Attendance

At Orchards Academy we aim for an environment which enables and encourages all members of the school to aim for excellence.

For our students to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and your child should be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

Absence affects your child’s chances of gaining good grades at GCSE so it is very important therefore that you make sure that your child attends regularly and  that we work together to achieve this.

If your child is absent you must: 

  • Contact us before 8am on the first day of absence and every further day of absence until they return by emailing attendance@orchards-tkat.org. 
  • Provide evidence if your son/daughter’s attendance is below 90% and you have received a letter informing you that their attendance is a cause for concern. 
  • In such cases where the absences are a medical matter, the school may ask for additional medical information in order that we can better understand the needs of your child and support them with possible reasonable adjustments.

If your child is absent we will: 

  • Contact you on the day of absence if we have not heard from you. 
  • Contact you if your child has an attendance of less than 90% to discuss their return to school and how we can best support their return to school. 
  • Invite you in to discuss the situation with a member of staff if absences persist, to try and find solutions together. 
  • Complete a visit to your home if no contact has been made with the school regarding absences within the time period set out in our Home Visit Policy 
  • Refer the matter to the Local Authority Attendance Team if attendance is a concern. 

Why regular attendance is so important

  • Learning: Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any student’s absence disrupts teaching routines so may affect the learning of others in the same class.
  • Ensuring your child’s regular attendance at school is your legal responsibility and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.
  • Attendance figures are one thing prospective employers, colleges and universities ask for when requesting a reference:  we report these accurately.
  • Keeping your child safe: Your child may be at risk of harm if they do not attend school regularly. Safeguarding the interests of each child is everyone’s responsibility and within the context of this school, promoting the welfare and life opportunities for your child includes:
    • Attendance
    • Behaviour Management
    • Health and Safety
    • Access to the Curriculum
    • Anti- bullying/ On-line safety
    • Failing to attend this school on a regular basis will be considered as a safeguarding matter