At Oak View School we believe that ‘Every Lesson Counts’ and we therefore place a high value on regular attendance and encourage it in the followings ways:
- Providing a caring and welcoming learning environment that is such fun that children will not want to miss it;
- Responding promptly to a child’s or parent’s concerns about the school or other pupils; marking registers accurately and punctually during morning and afternoon registration. If pupils arrive at school after the register has closed (9.00 am) without a written explanation, a late mark will be recorded. If a child arrives late after 9.05 am it will be recorded as ‘late after register closed’ and will be counted as an unauthorised absence. All children arriving late at school should enter via the main entrance so that their name can be recorded in the late book in case of a fire drill;
- Publishing and displaying attendance statistics;
- Celebrating good and improved attendance;
- Monitoring pupils, informing parents/carers in writing of irregular attendance, arranging meetings with them if necessary and referring the family to Attendance Improvement Officer if the irregular attendance continues.
We expect that you will:
- ALWAYS encourage regular school attendance and be aware of your legal responsibilities;
- ALWAYS ensure that your child arrives at school punctually and fully prepared for the school day;
- Ensure that you contact the school whenever your child is unwell and unable to attend school;
- Contact the school by 9.30 am on the first day of the child’s absence and telephone every day thereafter unless your child has a doctors certificate.
- Contact us promptly whenever any problem occurs that may keep your child away from school.
Responding to Non-Attendance
- On the first day of absence, if we have not heard from you by 9.30 am we will contact you by our text messaging service. If we do not receive a response to our message we will contact you by telephone.
- If we fail to make contact by telephone we will either make a home visit or send a letter of concern and invite you into school to discuss your child’s absence. You will be notified that if the absence persists a referral will be made to the Attendance Improvement Officer.
- Failure to comply with the expectations set by the Attendance Improvement Officer may result in further action, an application for an Education Supervision Order, or court prosecution.
- Attendance Policy - September 2024 (1.27MB)
Fixed Penalty Notices
Please contact the school office to gain further information.
Holidays in Term Time
Parents/carers should not expect the school to agree to a family holiday during term time. Parents/carers do not have a legal right to take children out of school on holiday at times when they should be attending school. Schools will normally refuse to authorise holidays during term time and the Local Authority will support them in doing so. The school term dates are published at least a year in advance and we therefore do not see any reason for parents to need to take their child out of school during term time. We hope you will support us in this matter and continue to ensure your child attends school every day.
Illness during the weeks either side of a school holiday will not be authorised by the school (unless the school has been shown a doctor’s note on the surgery’s headed paper or prescription/medicine for those dates). Parents do not need to provide this evidence but if you have chosen not to then the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.