KILBRIDE NATIONAL SCHOOL
School Attendance Strategy
2016-2019
Our Statement of Strategy affirms our school’s commitment to attendance as an important aspect of our school ethos and school policy.
Our attendance strategy hopes to continue to promote attendance and encourage parents and children to see that good attendance helps children to become fully involved in school life.
Aims of our School Attendance Strategy
Our School will ensure that:
Punctuality
Absenteeism
The Promotion of Good School Attendance
Parents can promote good school attendance by:
How Pupils can promote good school attendance:
Pupils have the clear responsibility to attend school regularly and punctually.
Strengths of the school in relation to good school attendance:
Our school climate encourages a welcoming atmosphere where our children’s emotional well- being is at the heart of every aspect of our school life and work. Our school strives to promote positive teacher-pupil relationships and a supportive teaching and learning environment. Our school ethos, policies and practices work consistently together to support good attendance. Management and Staff work together as a team with a consistent approach to attendance.
Concerns in relation to a pupil’s attendance are immediately dealt with and an investigation takes place as to the reason why the pupils are absent. Supports are put in place to help pupils who may be absent due to emotional distress or through no fault of their own. Pupils are made feel safe and secure in our school and are encouraged to speak to their teachers if they have anxieties about attending school.
Parents and pupils are a central part of our school community and have opportunities to contribute to and take appropriate responsibility for attendance and punctuality.
School staff members liaise with parents/guardians to ensure pupils attend school regularly and punctually. Parents/guardians are reminded weekly as to the importance of attendance and punctuality and are notified of attendance figures.
Pupils are involved in social skills programmes and emotional well-being programmes in order to help them to develop their self-esteem and a positive attitude to school life.
Monitoring Attendance
School Attendance System: The Aladdin Student Management System makes it easier to track attendance throughout the school from the office desk.
Play Therapy: The school employs a Play Therapist who works with children usually because of behavioural or emotional difficulties. Non-directive play therapy is used.
Parents Association: A vibrant Parents Association works with Principal and staff in the school.
Literacy Programme: A variety of literacy programmes are in place in the school.
Numeracy Programmes: A variety of numeracy programmes are in place in the school.
Assembly: Assembly is held every Friday which rewards positive behaviour including attendance.
Extra -Curricular Activities – Our school provides a wide variety of extra-curricular activities including athletics, drumming, dance, hurling.
Learning Support and Resource teachers: Our SEN team is on hand to provide support to pupils at all times.
A positive classroom environment: Our school has a wonderful ethos and positive class environment. Pupils are very happy in our school.
Building Improvements made to the school have provided our pupils with an improved learning environment and more rooms for helping pupils with particular needs.
ICT – IWB in every classroom leads to new supports in teaching and learning
Positive behavioural and anti- bullying strategies used within the school encourage pupils to behave appropriately and have a positive attitude to themselves and others.
Concerns
While attendance is generally very good there are a number of concerns.
Recording and Reporting of Attendance and non-Attendance
The school attendance of individuals is recorded in the pupil information Aladdin system on a daily basis for each class. Class attendance data is automatically recorded daily in the leabhar tinreamh (Register). The annual attendance of each pupil is also recorded in the pupil information system.
If a pupil does not attend on a day when the school is open for instruction, his/her non-attendance will be recorded by the class teacher. The Roll-call is taken before 10.20am each morning. Any pupil not present when the roll is called will be marked absent for the day. A note from parents/guardians is required to explain each absence. Notes will be retained by the class teacher until the end of the school year. Notes are shredded by the class teacher
Parents/guardians of pupils who have missed 15 days are informed by letter detailing number of days missed and the fact that NEWB will be informed of these absences when the child reaches 20 days.
The school must inform the Educational Welfare Services of Tusla where a child has missed 20 days or more days in a school year, where attendance is irregular and/or where a child is suspended or expelled.
Where there is an irregularity in attendance that is repeatedly causing concern, the parents will be called in to meet with the Principal to discuss ways that we can help to improve the attendance of the child. An irregularity could be a pattern of Mondays or Fridays being days in which a student is absent from school.
Whole School Strategies to promote attendance/retention:
Early Intervention: A pack is prepared each year for new enrolments. Information from the Educational Welfare Services of Tusla about the importance of attendance is included.
Communication with Parents: Traditionally we have Parent-Teacher meetings in October. Any attendance issues should be raised with the parents at this point. School Information letters are regularly sent home to parents each term outlining the importance of attendance and punctuality and stating the obligation on staff to report non-attendance. Parents are also informed, of their responsibility, to send a note explaining absences to the staff.
School Records of Attendance: The staff is involved in keeping daily, monthly and annual records of attendance. The staff also keeps notes received from parents regarding absences.
School Reports: Children’s individual attendances are recorded in the annual school report which is sent home to parents. In the cases of children transferring to secondary schools and/or other primary schools attendance records are also forwarded.
The Educational Welfare Services of Tusla: Quarterly and annual returns are forwarded to the Educational Welfare Services of Tusla about attendance every year.
Promotion of Good attendance: Certificates are presented termly at assembly and at the end of the year to children who have had full attendance or to children who have only missed one day. Medals/prizes are also presented at the end of the school year to children who missed no days during the school year. The school certificates and medals are purchased from school funds.
SPHE: As part of our Social Personal and Health Education Programme each class teacher teaches SPHE. This hopes to promote self-esteem and encourage attendance through areas such as “Making Choices”.
Homework: Our school has a Homework Policy. Homework creates a good link between school and home and also helps to nurture lifelong learning. A copy of the content of the policy and the Code of Behaviour is forwarded to parents at the beginning of each school year. Both documents are also available on our website. Parents are free to approach the teacher if the child is experiencing issues with homework.
Book Rental Scheme: Books are available to families under our book rental scheme. We keep changes to our booklist to a minimum so as not to put pressure on parents.
Equality of Participation: We are very mindful in our school that some parents are under considerable pressure financially .We endeavour to ensure that our school helps those families with difficulties when it comes to swimming classes, school trips etc. All children are treated equally and we ensure that no child is left out of any activity in our school.
Our special needs team: Sometimes children can be reluctant to attend due to perceived failure or weakness in English/Maths or academics in general. Our SEN team intervene to ensure that each child is given support so that all children can integrate successfully into the classroom environment.
Communication with other schools/Agencies
Targets 2016 – 2019
Baseline Data
Overall attendance in our school is very good in relation to the national standard.
May 2015
Our school attendance as of the 1st of June 2015 was as follows:
Seven pupils missed 20 days or more.
May 2016
Our school attendance as of the 1st of June 2016 was follows:
Ten pupils missed 20 days or more. One child missed 30 days or more.
May 2017
Our school attendance as of the 1st of June 2017 was as follows:
Five pupils missed 20days or more. One child missed 30 days or more.
Other Actions 2016/2017
Monitoring
This will be done by-
Actions 2017 – 2018 – Please see recording and reporting of non-attendance.
We will also be repeating all the successful interventions from year 1.
Actions 2018 – 2019.
Repeat all successful interventions from years 1 and 2.
2019/20
Review and reflection.
Success Criteria and evaluation
We will reflect on the success of our Attendance Strategy in a number of ways:
Attendance/Retention strategy review
Dated: 28th June 2016
Deirdre Murphy Principal
Lynette Mallee Deputy Principal
Board of Management of Kilbride National School