Improving Attendance & Punctuality Letter for Parents

January 2023

Dear Parent/Carer

We are starting the New Year with an update with the hope that we are able to work together to improve attendance within school.

Attendance in school is closely monitored by Manchester City Council and the Department of Education because poor attendance is an indicator that a child’s education or well-being may be being neglected.

We all recognise that Covid caused lost learning opportunities. We also know that there are many bugs around at the moment that cause children to be absent from school. For these reasons it is even more important to make sure your child attends school every day, on time, if they are well enough to attend.

If they are not well enough to attend then it is important that you provide the necessary evidence for their absence.

Currently we open our doors early at 8.45am so that parents with a number of children can drop each child at their class door in time for registration at 9.00am.

We are seeing increasing numbers of families who regularly arrive late and sign the children in at the office to avoid walking around school. In line with DfE guidelines, registers must be closed after a certain time in the morning. Any child arriving after this cannot receive a late mark but has to be marked as U (Unauthorised) and treated as an absence for the whole morning session.

(If the lateness is due to a legitimate reason e.g. a medical appointment, the absence can be authorised but must be supported with appointment card / text / letter).

The following actions are put into place, to help families whose children have poor attendance and punctuality, through the following supportive steps. This is prior to exploring statutory action through the local authority:  

• A meeting in school to discuss our concerns and to identify actions to help improve attendance.
• The opportunity to take part in an Early Help Assessment – if accepted, agreed actions to support the improvement in attendance.
• Utilisation of relevant aspects of the Manchester Anxiety-Based School Avoidance guidance using trauma informed intervention approaches.
• Referral to Children’s Services -through the joint Attendance Approach with Children’s Services.

Following the intervention actions outlined above, if the Attendance Team are still concerned that the attendance or punctuality of the pupil has not improved then a referral will be made to the Local Authority . 

Please see our school attendance policy for further information.

Yours sincerely

NGPS Attendance Team