First Federation Trust
Registers are inspected on a regular basis by school staff (teachers, office staff and our attendance monitoring team).
Our attendance team meet half termly to review the school's attendance, as a whole school, per class and as individual pupils. Their decisions and review may lead to a parent(s) receiving a letter or a call.
Please do not hesitate to contact the office should you wish to view an overall attendance certificate. Teachers will discuss attendance at parents evening.
Encouraging Good Attendance
At Gatehouse, we constantly strive and look for ways to improve the education for all our children.
Registers are inspected on a regular basis by school staff (teachers, office staff and our attendance monitoring team).
Our attendance team meet every three weeks, to review the school's attendance, as a whole school, per class and as individual pupils. Their decisions and review may lead to a parent(s) receiving a letter. See below for a summary of the communication that may be sent.
We will be sending half termly attendance emails for all children. This will help keep you informed on your child’s overall attendance and how much absence they have had.
Letter 1: Initial Concern
Where a child's attendance is giving the school cause for concern, an attendance letter will be sent advising the parent that their child's attendance has dropped below 96%.
Letter 2: Ongoing concern
If a parent has already received a Letter 1 and attendance is still declining or your child's attendance falls below 93% a second letter will be sent. Attendance will be monitored for the next three weeks and if attendance continues to drop, a member of the school attendance team may contact the family to help and support and if needed arrange a meeting.
Letter 3: Ongoing decline
If a parent has already received a Letter 2 and their child's attendance continues to fall to below 93%, Letter 3 will be sent inviting the parent to attend a meeting with member(s) of the attendance team to try and work out if the school can support the family in any way to improve the child's attendance. At this stage, we will also enquire if the child has an ongoing medical condition that the school can help and support with, should the absences be due to a high number of days due to illness and medical appointments.
Letter 4: Failed to attend meeting
A fourth letter will be sent if a parent fails to attend the School Attendance Meeting set out in Letter 3.
Letter 5: Review letter
This letter is to celebrate improved attendance, or to identify when attendance has not improved.
If a pupil’s attendance continues to fall to below 90%, they are considered a 'Persistent Absent' pupil. The Attendance Improvement Office (formerly known as Education Welfare Officers), may be contacted to seek advice and be involved. If you, as the parent/carer, do not follow any plan or contract set out, legal proceedings may be considered.
More information can be found on our website: https://www.gatehouse.devon.sch.uk/attendance-matters/
Did you know, a child who is absent one day of school per week misses an equivalent of two years of their school life.
We are here to help and support you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss how we can work together.