Introduction
At Thomas Gainsborough School we want all students to aim for 100% attendance. We set expectations of excellent attendance for all and expect students to be in school every day that school is open unless they are too unwell to attend. This is really important so we can give your children the best education we can, and the education that they are entitled to.
Some students find it harder than others to attend school and we will work together with parents, carers, guardians, students and any relevant partners to remove any barriers getting in the way of students attending regularly. Students with medical conditions or other circumstances that may at times prevent regular attendance will be fully supported by our school, in partnership, where necessary, with any health or external professionals. Promoting and supporting excellent attendance is everybody’s concern within our school and community.
The provision of a calm, orderly, safe, and supportive school where all students feel that they belong, and want to be, is of paramount importance to us. We will work together with you to explore and support any child who is finding it difficult to attend school regularly.
Mr. C. Appleford - Attendance Champion
Key Attendance Contacts
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Miss A Alston 01787 375232 |
School Attendance Lead Assistant Headteacher Online Safety Lead Student Support |
Supports the development of positive attendance, behaviour & a sense of belonging at TGS. |
 |
Mr C Appleford 01787 375232 |
School Attendance Champion Deputy Headteacher Personal Development DSL, Prevent & Looked After Children Lead |
Leads the overview of attendance across the school within the role of Deputy Headteacher and Attendance Champion. This includes supporting those within vulnerable student groups or where safeguarding support is required. |
 |
Miss B Gridley 01787 375232 |
School Attendance Officer |
Supports families and students with attendanace, absence and punctuality related administration on a day-to-day / ongoing basis. |
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Mrs A Hunt 01787 375232 |
Student Services Manager | Supports the monitoring and analysing of attendance and leads the team of Learning Mentors that administers personalised interventions for attendance or punctuality concerns. |
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Mrs N Wilby 01787 375232 |
SENDCo Assistant Headteacher Mental Health/Wellbeing Lead Medical |
Provides SEND, Medical and Wellbeing intervention & advice to attendance colleagues and as required for individual students and/or families across the SEND cohort or for those with medical needs. |
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Mr I Shrubsole 01787 375232 |
Governor for Attendance | Promotes the importance of school attendance at TGS and scrutinises the work, ethos and policies of the attendance teams. |
Why is attending school regularly so important?
Excellent attendance is important for students to feel part of the school community and develop a sense of belonging. This supports each student’s all-round development, mental health, and well-being.
|
If attendance over the school year is: |
…a student will miss this many days: |
…and this many 100 minute lessons: |
|
100% |
0 |
0 |
|
95% |
10 |
30 |
|
90% |
19 |
57 |
|
85% |
29 |
87 |
|
80% |
39 |
117 |
|
75% |
49 |
147 |
|
70% |
58 |
174 |
Reporting Absences
Call or email the school [attendance@tgschool.net / 01787 375232] to report your child’s absence before 8.30am on the day of the absence and each subsequent day of absence. We ask that you give full details of the absence and avoid using generic phrases such as “poorly” or “sick” - tell us what symptoms your child has and when you expect them to be back at school. You must repeat this for every day of absence, unless by prior agreement with the school. This helps us to safeguard your child as we will otherwise not know if they have left home and not arrived at school. We may call you back if we need more information.
Thomas Gainsborough School operates a 'first day calling procedure'. This means if your child is absent at morning registration without our prior knowledge and we have not received any communication, then we will attempt to contact you. To support this process, please inform us immediately of any changes to your contact details.
How do we reward good and improving attendance
Where positive attendance is evident and/or there is an improving picture of attendance,, students will be celebrated and receive praise, merits, letters, certificates and postcards to recognise this.
Absence requests
Should a leave of absence for exceptional circumstances be required, parents/carers should complete the form found within Appendix D of the Attendance Policy as far in advance as possible of the requested absence.
These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Headteacher and/or Deputy Headteacher.
The decision of the Headteacher and/or Deputy Headteacher is final and, if the leave of absence is not agreed, the child’s/young person’s absences will be marked as unauthorised.
Unauthorised absence
An absence will be unauthorised if your child is absent from school without the permission of the school. Whilst as parents you can provide explanations for absence, it remains the school’s decision whether to authorise an absence or not.
Support for school attendance
Sometimes your child may not want to attend school. We encourage parents and students to be open and honest with us about the reasons for absence.
If your child does not want to attend school, please contact our team of Learning Mentors, who can assist you and your child to ensure your child attends school. You can contact the Learning Mentors by telephone on 01787 375232 or via email at learningmentors@tgschool.net.
Where attendance is not meeting our expectations, we will use a range of measures to improve this. This can be through letters, parental meetings, interventions from our early help offer (https://tgschool.net/early-help-offer), penalty notices or involvement of the school appointed EWO (Education Welfare Officer) as examples. We will always look to support yours and your child’s engagement with school.
For students with medical conditions or other circumstances that may at times prevent regular attendance we will fully support each student to be able to attend as much as possible.
If our school has any safeguarding concerns about a student who is absent, we will share information with other agencies as we deem necessary to ensure a child’s safety and well-being.
Registration
The morning register will be called promptly at 8.45 am during tutor time. Any student arriving after 8.45am but before 9.15am will be marked as late (no longer than 30 minutes after the calling of the register). Any student arriving after the registers have closed at 9.15am will be marked with unauthorised absence for this lateness.
The afternoon register will be called promptly at 1.35 pm at the start of lesson 3. Any student arriving after 1.35 pm but before 1.50 pm will be marked as late. Any student arriving after the registers have closed at 1.50 pm will be marked as unauthorised absence for this length of lateness.
Punctuality and Lateness
Students are expected to arrive at school, and be in the correct room for registration and lessons on time every day. It is very disruptive to their own education and that of others in their class, if they are late. Students who arrive after the register closes in the morning and during lesson 3 will be marked as unauthorised for that whole session as highlighted on page 1 of this document. A student who is persistently absent by reason of lateness will be dealt with in the same way as other students with an emerging pattern of absence.
Holidays
Families are also discouraged from term-time holidays and visits (please be aware there are at least 13 weeks of school holiday time in the year). Where these absences are not in line with the exceptional circumstances that can be granted leaves of absence, this period may be unauthorised or invoke a penalty notice.
To request a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances, please complete the form.
Illness & injury
If your child becomes ill or injured whilst at school, they need to inform a member of staff. Staff will be best placed to support this, and the student services team will offer any medical support needed. Families will be contacted by student services if their child needs to go home. Students should not contact home if they are unwell. This is due to the school needing to be aware so they can support in the first instance and ensure there is no immediate issue that needs medical attention. This will also stop any distress being caused by a call home, especially if the issue can be rectified in school. Where a student contacts home and a parent/carer arrives at school to collect them without school communication, the absence will then be unauthorised.