Attendance

Attendance

Welcome to the TDA Attendance Hub. Here you will find a range of useful resources for supporting your child’s attendance, term dates, links to our attendance policy and key contacts for the attendance team at TDA.

At TDA we have a vision for excellence in school attendance. This vision is encapsulated by our “TDA ATTEND Code”. The ATTEND Code is a summary of the core benefits of attending school every day.

We expect maximum attendance, and whilst understanding that there are some exceptional reasons for missing school, we have a minimum benchmark of 96% for every child before intervention and support takes place.

Children who attend school regularly:

• Do better academically
• Form stronger friendships
• Are more likely to stay mentally healthy and confident

Even small amounts of missed time can have an impact – just 1 day off every 2 weeks adds up to a whole school year missed by age 16.

Students that attend at least 95% of the time at TDA achieve above national average in their GCSE exams (Summer 2023, Summer 2024). We expect all children to aim for above 95% attendance. Attendance below 90% is classed as ‘persistent absence’ and will lead to additional support.

Find our Trust’s Attendance Policy here.

Helping you with School Attendance: Who’s Who?

We have a team of attendance experts in different roles to support you with your school attendance. Take the time to familiarise yourself with these staff members, as they may contact you from time to time.

All the staff listed below are available to speak to for support with your child’s attendance. You and your child will also hear from your child’s tutor to discuss how we can support with absences.

Attendance Lead Team

Mr M Snowden- SLT Attendance Lead

Ms E Knight- Attendance Officer

Miss Knight is here to support and contact you in the event of absence. You may see her and your child’s pastoral leader at support and planning meetings. Let these key staff know if you need support with your child’s attendance.

Pastoral Leaders

Year 7- Mrs C Travis

Year 8- Mrs T Jakes

Year 9- Miss B Shelton

Year 10- Mrs S Marshall

Year 11- Ms A Allen

SENDCo Team

Mrs C Else- SEND Coordinator

Mrs C Robinson- Deputy SENDCo

Mrs Else and Mrs Robinson are there to support students in accessing SEND provision with their progress and wellbeing in school, which often means supporting with any anxieties or issues around attendance. You may hear from them on the phone or in meetings.

TDA Breakfast Club

Attendance Newsletters

Please visit this page regularly to catch up on our attendance-specific newsletters. These will also be posted to our social media channels

Attendance Newsletter Autumn 2023

Attendance Newsletter February 2024

Attendance Newsletter Summer 2024

Attendance Rewards

At TDA we are always keen to recognise students that show excellence in their attendance, but also where students have demonstrated improved attendance at school. Some examples of rewards your child is able to earn by showing strong attendance are;

• Weekly recognition points from their Coach for 100% attendance.
• Prizes, badges, reward events and trip invitations linked to our flagship 100% Club
• Recognition certificates in half-termly year group rewards assemblies.
• Letters home celebrating excellent attendance.
• Year-group-specific competitions that lead to rewards afternoons with attendance as a determining factor.
• Spot prizes for 100% weekly attendance – Greggs, Costa Coffee, Odeon cinema as examples.
• Friday attendance rewards with free chicken & chips plus cafeteria queue jump for the winners. Winners can also take a friend for the queue jump.
• Principal’s Friday excellence rewards.
• End of term / year whole-school trips, for example to a theme park for students demonstrating excellence in attendance combined with outstanding attitudes to learning.

All of these rewards are achievable for all students and highlight our desire to reward students that value their attendance highly.

Reporting an Absence

Please call the academy before 9:00am on the first day your child is absent.

If your child is off for more than one day, keep us updated daily unless a return date is known.

If your child is unwell for 5 or more days, we may ask for medical evidence (e.g. prescription, appointment card).

Authorised vs Unauthorised Absence

We can only authorise absence for:

• Illness (with appropriate evidence if required)
• Religious observance
• Exceptional family circumstances
• Medical appointments (ideally outside of school hours)

We cannot authorise term-time holidays. Whilst we understand that holiday companies charge higher costs during the school holidays, it is unacceptable to remove children from their education for this purpose.

If a holiday is taken without permission, this will be marked as unauthorised, and you may receive a Penalty Notice from the local authority.

Please see our Term Dates to support you with planning breaks outside of term time.

Requesting a Leave of Absence

All requests must:

• Be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance
• Be made in writing to the Principal, Head of Year and/or Pastoral Leader
• Show exceptional circumstances (not holidays or travel)

We will always consider individual situations, but approval is at the Principal’s discretion and is not guaranteed.

Exceptional reasons for leave need to be communicated with your child’s Head of Year and / or Pastoral Leader with plenty of notice, for example for authorised sporting commitments, religious observance, or for a bereavement.

We also discourage families from making routine medical and dental appointments during the academy day. We understand it can be challenging to secure appointments in the current national context, however we seek for our families to work with us on keeping children in the academy during opening hours.

We thank our families for working with us in this matter.

What Happens if Attendance is a Concern?

We will:

• Talk with you to understand any difficulties
• Offer support and make reasonable adjustments where needed
• Work with other professionals if appropriate

In some cases, we may agree a short-term part-time timetable (e.g. after illness), but our goal is always a return to full-time education.

Penalty Notices and Legal Action

If attendance does not improve, and no good reason is given, you may be issued a Penalty Notice:

• £80 if paid within 21 days
• £160 if paid within 28 days

If not paid, the case may go to court. Click to see more detailed FPN Information

Working Together

We know that sometimes families face challenges. Please talk to us early – we are here to help. We will always:

• Listen without judgement
• Work with you to remove barriers
• Celebrate improvements

Together, we can help your child thrive.

For full details, please read our complete Attendance Policy. If you have any questions, please contact one of the staff members listed above.