At our school, we believe every child belongs and every day counts. We are committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where all children feel happy, included, and excited to learn. We will work together with families and our community to understand and overcome barriers to attendance, so every student has the opportunity to grow, succeed, and thrive—every single day.

Our Approach to Attendance

We are excited to share some important updates regarding our approach to attendance at Straits. Our commitment to providing the best support for your children and families has led us to collaborate with an organisation known as Inclusive Attendance. Together, we aim to empower children to attend school regularly and overcome any potential barriers they may face in their educational journey.

Our new approach is rooted in an inclusive attendance model designed to ensure that everyone - our staff, families, and children - fully understands their individual roles and collective responsibilities in supporting school attendance, active engagement in learning, and addressing potential barriers.

To achieve this, we are introducing a Multi-Tiered System of Support, a tiered approach that caters to the unique needs of all children. It begins with our universal offer, progresses to Tier 2, which provides additional support for some children through early help services within the school, and finally, Tier 3, where we ensure that certain children and families have access to specialised resources if required.

Effective communication with all our families is central to our values at Straits. In light of this, we will transition from reporting attendance in percentage form to a focus on the number of days missed. This shift will simplify the process, enhance communication, and help all children and families have a clear understanding of the impact of missed school days on education.

Another significant change we are implementing is moving away from a rewards-based system. Instead, we will adopt a recognition-based approach that allows us to be more inclusive and creative in acknowledging personal achievements and promoting the importance of regular school attendance among both our children and families.

Our renewed focus on this inclusive attendance approach will ultimately help us create a culture where everyone at Straits shares the collective responsibility for school attendance.

Multi-Tiered System of Support

To guarantee a comprehensive approach to attendance, we implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for school attendance involves three tiers of intervention, with roles for teachers, the school, children, parents, and external agencies – including the Local Authority.  Data-driven decision-making and training requirements are pivotal to the implementation of the system.  The system aligns with the Department for Education's (DFE) "Working Together to Improve School Attendance" guidelines. 

Tier 1 - Universal Approach: Establishing a baseline universal attendance approach that benefits all children. 

Tier 2 - Individualised Strategies and Early Help Support: Tailoring strategies to individual needs and providing early help support for persistent attendance challenges.

Tier 3 - Higher Needs Strategies Support: Furnishing specialised support for children, young people, and families with complex attendance requirements, including access to external agency support when necessary.

The Importance of School Attendance

School attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental pillar of education. It plays a pivotal role in shaping academic success, personal growth, and future prospects, making it an indispensable aspect of any educational system.

• Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.

• Knowledge Acquisition: School is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.

• Social Development: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.

• Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.

• Teacher Interaction: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.

• Preventing Knowledge Gaps: Frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in long-term academic struggles.

• School Engagement: Children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.

• Legal and Parental Responsibility: Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child's regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.

Holidays and Exceptional Circumstances

It is a rule of this school that a leave of absence for a holiday shall not be granted in term time unless there are exceptional circumstances, irrespective of the child’s overall attendance.  Only the head teacher (not the Local Authority) or his designate may authorise such a request and all applications for a leave of absence for a holiday must be made in writing, on an application form provided by the school - all applications must be made in writing to the Head Teacher at least 5 school days prior to the requested leave date.

Where the decision is made not to authorise leave in term time, school will inform parent/carers in writing. A general guide for parents, is leave for any holiday, activity or event that could be arranged during the annual 13-week holiday time would not be authorised.

Where a parent takes a leave of absence to which the application was refused or takes a leave of absence where no application was made to the school, the issue of a penalty notice (upon a return from such leave) may be issued.