Good attendance is crucial to every child’s progress in their education. Here at Meadow Park Academy, attendance is monitored very closely in partnership with the Education Welfare Department within Reading Borough Council.

'You could be prosecuted if you don’t give your child an education. You’ll normally get warnings and offers of help from the local council first.' – Gov.uk website

Children of school age are legally bound to be in school every day unless ill. If children are unable to attend school because of being unwell, it is requested that the school is contacted by the parents or carer to advise us about the reason for their absence. If a child is absent and the school are unaware of the reason, the parent or carer will be contacted to establish the reason for absence. Any absences that do not have acceptable reasons against them will be unauthorised.

Good attendance at school is categorised as 95% and above the attendance rate. Children with attendance under 90% at the end of the academic year will have their attendance and punctuality monitored on a fortnightly basis the following year by the Reading Borough Council Attendance Support Worker (ASW). The ASW will meet termly with members of the school, usually the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher, to discuss pupil attendance and to agree on action to be taken in relation to parents of children with unsatisfactory attendance. Action taken includes, but is not limited to: warning letters, attendance panel meetings, fixed penalty notices and court proceedings.

Details of Meadow Park’s attendance procedures can be found below.

Good attendance and punctuality are crucial to children’s learning.

Parent responsibilities:

· To have children in class ready for teaching by the start of the school day.

· To inform school on the first day of any absence by telephone

· Comply with the attendance information regarding holidays

· Work with the school and Education Welfare Officer to improve lateness and attendance if appropriate

· To ensure that children have any equipment required for their day, i.e. PE kit, water bottle, packed lunch, book bag, weather-appropriate jackets and clothing including sun hats

Please also note the following:

· Leave during term time can only be authorised by the Head of School in exceptional circumstances. The request form can be downloaded from the school website.

· If a pupil misses 10 days of schooling during any academic year, that pupil can only achieve 94.7% attendance. Any further absence will mean that they will be further disadvantaged with attendance falling even lower.

All of the above measures are designed to ensure our children at Meadow Park Academy miss as little school as possible. Every child matters and every child’s education is vital to their lifelong learning. Good attendance plays a crucial part in enabling every child to succeed and thus achieve their full potential.

For more information on school attendance, please visit https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/overview.