Attendance & Punctuality
We have very high expectations for our students’ attendance and punctuality. Our target for attendance is 97% – a high target, above the Ofsted bracket for Outstanding. We have set this ambitious target because regular attendance is a crucial factor to every student’s educational development and ability to achieve their full potential. Irregular attendance leads to educational disadvantage and also places children at risk.
Punctuality is also vital in ensuring no learning time is lost. The school is open from 8am and all students must be in school by 8.30am.
All queries about attendance should be emailed to attendance@kaa.org.uk, or you can call the attendance officer Ms Fontaine-Barrett on 020 7313 5800.
Further details are available in the Attendance Policy 2023-24.
KAA hopes that parents and staff work in partnership to ensure the good attendance and punctuality of its students. The following points and procedures clarify the precise responsibilities of each:
Attendance
1. Every student is set a target of 97% attendance.
2. Parents are asked to limit their children’s absences to cases of real illness and under no circumstances will requests for holiday in term time be granted. It is, however, acknowledged that there may be special circumstances where a parent feels that their child needs to be taken out of school. In these circumstances, parents should complete the Exceptional Leave of Absence Request Form at least 2 weeks prior to the requested date. The Principal will then consider the circumstances and write in response with reference to national recommendations.
Exceptional Leave will always be refused in the following circumstances:
• When a child is in year 11, 12 or 13
• Where the academy is aware of any truancy
• Where there are trends to requests
• Where the student’s attendance is of concern
Reasons for Exceptional Leave will be logged on the student’s record and shared as part of the transfer / transition process.
Where the decision is taken to refuse permission for an exceptional leave of absence, the absence will remain unauthorised should the parent ignore this. In addition, the Academy will issue a Penalty Charge Notice to the parents and may also refer the matter to Early Help.
3. Appointments for doctors, dentists, opticians etc., should be made out of school hours, wherever possible. If your child has a medical appointment we need at least 24 hours notice of this in writing in order to authorise the absence. Students must bring a letter of appointment from their doctor or hospital to show to the attendance officer. If the attendance officer agrees with the necessity to miss school then they will countersign the letter and the student will present that at student reception where they will need to sign out. Reception will retain the letter and place in student file. It must be noted this will count towards an authorised absence. Acceptable evidence for an authorised absence includes:
· Appointment card or letter
· Copy of a prescription that was prescribed on the date of absence
· A compliment slip from the surgery / hospital
· Packaging of prescribed medication with student name and date visible
4. Parents are reminded that arrival after the register closes is recorded as absent for that session. Punctuality is therefore very important, and arrivals after close of register will be treated in the same way as absence. This may also mean that parents could face the possibility of a Penalty Notice or a referral to Early Help if the problem persists.
5. On the first day of absence parents are expected to contact the school by telephone, by 8.30am that day. For calls made before 8am please leave a voicemail. The child should be given a letter to pass to the attendance officer on the first day of their return if the absence is to be authorised.
6. Any absence of 3 days or more without communication from home will be followed up immediately by either form tutors or the Assistant Principal and may result in a referral to social services.
7. The academy will send letters of concern to students whose attendance is of concern.
8. Absence in the first or last week of any half term will be recorded as unauthorised holiday unless medical evidence is supplied. See authorised absence section for what makes appropriate evidence.
9. There will be a 100% attendance raffle every half term. All students who have 100% attendance for that half term are included and one name is drawn and a voucher is awarded to that student.
10. Every half term the average attendance for each house is calculated and House points are then be distributed accordingly to reward good attendance and punctuality.
Punctuality
1. Students must be at school promptly at 8.30am
2. If students arrive late they must sign in at reception. Their planner will be stamped with a late stamp.
3. The first instance of lateness will result in a lunchtime detention.
4. Two instances of lateness in a week will result in a Friday detention.
5. Persistently late students may be put on report for punctuality, resulting in a detention for each instance of lateness.