Attendance and Punctuality
Attendance and Punctuality at HACH
A warm welcome to Harris Academy Chafford Hundred attendance and punctuality. Please see below an outline of some key pieces of information regarding attendance here at HACH.
Attendance Matters
| Attendance Percentage | Days Absent | Lessons Missed |
| 100 % | 0 Days | O Lessons Missed |
| 99 % | 1 Day | 5 Lessons Missed |
| 98% | 3 Days | 15 Lessons Missed |
| 97% | 1 Week | 25 Lessons Missed |
| 96% | 1.5 Weeks | 35 Lessons Missed |
| 94 % | 2 Weeks | 50 Lessons Missed |
| 93% | 2.5 Weeks | 65 Lessons Missed |
| 92% | 3 Weeks | 75 Lessons Missed |
| 90% | 3.5 Weeks | 90 Lessons Missed |
| Minutes Late Each Day | Number of school days / weeks missed in a year |
| If you’re late by the minutes below, each and every day… | …this is how much learning time you would have missed, by the end of the year |
| 5 Minutes | 3 School Days |
| 10 Minutes | 6.5 School Days |
| 15 Minutes | 10 School Days |
| 20 Minutes | 13 School Days |
| 30 Minutes | 19 School Days |
| Please be aware: If your child arrives after 8.30am they will be given a late mark on the register. If you arrive to school after 9.00am, the late mark becomes an unauthorised absence for the morning session. MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT! | |
Excellent attendance is important because…
We want all students to develop good character and great achievement by taking full advantage of the opportunities provided at HACH. Evidence shows that there is a direct link between poor attendance and underachievement. Students not in school are more at risk of failing to achieve.
The law requires that parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that their children attend school and are on time. This guide will explain what our expectations are regarding attendance and punctuality.
Attendance and Punctuality
We expect all children to be in the Academy every day on time unless:
- They are too ill to attend - medical evidence maybe requested
- They have a medical appointment that can only be made in Academy hours; an appointment card / letter must be provided
- There are other extreme circumstances where permission has been given by the Head of Academy
Contacting the Academy
Please contact us by no later than 08.30 to inform us of any absence the same day, or of any future absence. Please inform us as soon as possible of any changes to your contact details. Any other issues or concerns should be raised with the relevant Head of Year, who will deal with these in the first instance.
Unauthorised Absence
This is where a child has been absent and the absence has not been explained or we do not consider the reason for the absence to be acceptable.
Truancy
This occurs when a child misses school without authorisation or registers for school but does not then attend lessons. We will not accept truancy and we will inform parents / carers of any suspected truancy.
Leave of Absence in Term Time
We do not authorise all holidays during term time. If you require your child to be absent, you must write for the attention of the Head of Academy, explaining the reasons for the request and providing relevant supporting evidence.
The Head of Academy will consider these requests on an individual basis taking into account the student’s attendance record and the circumstances given.
Penalty notices may be issued for unauthorised absence, which could result in a fine.
What will we do to monitor attendance and punctuality?
- If you have not let us know why your child is absent, we will contact you on the first day of absence, at home or at work
- Send you an absence letter if we have not been able to ascertain reasons of absence
- Carry out a home visit if we have been unable to contact you or are concerned over the length or reason of absence
- Contact you and arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns we have over attendance and persistent issues with punctuality.
- Further concerns with attendance will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer.
Guidance for parents/carers
- Reinforce our expectations regarding full attendance and excellent punctuality with your child
- Work with academy staff when we take action over punctuality, truancy, or low levels of attendance
- Keep us informed of any changes to contact details, or in advance of any medical appointments; providing the appropriate evidence
- Keep us informed of any absence that is likely to continue
- Our expectation is that all students achieve at least 97% attendance
