Attendance at Gartree
“Improving attendance is everyone’s business”
Working Together to Improve School Attendance (DfE May 2022)
Gartree High School takes a “Support First” approach to improving school attendance with a greater focus on supportive measures than punitive legal measures.
The Senior Attendance Champion (SAC) leads on School Attendance and works with the Student Welfare Lead to oversee the school’s strategic response to maintaining high levels of attendance. The SAC is Ed Wilson. The Student Welfare Lead is Joel Lavender.
Regular attendance at Gartree High School is essential if students are to achieve their full potential.
Gartree believes that regular attendance at school is the key to enabling students to maximise the learning opportunities available to them and become emotionally resilient, confident and competent adults who are able to realise their full potential, belong, achieve and make a positive contribution to their community.
Penalty Notices for Unauthorised Absences
With the introduction of the new National Framework for Penalty Notices, the following changes will come into force for unauthorised absences that occur after 19th August 2024.
5 Consecutive Days of Term Time Leave.
Penalty Notice fines will be issues for term time leave of 5 or more consecutive days, and for fewer days where this has happened before.
10 Sessions of Unauthorised Absence in a 10-week period.
Penalty Notice Fines will be considered when there have been 10 sessions of absence in a 10-week period.
Persistent Absence
At Gartree High School we understand that persistent absence is a major cause of underachievement in young people.
A student defined as a ‘Persistent Absentee’ is one who misses 10% of school or more. To support pupils who fall into persistent absence the Student Welfare Lead, Pastoral Team and Tutors will work closely with them by using an attendance wheel over an initial 4-week period.