Mrs A Mountford – Attendance Manager |
Mrs R Ashworth – Attendance Officer & Deputy DSL |
Our dedicated Attendance Team plays a vital role in supporting the success and wellbeing of every student in our school. By receiving and managing attendance calls with care and efficiency, the team ensures clear communication between families and the school. Working closely with the pastoral team, they help identify and address any barriers to regular attendance, offering guidance and support tailored to individual needs.
Beyond monitoring, the Attendance Team is passionate about celebrating great attendance, recognizing students’ efforts through rewards and positive reinforcement that inspire a culture of commitment and pride. Their work helps create a nurturing and accountable environment where every day in school counts.
Attendance: A Graduated Response
Why a Graduated Approach to Attendance Works
We know that getting your children to school every day can sometimes be a challenge, so we’ve put together a step-by-step plan to help.
We will provide all families with friendly reminders about how important regular attendance is for your child’s success. If we notice your child is missing more days, we’ll give you a call or set up a meeting to chat about what’s going on and how we can help.
If things still don’t improve, we’ll work through our response step by step to provide extra support and tackle any bigger issues. We’ll create an Attendance Improvement Plan and might even work with outside agencies to make sure your child gets all the help they need.
Click here to find out more about our Attendance Improvement Plans
This approach is all about working together to make sure your child feels supported and motivated to come to school. Regular attendance means better grades, improved social skills, and a happier, more engaged student. We’re here to help every step of the way!
We measure attendance in the following steps:
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Percentage Attended
|
Number of School Days missed
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96-100%
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0 – 7.5 days of absence over the academic year
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91-95%
|
7.5 – 19 days of absence over the academic year
|
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51-90%
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18-97 days of absence over the academic year
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0 – 50%
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18-97 days of absence over the academic year
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At BCA Attendance really does matter!
|
Percentage Attended
|
Number of School Days
missed
|
Impact
|
What we will do
|
| 96-100% |
0 – 7.5 days of absence over the academic year |
Students who reach an attendance target of 96% or above have the best
chance of:– Achieving outstanding progress and exam
results
– Accessing the best potential opportunities both in school and post 16
– Developing personally and socially
– Having the best job prospects in the future
– Having the best economic outcomes in the future |
Students in this category will be eligible for a range of
rewards and opportunities including:– Trips and Events
– Participation in sporting events /
performances
– Representing the Academy
– End of Term Rewards assembly prizes
– Spot prizes
– Praise postcards
– Celebrated on the media screens
– Positive texts home
– Possible invitation to the end of year Awards
Evening at the Parr Hall |
|
91-95%
|
7.5 – 19 days of absence over the academic year |
An attendance percentage at this level is a cause for concern. Students
who fall between 91-95% are likely to:
– Underachieve in some or all areas of school life
– Miss out on trips, rewards and enrichment opportunities
– Be impacted socially by nonattendance at school
– Reduce their chances of better job prospects |
Parents of students in the category will:
– Be informed of the low rates of attendance and contacted regularly by the attendance and/or pastoral teams
– Be asked to explain the reasons for the low
attendance rates including supporting the academy to identify potential barriers to engagement with school life
– Be invited to work with the school and possibly outside agencies to support an improvement in attendance
Support the AIP Group targets
– Be asked to provide evidence to explain any further absence
Students in this category
will:
– Set targets to improve their attendance
– Become part of an AIP (Attendance Improvement Plan) Group led by their tutor or Progress Leader
– Be supported by BCA staff and external agencies where relevant to identify and address barriers to learning
– Supported to improve their punctuality if this a cause for concern
*Arrival to school after 9am
results in a ‘U’ code which is an unauthorised absence. This is in line with
Government guidelines and is non-negotiable.
– Be rewarded for improvements in attendance
|
|
51-90%
|
18-97 days of absence over the academic year |
A student with an attendance percentage at this level is classed as a
Persistent Absentee. They are likely to:
– Be at risk of underachieving in all areas of study due to significant gaps in learning leading to lower earning potential
– Be more at risk of becoming NEET(Not in Education, Employment or Training) when they reach the age of 16
– Become socially isolated and have difficulties in developing essential |
Parents of students in this category will be:
– Invited into school to meet with the Attendance / Pastoral Team to discuss potential barriers and agree an action
plan
– Expected to meet with the Warrington Local Authority Attendance Team Click here to find out more
– Expected to provide evidence to explain any further absence
– Subject to statutory action where appropriate (Potential prosecution and fines)
– Visited at home regularly to discuss absences and ensure the safeguarding of students
– Be referred to external agencies for support
Students in this category
will:
– Set targets to improve their attendance
– Become part of an AIP (Attendance Improvement Plan) Group led by their Progress Leader / Attendance Team
and /or a member of the Senior Leadership Team
– Be supported by BCA staff and external agencies where relevant to identify and address individual barriers to
learning. This might include academic support, counselling, or addressing
health issues
– Supported to improve their punctuality if this
a cause for concern.
*Arrival to school after 9am
results in a ‘U’ code which is an unauthorised absence. This is in line with
Government guidelines and is non-negotiable.
– Be rewarded for improvements in attendance |
|
0 – 50%
|
18-97 days of absence over the academic year |
A student with an attendance percentage at this level is classed as Severely Absent. They are likely to:
– Be at significant risk of underachieving in all areas of study leading to lower earning potential
– Be at significant risk of becoming NEET (Not
in Education, Employment or Training) when they reach the age of 16
– Become socially isolated and have difficulties in developing essential skills and be more likely to engage in risky behaviours |
Parents of students in this category will be:
– Expected to meet with the Attendance Team and SLT Year Group link to discuss potential barriers and agree an action plan
– Expected to meet with the Warrington Local Authority Attendance Team
– Have to provide evidence to explain any further absence
– Subject to statutory action where appropriate (Potential prosecution and fines)
– Visited at home regularly to discuss absences and ensure the safeguarding of students
– Be referred to external agencies for support
Students in this category will:
– Set targets to improve their attendance
– Be supported by BCA staff and external agencies to identify and address individual barriers to learning. This might
include academic support, counselling, or addressing health issues
– Have a bespoke Attendance Improvement
Plan
– Supported to improve their punctuality if this
a cause for concern.
*Arrival to school after 9am
results in a ‘U’ code which is an unauthorised absence. This is in line with
Government guidelines and is non-negotiable.
– Be rewarded for improvements in attendance |
Examples of Internal and External support:
|
Parents / Carers
|
Students
|
|
|
Regular Communication: School will maintain open lines of communication with
parents through the ARBOR app, emails, and meetings to keep them informed
about their child’s attendance and any concerns
School Attendance Officers: Designated staff members will work closely with families to address attendance issues, provide
support, and develop action plans tailored to individual needs
Early Help Referral: Warrington Early Help is a service provided by Warrington Borough Council aimed at supporting children, young people, and their families as soon as difficulties start to emerge. The goal is to offer timely assistance to prevent problems from escalating
SEND Team: Staff can work with parent to identify potential barriers and support referrals, if and when appropriate
Local Authority Support: Warrington Local Authority have attendance officers and support teams that can work with
schools and families to address persistent absenteeism
Health Services: Collaboration with local health services to address medical
issues that may be causing frequent absences. This can include physical
health, mental health, and dental services
Parent Workshops and Training: Agencies may be able to offer workshops to educate parents on the importance of regular attendance
and provide strategies to help manage their child’s attendance, for example
ADDvanced Solutions / SENDIASS
Community Organizations: Partnering with community groups and charities that offer support services, such as mentoring programs, family support services, and after-school activities, uniforms etc.
|
|
Pastoral Support / Mentoring: Strong relationships between students
and staff are essential. Form tutors, pastoral care teams, and school
counsellors work closely with students to build trust and provide consistent
support Pastoral care involves identifying and addressing barriers to
attendance, such as mental health support.
EBSA Programme: Emotional Based School Avoidance interventions are designed to support students who experience significant
emotional distress that prevents them from attending school regularly.
ELSA Programme: Emotional Literacy Support Assistant sessions provide targeted emotional support. ELSAs help students overcome barriers to learning and achieve their full potential socially, emotionally and academically.
Academic interventions: small group tuition or access to Support Centres.
SEND Support: identifying and removing potential barriers to learning through interventions or referrals.
Mental Health Support
Team or CAMHS referrals: Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) MHSTs are designed to improve access to psychological therapies for young people and assist schools in developing a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing. They offer support for mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety, low mood, and behavioural difficulties. CAMHS provides specialized mental health services for children and adolescents with
more severe or complex mental health needs. They offer a range of therapeutic
interventions and support
|
Attendance Improvement Plans offer a structured approach to help students improve their attendance. It includes specific goals, strategies, and support systems designed to address absenteeism and encourage consistent attendance. This plan will outline expectations, include interventions like mentorship, identification and removal of barriers or incentives for improvement. Conversations will emphasise the consequences of poor attendance on their future success.
Mentors will:
meet weekly with their AIP student / group in their normal form time
Highlight the importance of good attendance
Identify barriers and seek support from Pastoral Team if needed
Set clear expectations/goals
Offer incentives
Create engaging morning check-ins: Start the day with a positive and welcoming interaction, reinforcing the importance of attending school
Mentors may wish to consider additional strategies, such as:
Follow up the attendance teams parental contact with an introductory phone call / email / ARBOR in-app message / face to face meeting
Offer individual mentoring sessions for students who need extra guidance beyond the weekly group meetings.
Contact parents regularly to update progress
Organize peer support groups: Encourage students with attendance challenges to support one another and share their experiences
Implement structured reflection activities: Have students track their attendance and reflect on improvements or setbacks to develop accountability
Arrange academic catch-up sessions: Arrange for or offer dedicated time for students to work on missed assignments or receive tutoring support
Use rewards beyond incentives: Recognise improvements with the use of praise postcards
Collaborate with pastoral teams: Work closely with student support services to address wider issues affecting attendance, such as wellbeing or financial concerns
Celebrate success in creative ways: Organise attendance competitions, class-wide achievements, or group celebrations to maintain motivation.
