Attendance

At HACH we know that there is a direct link between excellent attendance and great achievements.

Students at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred have an excellent attendance record. Attendance is checked every morning and afternoon for every student.

In order to support the academy we ask that parents or carers contact us before 8.30am to report an absence.

Main School (Years 7-11) 01375 484580 (Option 1)

Email: attendance@harrischaffordhundred.org.uk

Sixth Form (Years 12-13) 01375 484840

Email: sixthform@harrischaffordhundred.org.uk

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 child attends school and is on time. This guide will explain what our expectations are regarding attendance and punctuality.

Attendance and Punctuality

We expect your child to be in the Academy every day and on time unless:

They are too ill to attend - medical evidence may be 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

Contact us by no later than 08.30 to inform us of any absence the same day. Please inform us as soon as possible of any changes to your contact details. Any other issues or concerns should be raised with your child’s Head of Year, who will deal with these in the first instance.

Please be aware:

If your child arrives after 8.30am they will be given a late mark on the register and may receive a detention on the same day.

If your child arrives to school after 9.30am, the late mark becomes an unauthorised absence for the morning session.

MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT!

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!

Unauthorised Absence

This is where your 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 your child misses school without authorisation, leaves the school premises without permission or registers for school but does not then attend lessons. We will not accept truancy and we will inform you of any suspected truancy.

Leave of Absence in Term Time

We do not authorise holidays during term time. If you require your child to be absent, you are required to 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. As per Local Authority guidelines.

What will we do to monitor attendance and punctuality?

If you have not notified the school of the reason for your child's absence, we will make contact with you on each day of the absence, using the contact details provided.
Where we are unable to make contact, or where there are concerns regarding the length or reason for the absence, a home visit may be conducted.
If we have concerns about the number of absences your child has accrued, we will send an attendance concern letter.
We may also contact you to arrange a meeting with your child's Head of Year to discuss any concerns regarding attendance or persistent punctuality issues.
Where attendance concerns continue, the matter may be referred to the Education Welfare Officer for further support and intervention.

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;
To uphold our expectation that all students achieve at least 97% attendance