Attendance
Why is good school attendance important for children?
Attendance and punctuality are extremely important at Listerdale Junior Academy. 
Listerdale Junior Academy and the Local Authority in Rotherham take absence from school very seriously, because we know that children who attend school regularly are much more likely to achieve positive outcomes throughout their childhood and later in life. We want all children to thrive throughout their lives and attending school to learn and develop socially is an important part of achieving this.
All moments matter to children.
The law states that all children of compulsory school age must receive a suitable full-time education, and it is important that parents and carers are aware of this and that they take responsibility for making sure that their child attends school regularly and on time.
If you need any help or support with attendance, then please get in contact with school, and we can explain to you about what help and support is available for families.
Who is responsible for what?
It is the legal responsibility of every parent or carer to make sure that their child receives an education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school (such as Elective Home Education).
Parents and carers are responsible for making sure that their child attends school regularly.
Parents and carers are responsible for providing medical proof when their child is absent from school due to illness.
Schools are responsible, by law, for challenging parents and carers and for reporting poor attendance to the Local Authority.
Schools are expected to build strong relationships with families, listen to and understand any barriers to attendance and work with families to resolve issues.
The Local Authority is responsible for taking legal action against parents and carers when a child doesn't attend school regularly.
Punctuality
Being on time is really important to your child; every morning the class teacher explains what is going to happen during that day, so even if your child misses just a few minutes, they may miss some very important information. Additionally, learning starts the minute the children enter class each day and if your child is late they could miss the beginning of the lesson where the teacher explains what they need to do and gives the key learning points for the rest of the session.
10 MINUTES LATE PER DAY = 1 FULL DAY PER YEAR
Getting into the habit of being punctual at school is a good life lesson. Good timekeeping is a requirement for most employers and is usually listed as a requirement for employees, so by ensuring your child learns to be on time, you are not only helping them make the most of school, but also helping them with their future job prospects.
Celebrating Attendance
Each week, the Key Stage 1 (FS2 to Y2) and Key Stage 2 (Y3 to Y6) classes with the highest attendance are presented with a trophy to celebrate their achievement. All classes are informed of their attendance.
What is the School Attendance Matters Pathway?
This is a way of working in Rotherham between schools, Rotherham Council, and families when school attendance is an issue. The School Attendance Matters Pathway requires schools to consider whether the child or family needs support and how to best put this in place.
The Early Help Assessment is a tool used in Rotherham by all agencies who work with children and families to provide Early Help support. It helps us work with families to understand what support is needed and agree what this will look like. The Early Help Assessment and plan can be completed by any professional working with a child and family, for example, a school, health professional, or an Early Help Worker. This will help family and professionals to work together to address barriers to school attendance and other issues the family may be experiencing.
Enforcement will only happen in Rotherham if the School Attendance Matters Pathway has been followed appropriately. If parents and carers refuse support or if the absence is for an unauthorised term-time holiday, the School Attendance Matters Pathway must still be followed.
What is an Early Help Assessment and plan? 
The Early Help Assessment is a document that captures what we are worried about and what is working well within families. It is used as a way of supporting families who may need extra help. Issues with school attendance is one of the reasons for offering a family support through the Early Help Assessment. We understand that sometimes families experience difficulties and may need a helping hand. The Early Help Assessment will help in documenting the issues that are affecting family life, resulting in poor school attendance, and once this is completed, a plan of support is developed with the family to help.
The Early Help Assessment and plan can be completed by any professional working with a child and family, for example, school, a health professional, or an Early Help Worker. This will help family and professionals to work together to address barriers to school attendance and other issues the family may be experiencing.
How can parents get support?
In the first instance, parents and carers should speak to school so we can discuss support through an Early Help Assessment and explain what is happening.
As well as school, there are a lot of services who work with children and families and who can provide information, advice, and support. For more information about all of these services, please see the following websites:
Rotherham Family Hubs and Best Start in Life – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
National Framework for Fixed Penalty Notices
From 19th August 2024 the Government have introduced a new National Framework for Penalty Notices. Under the National Framework, all schools will be required to consider a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) when a child has missed 10 or more sessions for unauthorised reasons in 10 school weeks. Each school day has 2 sessions, AM and PM, meaning 10 sessions could be 5 full school days or 10 half days.
In the majority of cases, school and the Council will try and provide support to help you improve your child’s attendance first, but if this isn’t effective, or if the absence is for an unauthorised term-time holiday, parents may receive an FPN. FPN’s are used as an alternative to prosecution.
The National Framework for Penalty Notices sets out that a maximum of 2 FPN’s per child, per parent can be issued within a rolling 3-year period. If the national threshold is met for a third time (or subsequent times) within 3 years, another tool will be used.
- First FPN in a 3-year period: £160 per parent, per child to be paid within 28 days. Reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days
- Second FPN in a 3-year period: £160 per parent, per child to be paid within 28 days
- Third occasion in a 3-year period: A FPN will not be issued, and the Council will consider alternative enforcement
What is enforcement action?
The Council takes poor school attendance very seriously, and enforcement action will be taken if a child’s attendance does not improve, or if a child has an unauthorised leave of absence in term time. Schools will be required to follow the School Attendance Matters Pathway and will make a referral to the Council for enforcement action to take place.
An Education Supervision Order is a court order made in the Family Court, which gives the Council a supervisory role over a child’s education. When an Education Supervision Order is made, the child’s parents are legally required to comply with any directions the court makes under the Education Supervision Order. If parents do not comply with the Education Supervision Order, they can be prosecuted.
A referral to the Magistrates Court for prosecution. This could result in a fine of up to £2,500, an order to do unpaid work or imprisonment of up to 3 months.
In some cases, it may also be necessary for the council to refer to Children’s Social Care.
Please follow the links for more information on attendance guidance and legislation .
https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/education-2/school-attendance
https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/school-admissions-3/school-attendance-fixed-penalty-notice-code-coduct
Working together to improve school attendance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)