The Rowans AP Academy

Every day counts. Every pupil matters. Attendance matters.

At The Rowans, we want every pupil to feel safe, supported and ready to learn. Regular attendance helps pupils build positive relationships, establish routines and pupils to grow in confidence. Being in school also means they can access the teaching, interventions and wider opportunities that support their progress.

We aim for all pupils to achieve at least 96% attendance, while encouraging attendance every school day that they are well enough to attend.

Working together with families

Improving attendance is a shared effort. Parents and carers know their children best and your insight helps us understand what may be making it difficult for them to attend.

We recognise that some pupils face barriers linked to anxiety, health, additional needs or circumstances at home. If your child is finding it difficult to come to school, please speak to us as early as possible. You do not need to wait until attendance becomes a concern.

By keeping in touch, we can understand the difficulties, agree practical steps and review how well the support is working. We will share attendance information with you, recognise improvements and contact you when we have concerns about attendance or punctuality.

Where further support is needed, we can work with attendance services and other professionals to help address the barriers your child is experiencing.

How parents and carers can help

• Support your child to attend school every day and arrive on time.
• Establish a regular evening and morning routine.
• Report absences promptly and explain the reason.
• Keep us informed about anything that may be affecting attendance.
• Where possible, arrange medical and dental appointments outside school hours.
• Keep your contact details and emergency contacts up to date.
• Work with us on any agreed support and celebrate your child’s progress.

If your child is absent

Please contact the school by 8:30am on the first day of absence and each subsequent day, unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed with the school. Explain the reason for the absence and, where possible, when you expect your child to return.

School telephone: 01634 338803

If your child has not arrived and we have not received a reason, we will contact you or your child’s emergency contacts. These checks help us establish that your child is safe. Please respond promptly to calls or messages from school.

If illness is prolonged or recurring, we will discuss your child’s needs with you and consider what support may help. Medical evidence may be requested where appropriate to understand health needs or clarify the reason for absence.

If your child is struggling to attend, please contact us so that we can discuss how to help.

The Attendance Advisory Service (AAS) are the enforcement agency and work with the Headteacher to improve attendance via scheduled weekly meetings. Referrals are made to AAS in the following circumstances;

• 4 or more unauthorised absences during the academic year.
• If an absence is longer than 2 days and medical evidence is not provided.
• If there appear to be patterns of non-attendance, e.g. every Monday or regular 2 day absences.

It is important that pupils attend on a regular basis. However, there may be occasions when a pupil is unable to attend due to ill health or for other legitimate reasons.

Appointments and planned absence

Please let us know in advance about appointments that cannot take place outside school hours. Where possible, your child should attend school before and after the appointment.

Holidays should be arranged during school holidays. A holiday is generally not considered an exceptional circumstance for granting leave during term time. Any request for leave must be made in advance and will be considered individually by the Principal.

Support with attendance

Our Attendance and Welfare Lead, Rebecca Jones, works with pupils, families and staff to identify difficulties and support better attendance. Your child’s form tutor can also help you raise concerns. We monitor attendance and punctuality regularly so that we can identify emerging difficulties and offer support early. Our approach centres on open communication, understanding each pupil’s needs and working with families to improve attendance.

The school day

The school day begins at:

• Secondary: 8:40am
• Primary: 8:50am

Arriving on time helps pupils settle into their day, access learning from the start and feel prepared for lessons. Please contact us if your child is experiencing difficulties getting to school on time.

Please see the Attendance Procedures below for primary and secondary registration times.

Further information

Our Attendance Policy explains our expectations and how we support and manage attendance.

Together, we can help every pupil make the most of their time at The Rowans.