students should go to their classroom at this time.
Over a year lateness leads to a loss of learning:
- 5 minutes late each day = 3 days lost
- 10 minutes late each day = 6.5 days lost
- 15 minutes late each day = 10 days lost
Strategies for improving attendance
If you are concerned about your child’s attendance, there are important steps that you can take:
- Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. Prepare for the school day and pack bags the night before.
- Establish good bedtime and morning routines.
- Ensure school has up-to-date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you if your child is absent and you have not contacted school. This ensures that the absence is quickly identified.
- If your child is ill, contact school on the first day of absence and provide an explanatory note on their return to school. After illness make sure your child makes a prompt return to school
- Use Go4Schools to monitor your childs attendance closely.
- If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as un-authorised. Ultimately 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 certificates if your child has a poor attendance record.
- Ensure that medical appointments are made outside of school time.
- Avoid trivial absences such as, ‘buying new shoes’. This would not be accepted as a reasonable absence.
- Holidays should not be taken in school time. Any Leave of Absence can only be agreed by the Head Teacher and only agreed where there are exceptional circumstances.
- Respond to letters or telephone calls regarding attendance and punctuality.
- Address any anxieties and concerns early. Contact your child’s form tutor/House Team if you are experiencing difficulty in getting your child into school.
Thank you for working in partnership with us to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance and punctuality at Oxford Spires Academy.
Linked Documents
Attendance And Punctuality PolicyOCC-Penalty-Notice-Code-of-Practice-2020Attendance FAQs