Attendance and Punctuality

At Oasis Academy Pinewood we take attendance and punctuality very seriously.  We expect all pupils to attend school regularly and to arrive at school on time and ready to learn.  

Our robust systems for monitoring and improving attendance give pupils the best possible chance of success both academically and socially.

We provide support for families through our Attendance team. Please speak with a member of the team if there are issues you would like to discuss that are impacting on your child’s regular attendance.  

Senior Attendance Champion: Ms Jenni Elliott

Attendance and your legal responsibility as parents 

You have a legal responsibility to make sure that your child attends school regularly.  If your child is not attending school regularly the Attendance Officer will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns that you may have. We have a duty to report unauthorised absences to the local authority and the parents of pupils who have a record of persistent and/or unauthorised absence may be fined or have legal action taken against them.  

Punctuality and your legal responsibility as parents 

Being on time for school establishes good habits for the future. Being late for school has a significant impact on learning time and will ultimately affect the attainment your child due to the disruption it causes.   

Authorised and unauthorised absence 

If a student is absent from Oasis Academy Pinewood, it is vital that their parent lets school know as soon as possible to give a reason via email or telephone.  All absences from school can result in a telephone call and/or a home visit.  

If absences are not reported to school, a message will be sent out to parents asking them to inform school of the reason. If not contact is still made from home, a home visit will be undertaken by one of the attendance team.  

Please note that we may request medical evidence for any illness.

Appointments during term time 

We understand at times that there can be genuine reasons for absences. Please remember to keep the Academy Office and the class teacher informed. As per our safeguarding procedures if contact is not made then the attendance team will carry out a home visit as it is important that we know where your child is.

Term time holidays 

In order to maximise individual achievement, parents should not take family holidays during the term time period.  The Local Authority has the power to fine parents if their child is absent from school without authorisation. Please note, the academy will not authorise holiday during term time.   However, we advise that you complete a Term Time Leave Request form which can be collected from the main office.

What if my child’s attendance continues to go down and isn’t improving? 

 If your child's attendance continues to decline, the academy can offer a range of support measures.  Please speak to the attendance team or the class teacher.  
However, if after support is provided and the attendance has not improved, the Local Authority may issue a fine.

What can you do to help?  

• Do not book holidays in term time.
• Make medical appointments after your child has had the morning or afternoon attendance mark and always return to school afterwards.
• Do not take your child out of school unless in exceptional circumstances.
• Always ring the school to let us know where your child is and why they are absent.
• If your child has been ill, encourage them to attend as soon as they are fit and able.
• Be punctual and set good routines, as persistent lateness will affect their attendance.

Persistent Absence  

All parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends Oasis Academy Pinewood on a regular and punctual basis. It is a criminal offence under Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act to fail to secure regular attendance of a registered pupil at Oasis Academy Pinewood.  

Regular attendance at school is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to fulfil their potential. The Department for Education has published data on their website that clearly shows the link between attendance and attainment. It also highlights the impact on a child education if attendance is not consistently above 95% throughout their schooling.   

Any pupil who misses 19 days or more of school and has attendance below 90% is classed as persistently absent. This figure is not acceptable, and it will be expected that the family will work relationally with the academy and local authority in order to improve your child’s attendance. These families will be regularly tracked and invited into school to attend meetings in how to improve their child’s attendance. If a parent shows support and starts to show improvements to their child’s attendance, then they will be monitored. If attendance continues to drop and support isn’t followed, unfortunately this will give the school no further option than to contact the local authority to process fixed penalty fines. 

If you wish to find out more information regarding attendance, please see the School Attendance page on the Havering website.