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Attendance
Attendance and Belonging at Howden School. Every student. Every day. Belonging at Howden.
At Howden School, good attendance starts with belonging. We want every student to feel known, valued, safe and connected to our school community. Being in school regularly gives young people the opportunity to build strong relationships, take part in school life, develop confidence and achieve well. That is why attendance and punctuality matter to us.
We have high expectations for all students and encourage everyone to aim for 100% attendance. We also recognise that there will be times when a student cannot attend, for example because they are too unwell to be in school.
Our approach is therefore based on high expectations, strong relationships, early support and working in partnership with families.
Our approach: notice, listen, understand and support
Attendance is everyone's responsibility, but improving attendance works best when school, students and families work together.
We monitor attendance carefully so that we can notice changes and offer support at an early stage. If we become concerned about your child's attendance, our first step will be to talk with you and, where appropriate, your child. Understanding the barrier helps us identify the right response.
Where support is needed, we will work with the student and their family to agree appropriate next steps. This might involve support within school, reasonable adjustments where appropriate, or working with other professionals and services.
Families do not need to wait until attendance has become a serious concern before talking to us. If something is making it difficult for your child to attend, please tell us early.
When a child is unwell
We understand that children and young people become ill and that there will be occasions when they are too unwell to attend school.
Minor illnesses do not always mean that a student needs to remain at home. A minor cough, cold or sore throat, for example, will not usually prevent a child from attending if they are otherwise well enough to participate in normal school activities.
Parents and carers should use their judgement and follow NHS guidance when deciding whether their child is well enough to attend.
Where a physical or mental health condition is affecting attendance, please talk to us. We will work with the student, family and, where appropriate, relevant professionals to understand their needs and consider appropriate support or reasonable adjustments.
Reporting an Absence
Parents and carers are responsible for informing school when their child is unable to attend.
Please contact school before 8:30am on the first day of absence and explain the reason your child will not be attending.
You can:
- Call 01430 430448 and leave a voicemail;
- Email attendance@howdenschool.net; or
- Use the Arbor App to submit an absence request.
Please continue to keep us informed if your child's absence continues, in line with the school's absence reporting procedures. Knowing why a student is absent helps us keep children safe and identify where support may be needed.
Medical and Dental Appointments
Wherever possible, routine medical, dental and similar appointments should be arranged outside school hours.
We recognise that this is not always possible. Where an appointment must take place during the school day, please let us know as soon as possible and provide appropriate evidence where requested.
Where it is reasonable to do so, students should attend school before and/or after their appointment.
Attendance and Parental Responsibility
Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure that children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly.
School also has statutory responsibilities in relation to attendance.
Where absence becomes persistent or serious, we will work with families and, where appropriate, the Local Authority and other services to improve attendance.
Where voluntary support has not been successful or has not been engaged with, or where it is otherwise appropriate, formal attendance procedures and legal intervention may be considered in accordance with statutory guidance and the school's attendance policy.
Formal action is therefore part of our attendance approach, but it does not replace our responsibility to understand barriers, offer appropriate support and work constructively with families.
What do I do if I need to apply for an absence in term time?
Please contact the Head of Year directly to discuss potential absence from school. The Head of Year will give guidance and if necessary issue you with an Absence from School for Exceptional Circumstances Referral Form available to download below.
We advise that you do not plan for your child to be absent without speaking to the school first to obtain prior approval.
You can be fined for unauthorised term-time holidays.
- Parents are at risk of receiving a penalty notice for unauthorised absence. This is a fine of £80 per parent, per child, if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days.
- If prosecuted and found guilty, the parent faces a punishment of up to £2500 and/or 3 months imprisonment.
- Request for absence of 20 days or more may result in students being removed from the school register.
Punctuality matters too
Belonging means being part of the school day from the beginning.
Arriving on time helps students settle, connect with their peers and teachers and begin learning positively. Regular lateness can disrupt routines and mean important learning, information and pastoral contact are missed.
We therefore expect students to arrive at school on time every day.
If punctuality becomes a concern, we will work with students and families to understand what is causing the difficulty and what needs to change. Students are informed of our daily expectations of punctuality and late to school.
Working together
Good attendance is not achieved through a percentage alone. It grows from belonging, relationships, high expectations, good communication and the right support at the right time.
Our shared aim is simple:
- Every student should be in school whenever they are able to be, accessing their education, building relationships and knowing that they are an important part of Howden School.
- If your child is beginning to struggle with attendance, please contact us early.
- We would much rather start a conversation early and work together than wait until absence has become a bigger barrier.
Every student. Every day. Belonging at Howden.