Orchard Park High School expects all students to have 100% attendance and firmly believes that all students benefit from outstanding school attendance, both academically and in terms of their preparedness for adult life. 

Aims and objectives

We intend to establish systems and practices which will:

• Create an ethos in which excellent attendance is the norm.
• Maintain a safe, secure environment for students and the curriculum that meets their needs, thereby positively encouraging attendance.
• Raise student awareness of the importance of punctuality and uninterrupted attendance, and encourage students a sense of responsibility.

Expectations

We expect that all students will have:

• 100% attendance
• 100% punctuality rate
• Attend school appropriately prepared for the day.

Absence

Students who are absent from school for more than a day will have their progress significantly affected. If your child is unable to attend school as a result of illness, parents/carers are asked to contact the school on each day of absence via the school’s main telephone number 020 8776 0220 or email studentabsence@orchardparkhigh.net 

The school will contact you by email, telephone or text if we do not receive a message regarding your child's absence. Students must bring a dated parent/carer’s note when they return. In the case of prolonged absence (i.e. more than two days), parents/carers should keep the school informed as to when their child will return. Medical evidence must be provided.

If your child has a medical appointment, please provide a note in advance asking for them to be excused. We ask that parents/carers try to make appointments after school so that students do not miss lessons. Students leaving school must sign out at the office, show their note, and sign back in upon their return.

Absences that the school is unable to authorise include:

• Holidays during term time.
• Arrival after the register has closed, i.e. 9.30am onwards.
• Shopping trips, even if this is for school uniform.
• Looking after a relative/pets.
• Tiredness due to extra-curricular activities.
• Taking siblings to school.
• Students are taken out of school to translate.

Holidays during term time

The Department for Education (DfE) noticed that attendance at school for some children had become problematic, so from September 2024 they introduced some significant changes to their guidance: Working Together to Improve School Attendance.

Previously, headteachers were able to authorise holidays in term time if there were exceptional circumstances. From September 2024, the DfE has withdrawn the H code and has stated that “Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance”.  Therefore, we are no longer able to authorise holidays in term time.  In the unlikely case of holidays being taken, they will be recorded as ‘Unauthorised Holiday in Term Time’ and the family will be liable for a penalty notice. 

Lateness

Morning  registration/line up is 8.20am to 8.30am. Registers are closed at 9.00am.

Students are expected to be at line up by 8:25am. If a student arrives late to registration/line up (after 8.25am), they must 'sign in' at the Welfare Office and a late stamp will be put in their journal; their form tutor will be made aware, and they will sit a detention that same evening.

If a student arrives late to registration, a detention will be issued for one hour on that day, after school.  Where appropriate, reasons for lateness are investigated and responded to in the appropriate manner.  Lateness after registration closes is recorded as an unauthorised absence and is notified to parents/carers via the 'First Day Absence Call' service. If a student persistently fails to arrive on time, the detention will be raised to 90 minutes for every subsequent late without a legitimate note. Persistent lateness may incur a penalty notice.

Register checks

The school's Attendance Officer checks our registers daily and pursues unexplained or repeated absences. The school will conduct home visits where it deems appropriate to ensure that children are safe and to enforce that they should be attending school.

There is a direct link between strong school attendance and high achievement.

Reasons for penalty notices/prosecution

Term-time leave of absence: A school can apply to their local authority for a penalty notice if there are five or more days of cumulative absence due to term-time leave. 

Unauthorised absence: A school may apply to their local authority for a penalty notice if there are ten or more sessions of unauthorised absence in a ten-week period. These absences can be a combination of term-time leave of absence, unauthorised absence or being late after the close of registers (9:00am). 

Who is liable for a penalty notice/prosecution?

Penalty notices/prosecution are now issued/sought for each parent for each child (per parent, per child).  Parent refers to anyone with parental responsibility and may include carers, step parents, grandparents or any other adult with parental responsibility.

For example: If a family with three children take a term-time leave of absence, each parent would receive three penalty notices of £160 for each child. This would amount to £960 if paid within 28 days, reduced to £480 if paid within 21 days.

First offence: The first time a penalty notice is issued for term-time leave of absence or unauthorised absences the amount has increased now to £160 per parent, per child. If paid within 28 days of being issued, this amount is reduced to £80.

Second offence: If a second penalty notice is issued for term-time leave of absence or unauthorised absence within a three-year period, there will not be a discount for early payment. The penalty notice is payable at the full amount of £160 within 28 days of the date of being issued.

Third offence/any further offences within a three year period: If there is a third instance of term time leave of absence or unauthorised absence, a penalty notice will not be issued. Any further cases will be referred directly to Magistrates’ Court for prosecution. Magistrates can impose a fine of up to £2,500 per parent, per child. Should a parent be found to be guilty, this is recorded as a criminal offence and will show on any DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks as 'Failure to Safeguard a Child's Education'.

The school's attendance and punctuality policy can be downloaded from our school policies page here.