Statement of strategy for school attendance
The school’s vision and values in relation to attendance:
We, in St Patrick’s NS Clonbullogue, strive to provide a welcoming school environment that is inclusive, fun, creative and safe. We are committed to excellence in education and aim to develop the full potential of each student. We hope that our school will be a pleasant and happy place for all members of our school community, and accordingly that our pupils will want to come to school.
The school’s high expectations around school attendance:
There is a strong tradition of good school attendance in St Patrick’s NS, and it is assumed by all members of the school community that pupils will attend daily and punctually, unless they have a genuine reason for absence. This expectation, and the procedures around attendance (e.g. that a written explanation should be provided for each absence), are frequently communicated to parents, pupils and staff members, in class, at assemblies, in notes home and at parent-teacher meetings.
In cases where there is a genuine reason for a long-term or ongoing absence it is expected that parents will liaise with the class teacher/principal with a view to ameliorating the effects of this absence for the child.
How attendance will be monitored:
Attendance and enrolment records are maintained in the hard-copy Leabhar Rolla and Leabhar Tinrimh Laethúil. Records of enrolment are maintained in the Pupil Online Database (POD), and in the pupils’ individual files. Copies of referral forms and communication with the Educational Welfare Officer are stored in the relevant child’s individual files.
Class teachers monitor the attendance of their pupils, and depending on the age of the child the issue of attendance may be raised informally with the child or parent if this is deemed appropriate. Once a child has missed seventeen days in a school year the principal sends a note to the parents advising them of this, and reminding them of the school obligation to inform Tusla of pupils who miss twenty days or more. Parents are invited to discuss the reasons for the absences with the principal or class teacher.
A referral is made to the Educational Welfare Officer once a child has been absent for twenty days in the school year, if the school principal deems these absences to be unsatisfactorily explained or otherwise a cause of concern.
Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:
School roles in relation to attendance:
Each classroom teacher is responsible for filling out the roll book for his/her class each day, and alerting the deputy principal if a child’s attendance is a cause of concern or when the child has missed 20 school days. All teachers and staff members have a role in promoting the value of school attendance.
Responsibility for maintaining the attendance records of the school and submitting absence reports to Tusla has been delegated to the deputy principal, but remains the overall responsibility of the principal. Pupil referral forms are completed by the principal/class teacher in cases where there are serious concerns about a child’s attendance or welfare, and the principal/teachers work with the Educational Welfare Officer to try rectify these concerns. The advice of the Welfare Officer may be sought as appropriate.
Parents are expected to send their children to school every-day unless they are ill or have a genuine reason for non-attendance. They are requested to inform the class teacher in writing if their children are absent from school.
The pupils are expected to attend school every-day, and are expected to catch-up on school work missed during absences, where at all possible.
The Board of Management has overall responsibility for the preparation of the school’s Statement of Strategy for School Attendance.
Partnership arrangements:
Co-operation between staff, parents and pupils is vitally important for the welfare of pupils. The school endeavours to work with all relevant outside agencies to the best of its abilities to ensure the well-being of pupils. Where appropriate, information relating to school attendance may be shared with other agencies (e.g. another school where a child has enrolled, social workers, NEPs etc.) as well as with the school’s Educational Welfare Officer and Tusla.
How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored:
The principal makes reference to school attendance levels in her report at each Board of Management meeting. The preparation of her report to the Board of Management therefore serves as a means to monitor school attendance levels throughout the school year.
Review process and date for review:
Should school attendance levels become a matter for concern in St Patrick’s NS this Statement of Strategy will be reviewed in light of the recommendations made in Developing the Statement of Strategy for School Attendance, Guidelines for Schools.
Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management:
The Statement of Strategy for School Attendance was ratified by the Board of Management on November 23rd 2016.
Date the Statement of Strategy was submitted to Tusla: November 24th 2016
We, in St Patrick’s NS Clonbullogue, strive to provide a welcoming school environment that is inclusive, fun, creative and safe. We are committed to excellence in education and aim to develop the full potential of each student. We hope that our school will be a pleasant and happy place for all members of our school community, and accordingly that our pupils will want to come to school.
The school’s high expectations around school attendance:
There is a strong tradition of good school attendance in St Patrick’s NS, and it is assumed by all members of the school community that pupils will attend daily and punctually, unless they have a genuine reason for absence. This expectation, and the procedures around attendance (e.g. that a written explanation should be provided for each absence), are frequently communicated to parents, pupils and staff members, in class, at assemblies, in notes home and at parent-teacher meetings.
In cases where there is a genuine reason for a long-term or ongoing absence it is expected that parents will liaise with the class teacher/principal with a view to ameliorating the effects of this absence for the child.
How attendance will be monitored:
Attendance and enrolment records are maintained in the hard-copy Leabhar Rolla and Leabhar Tinrimh Laethúil. Records of enrolment are maintained in the Pupil Online Database (POD), and in the pupils’ individual files. Copies of referral forms and communication with the Educational Welfare Officer are stored in the relevant child’s individual files.
Class teachers monitor the attendance of their pupils, and depending on the age of the child the issue of attendance may be raised informally with the child or parent if this is deemed appropriate. Once a child has missed seventeen days in a school year the principal sends a note to the parents advising them of this, and reminding them of the school obligation to inform Tusla of pupils who miss twenty days or more. Parents are invited to discuss the reasons for the absences with the principal or class teacher.
A referral is made to the Educational Welfare Officer once a child has been absent for twenty days in the school year, if the school principal deems these absences to be unsatisfactorily explained or otherwise a cause of concern.
Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:
- Target setting and targets
- The whole-school approach
- Promoting good attendance
- Responding to poor attendance
- Informal discussion between the pupil and class teacher or parent and class teacher
- Formal meeting between the deputy principal/principal and parent with a view to identifying the reasons for non-attendance
- Attempt to resolve the reasons for non-attendance, be they academic/social/emotional
- Agreement on strategies to improve attendance between parents and teachers (and possibly pupil depending on age etc.) – e.g. reward system, work sent home etc.
- Referral to other agencies as appropriate/ parents advised to seek help from GP etc.
- Advice sought from relevant professionals/agencies
- Referral made to EWO once 20 days missed and if still a cause of concern
School roles in relation to attendance:
Each classroom teacher is responsible for filling out the roll book for his/her class each day, and alerting the deputy principal if a child’s attendance is a cause of concern or when the child has missed 20 school days. All teachers and staff members have a role in promoting the value of school attendance.
Responsibility for maintaining the attendance records of the school and submitting absence reports to Tusla has been delegated to the deputy principal, but remains the overall responsibility of the principal. Pupil referral forms are completed by the principal/class teacher in cases where there are serious concerns about a child’s attendance or welfare, and the principal/teachers work with the Educational Welfare Officer to try rectify these concerns. The advice of the Welfare Officer may be sought as appropriate.
Parents are expected to send their children to school every-day unless they are ill or have a genuine reason for non-attendance. They are requested to inform the class teacher in writing if their children are absent from school.
The pupils are expected to attend school every-day, and are expected to catch-up on school work missed during absences, where at all possible.
The Board of Management has overall responsibility for the preparation of the school’s Statement of Strategy for School Attendance.
Partnership arrangements:
Co-operation between staff, parents and pupils is vitally important for the welfare of pupils. The school endeavours to work with all relevant outside agencies to the best of its abilities to ensure the well-being of pupils. Where appropriate, information relating to school attendance may be shared with other agencies (e.g. another school where a child has enrolled, social workers, NEPs etc.) as well as with the school’s Educational Welfare Officer and Tusla.
How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored:
The principal makes reference to school attendance levels in her report at each Board of Management meeting. The preparation of her report to the Board of Management therefore serves as a means to monitor school attendance levels throughout the school year.
Review process and date for review:
Should school attendance levels become a matter for concern in St Patrick’s NS this Statement of Strategy will be reviewed in light of the recommendations made in Developing the Statement of Strategy for School Attendance, Guidelines for Schools.
Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management:
The Statement of Strategy for School Attendance was ratified by the Board of Management on November 23rd 2016.
Date the Statement of Strategy was submitted to Tusla: November 24th 2016
