Rockwood Academy – Inclusive Attendance
Rockwood Academy is proudly partnered with Inclusive Attendance. Our unwavering commitment to attendance centres around child-centric actions, evidence-informed practices, and a shared understanding of everyone’s roles and collective responsibilities to promote exceptional attendance.
Multi-Tiered System of Support
To guarantee a comprehensive approach to attendance, we implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for school attendance involves three tiers of intervention, with roles for teachers, the school, children, parents, and external agencies – including the Local Authority. Data-driven decision-making and training requirements are pivotal to the implementation of the system. The system aligns with the Department for Education’s (DFE) “Working Together to Improve School Attendance” guidelines.
Tier 1 – Universal Approach: A universal attendance approach that benefits all children.
Tier 2 – Individualised Strategies and Early Help Support: Tailoring strategies to individual needs and providing early help support for persistent attendance challenges.
Tier 3 – Higher Needs Strategies Support: Specialised support for children, young people, and families with complex attendance requirements, including access to external agency support when necessary.
Recognition Based Approach
Our attendance philosophy is rooted in a recognition-based approach that recognises both personal and collective achievements. This approach serves to cultivate positive environments, nurture relationships, foster inclusivity, and ultimately cultivate intrinsic motivation among our children, families, and staff.
The Importance of School Attendance
School attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental part of education. It plays an important role as it shapes:
- Relationships and well-being: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.High levels of school attendance contribute to the overall wellbeing of pupils.
- Teacher Interactions: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.
- Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.
- Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills in their post-16 journey.
National data: link between excellent attendance and obtaining strong grades.
A grade 5 is what the majority colleges/businesses now ask students obtain. Click the below link for a more in-depth review from the Department of Education: The link between attendance and attainment in an assessment year
What is a ‘persistently absent’ (PA) student
If your child takes too much time off school the government categorise such students as PA or persistently absent. (19 days off school = persistent absence). When your child becomes PA the fining process can begin which can also lead to prosecution if your child’s attendance does not improve at this point. This table shows how many days missed each half–term will make your child a PA student:
Fining parents for persistent non-attendance
Schools can fine parents for the unauthorised absence of their child from school, where the child is of compulsory school age. Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child’s regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.