We Believe in Excellent Attendance
Message from the Local Authority from September 2020
Sharing Information The government expects schools and local authorities to:
• Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence;
• Ensure every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled; and,
• Act early to address patterns of absence.
• Parents to perform their legal duty by ensuring their children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly.
• All pupils to be punctual to their lessons.
The Local Authority has a duty to support schools to meet these expectations and to support schools, parent/carers and learners to address patterns of absence in a timely manner. The government is also asking schools and Local Authorities to identify pupils who are reluctant, or anxious about returning, or who are at risk of disengagement and develop plans for re-engaging them. This should include disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, especially those who were persistently absent prior to the pandemic or who have not engaged with school regularly during the pandemic. We will therefore be sharing information with the Local Authority regarding any pupils about whom we have attendance concerns in order to fulfil our statutory duty.