Attendance is a legal obligation

The importance of regular school attendance cannot be overestimated.  Regular attendance is paramount to a good education.  Securing good attendance in Blackwood Comprehensive School must therefore be a high priority for the school and its teaching staff, governors, parents and pupils.  Attendance at Blackwood has been improving steadily over a number of years and we aim to maintain this upward trend by working closely with families to monitor attendance.  Parents will recognise that both the school and parents have legal responsibilities.

Parents should notify their school of their child’s absence by 10 am on the first day of occurrence and ensure that written confirmation of this absence is given to the form tutor on the child’s return to school.  If the school does not receive a phone call by 10 am then parents will be contacted by our automated ‘Truancy Call System’.  ‘Truancy Call’ will also contact parents if pupils leave the school premises without permission.

The school will contact parents if there is concern about an unexplained absence and parents are encouraged to contact us if they have any such concerns. The school will, on deciding that an absence is unreasonable or when no explanations are forthcoming, involve the Education Welfare Officer who will visit the home and discover why the child has been absent.  If attendance falls below 80% the Education Welfare Officer could issue families with papers summoning them to court.  Letters are sent out on a termly basis to the parents of pupils who are below 93% attendance.  All pupils who achieve 95%+ attendance are given the opportunity to go on trips or attend parties during the school day i.e. Pizza Party.

Punctuality is also very important and repeated lateness to school or lessons could result in sanctions.

If you decide to send your child to Blackwood Comprehensive School then attendance must be regular.  The aim of the school is 95% attendance.  The school will actively encourage dialogue to ensure that we develop a good working relationship between teachers, parents and pupils.  Further information is available in the ‘Policy and Guidance on School Attendance’.

Letter from Mrs Griffiths regarding fixed penalty notices (FPN’s)