Leeds West Academy Attendance
At Leeds West Academy, we believe that good attendance is central to a students’ academic achievement and personal development. Put simply, if a student is not in the academy, they cannot take advantage of the excellent opportunities that are available each day.
By providing a vibrant learning environment, consistently good teaching and learning and an exciting range of extra-curricular activities, we will encourage students to come to the academy. However, we will also provide the support and challenge needed to help students overcome the difficulties in their lives which lead to poor attendance.
Whilst it is the parent or carer’s responsibility to ensure that their children are present at the academy, all adults in the academy who work directly with the students take a responsibility for good attendance.
Our current whole school attendance target is 95.5%. The minimum expected attendance for students is 97%.
“Every Day Counts”
Your child’s Attendance target is 97% +
Leeds West Academy Attendance Team
Miss J Bull - Year 7 Attendance Support Officer
Mrs H Ramsdale - Year 8 Attendance Support Officer
Miss E Brown - Year 9 Attendance Support Officer
Mrs L Clough - Year 10 Attendance Support Officer
Miss E Slater - Attendance Leader / Year 11 Attendance Support Officer
Miss H Moore - Project Lead, Attendance
Mr R Cross - Associate Assistant Principal, Attendance
We have worked together with many families, to improve children's attendance. Here are some of the top hints and tips to help you to support your child in attending school every day.
Please click here to view our Home Support - Attendance Document
The Importance of Attending
Click here to view our Attendance Family Bulletin.
The Importance of Good Attendance
There is an expectation that all parents inform the academy of absence; any absence unexplained will be followed up with a home visit.
| Attendance Level | What does this mean? | What will happen as a result? | What can you do as a parent? |
|
97.1% - 100% 0 - 5.5 Days Off |
Your child has the best chances of being successful at Leeds West Academy | Your child will have access to exclusive incentives and be awarded at the end of each half term. | No term time holidays Continue to praise your child and take an interest in what they are doing at school Check your child’s planner daily and attend any meetings you’re requested to attend Communicate with LWA, any potential barriers that might affect attendance |
|
95.1% - 97% 6 - 9.5 Days Off |
Your child’s attendance is starting to have an impact on their learning, however, they can still get their attendance back up to the green level. | Your child’s attendance will be monitored. If there is no improvement you will be invited into school for a meeting. Medical appointments will not be authorised without a medical card. A letter will be sent to your doctor every time your child is absent | No term time holidays All appointments to be arranged outside school hours. Do not keep your child off school unnecessarily. We will call you if your child needs to come home. |
|
90.1% - 95% 9.5 - 20 Days Off |
Your child’s attendance is starting to have an impact on their learning. ‘attendance will be tracked week by week. You will be requested to attend a meeting with staff should attendance fall below expectations to discuss any barriers to regular school attendance.’ | Your child’s attendance will be monitored to try and improve their attendance back to academy target of 97% Medical appointments will not be authorised without a medical card. A letter will be sent to your doctor every time your child is absent |
No term time holidays All appointments to be arranged outside school hours. You will need to provide appointment cards for medical appointments that cannot be moved. Do not keep your child at home if you have concerns. The best way to resolve issues is to come into school and discuss with relevant member(s) of staff. The more time they take off school the harder it will be for them to Regular attendance at school is vital to help your child achieve and get the best possible start in life. There are 30 days in a 6-week half term. If your child has 1 and a half days off school, their attendance will be 95%. Good attendance is central to students’ academic achievement and personal development.
return, which will have a detrimental impact on their progress and emotional well being. |
|
UNDER 90% 20+ Days Off |
Your child has inadequate attendance and is classified as a Persistent Absent (PA) Pupil. Children with attendance at this level become disengaged with school due to the amount of missed lessons. This not only affects them academically but also socially. FACT: Students with attendance below 90% are more likely to become victims of crime. | You will be visited by the attendance team every time your child is off. A letter will be sent to your doctor every time your child is absent. Other external agencies, such as Leeds City Council, may offer you support. You are at risk of being fined, this could be £1000 | No time holidays Parents/Carers will be expected to attend meetings with school to discuss attendance Contact school for advice/support. Work with the attendance team and academy to improve attendance. Ensure your child arrives on time, everyday and model to them that school is important by encouraging morning routines. |
Regular attendance at school is vital to help your child achieve and get the best possible start in life. There are 30 days in a 6-week half term. If your child has 1 and a half days off school, their attendance will be 95%. Good attendance is central to students’ academic achievement and personal development
Penalty Notice Fines
Parental Responsibilities to Support Attendance
In order to facilitate this process, parents with children at Leeds West Academy are expected to:
- Report absence from school by 9am on each day of the absence
- Provide a note to cover the absence on the child's return to school
- Ensure that their child gets to school to time
- Ensure that their child gets to school on time, where they are late support the academy's actions in issuing a same day after school 30mins detention
- Not take family holidays during term time (see further guidance below)
Only the Principal may authorise such absences. Absences without permission from school will be registered as unauthorised (equivalent to truancy).
We understand that maintaining high attendance is the key to success however, there may be times when absence is unavoidable. In these situations, where possible, we request that you complete an 'Exceptional Circumstances Form' from the attendance office prior to the absence. Parents should complete the forms and return them to the attendance office for the Principal to authorise. We will notify you of the decision so you are informed if the absence is authorised or unauthorised. These absences will still affect absence % however your child will still be able to part of our exciting rewards system.“
Exceptional Circumstances’ include:
- Representative event (for example sport, music or school)
- Religious observance
- Family bereavement (immediate family)
- Employer/further education/school interview
- Specialised medical appointments for students who are undergoing specialised care outlined in care plans or those with a diagnosed medical condition.
Any other ‘exceptional circumstances’ will be at the discretion of the Principal and a student’s attendance record will be taken into account when deciding whether or not to grant permission for absence.
‘Exceptional Circumstances’ DO NOT include:
- Looking after siblings
- General doctor/practitioner appointments
- Birthdays
- Shopping for uniform
The Legal Framework
Under The Education Act 1999, parents are responsible for ensuring that children of compulsory school age receive full-time education. Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child’s regular attendance at the school where they are registered.
If a child of compulsory school age who is registered at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, the parent is guilty of an offence under this Act.