It is important that everyone works together to help children obtain the best possible start in life with a good education. Parents should work in partnership with the school, notifying the school of the reason for any of their child’s absences and highlighting any areas of concern they may have so they can be addressed promptly. We value relationship over everything else but do ask that you work with us.
Every school has a link Attendance Officer in Devon. Their aim is to reduce unnecessary absences from school by offering support and help to pupils, parents and schools. A school must make a referral to the Attendance Service when a pupils' attendance is a cause for concern or when attendance drops below 85%. We also have Trust support from an attendance officer.Â
Parents/carers are reminded that all holidays should be taken out of term time. If this is unavoidable then the form below must be completed and returned to the school office in advance of the absence. Remember that both parents may be fined for taking each child out of school and that holiday is likely to be an unauthorised absence, which may result in a fixed penalty notice. See updated notice on penalty fines below.Â
Attendance Monitoring Procedure
To ensure a consistent and fair approach to attendance, we follow a clear procedure for responding to student absences. This process includes a series of trigger points designed to help identify and address attendance concerns early:
97% Attendance – You will receive a phone call or email from the school to inform you of your child’s current attendance percentage.
95% Attendance – This is the first formal trigger point. You will receive a letter expressing concern about your child’s attendance and reminding you of the importance of regular school attendance.
93% Attendance – You will again receive a phone call or email from the school to make you aware of your child’s current attendance percentage.
92% Attendance – This is the second formal trigger point. At this stage, you will receive a letter inviting you to meet with the Academy Head. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss any concerns, explore possible support, and develop an action plan to help improve attendance.
90% Attendance – At this level, a referral will be made to the Attendance Improvement Officer (AIO). A penalty notice may be issued by Devon County Council. Please note: these absences do not have to be related to holidays. They may also include absences where no evidence has been provided (despite requests), absences where the reason is not deemed genuine or sufficient to keep a child from school, or where a student has received a “U” mark for lateness.
