Attendance

Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy is committed to the continuous raising of achievement of all our students. Research proves that there is a very clear relationship between excellent attendance and academic achievement. Our experience shows us that students with the highest attendance achieve the best results. Excellent attendance leads to excellent progress and achievements. Excellent regular attendance is essential for all students to be successful, and benefit from the opportunities offered to them in school, through their secondary education.

To achieve their best, students must: 

be on time for registration

be punctual to lessons

We recognise that parents and carers have a vital role to play and there is a need to establish strong home-school links and communication systems that can be used whenever there is concern about attendance.

Year after year, our experience tells us that students with excellent school attendance achieve the best results. Students with 100% attendance make on average nearly a grade more progress per subject than students with 95% attendance. Students with 80% attendance made, on average, almost a grade and a half less progress.

Parents,carers and families are therefore asked to ensure that their young person is in school every day of term.

The law states that students can miss school if:

• They are too unwell to attend school*;
• It has been authorised in advance by the Head of School (such as a religious observance including attending the wedding of a family member, funeral or competitive sporting event).

The Attendance Process : if your child is absent from school

If your child is absent from the academy you must telephone the Attendance Line 0113 487 2837 on the first day of absence before 8.00am and provide a reason.

If known beforehand that your child is going to be absent from school, please bring a relevant appointment card or letter giving the reasons and dates before the absence.

Please be aware that Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy works closely with Leeds City Council and will transfer any cases of persistently poor attendance for possible prosecution in either the Family or Magistrates Court.

• If we do not receive communication, you will receive a phone call home from our dedicated Attendance Officers.
• A home visit may be made depending on the student’s attendance record and the nature of the absence.
• On returning to the academy the student must take responsibility to catch up on work missed.

Home visits will be conducted by members of the Attendance Team if a student’s attendance is of concern. The purpose of making home visits is to have a conversation with families about their young person’s attendance, complete a safeguarding check and offer support where applicable.

Rewarding Excellent Attendance 

Maintaining an attendance record of 100% is a brilliant achievement and one that we are delighted to reward and celebrate. Students who achieve 100% attendance will be given a much-deserved place in the 100% Attendance Club. Membership of the club entitles students to a range of rewards, including celebration activities and pop-up events throughout the year.

Membership to 100% Attendance Club is celebrated in assembly when they enter the club. This is a student’s pass to a raft of awards. Students that are members of the 100% Attendance Club in September are those that secured 100% attendance at Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy during the whole of the previous academic year. After October half term, we will welcome to the club every student that has achieved 100% attendance during the first half term of the year. Students stay in the club and experience all the perks that go alongside this for as long as they maintain 100% attendance.

Exceptional Circumstances

We recognise 100% Attendance as being a huge achievement and one that needs significant reward and celebration! Therefore, only students with 100% Attendance will be granted access to the club. The 100% attendance club is a reward for those students who show resilience and excellent attitudes to school.

We do, however, recognise that in some cases, absence from school is unavoidable. Examples include students being absent from school:

• to mark a religious observance including attending the wedding of a family member.
• to attend a specialist medical appointment related to a lifelong medical condition.
• to grieve for, and attend a funeral of an immediate family member.

In all cases where a parent / carer is seeking an exception to be made, please complete an ‘Exceptional Circumstances' form and return to the academy by email, post or hand this into the academy reception.

Students who maintain attendance above 98% will be able to access some of the same rewards given to those in the 100% Attendance Club. The Attendance Team may, when appropriate, also provide incentives and rewards specifically targeted to individuals or groups where it is seen fit.

Punctuality

The academy is open from 8.00am, and all students must arrive by 8.25am. Upon arrival students have access to breakfast and can remain in the outside areas / dining areas prior to going to form at 8.25am. 

The Attendance Co-ordinator is responsible for monitoring each individual student’s punctuality daily, weekly, half termly and termly

• Form Tutors should enforce the academy policy on lateness (after 8.30am)
• Head of Year checks students’ lateness on a daily basis
• Form Tutors/subject teachers issue the detentions to students who sign in late between 8.30am – 8.50am and all other lessons after the start of the lesson.

For those who arrive late to academy there will be an automatic detention set

• Students who are repeatedly late will be placed on punctuality report and tracked daily
• Parent/carers will be informed when a student is late to academy via text/email or phone call.
• If a student is persistently late to school, a parental meeting will be arranged and punctuality report and action plan will be made and reviewed.
• Heads of Year and Directors of Year will track punctuality throughout the year and intervene where required.

Poor Punctuality sanctions: Per half term

• Every late to school after 8.30am = 1 hour detention
• Late to lesson = PDFL Score 2 and 1 hour detention
• Three lates in a half term = Letter home to inform parent
• Six lates in a half term = Letter home and phone call from attendance team
• Nine lates over a half term = Director of Year will arrange a parental meeting and action plan created
• Any further lates = Parental meeting with a member of Senior Leadership Team
• U codes (late after register closed) counts towards a late detention and also an unauthorised absence

The Attendance Co-ordinator keeps in daily contact with the Alternative Provisions to check attendance.

Attendance Policy