Attendance

Attendance at Ormiston Venture Academy

At Ormiston Venture Academy, we believe that excellent attendance is essential for students to achieve their full potential. Regular attendance enables students to engage fully in their learning, make strong academic progress, and develop important social and life skills. We are committed to working in close partnership with parents and carers to promote high levels of attendance and punctuality.

Parental Responsibility

Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly and arrives on time.

Parents are expected to work collaboratively with the academy to support good attendance.

Failure to ensure regular attendance may result in formal intervention, including fixed penalty notices or legal action.

Attendance Expectations

All students are expected to achieve an attendance rate of 95% or above.

If attendance falls below 95%, a Monitoring Period will be implemented.

If attendance does not improve, an Intervention may follow. This can include formal parental meetings, requests for medical evidence, an attendance contract, and potential legal action, including fixed penalty notices.

There is a clear and well-established link between attendance, missed learning, and academic attainment. Evidence published by the Department for Education demonstrates a strong relationship between attendance during Key Stage 4 and GCSE outcomes.

National data shows that students who did not achieve a standard pass (grade 4) in both English and mathematics at GCSE had an average absence rate of 8.8% across Key Stage 4. In comparison, students who achieved a grade 4 or above in both subjects had a lower average absence rate of 5.2%. 

Students who achieved stronger passes, defined as grade 5 or above in both English and mathematics, had an average absence rate of just 3.7% placing them in attendance band 1. This evidence clearly shows that even relatively small reductions in attendance can significantly affect GCSE outcomes. 

As attendance decreases, the number of missed lessons increases, leading to gaps in learning that become increasingly difficult to close. The attendance bands above illustrate the relationship between attendance levels, missed learning, and likely attainment outcomes. As the number of missed lessons grows, students may experience: 

  • Gaps in foundational knowledge that affect future learning 
  • Increased difficulty in keeping up with classroom teaching and homework 
  • Lower confidence and engagement in lessons 
  • Greater reliance on catch-up programs, which may not fully replace lost learning 
  • Higher likelihood of underachievement in assessments and examinations 

Every lesson missed represents learning that cannot always be fully recovered, even with catch-up support. Maintaining high attendance is therefore essential to ensure students can fully access the curriculum and achieve positive outcomes

Holidays and Leave of Absence

In line with Department for Education guidance, holidays during term time are not authorised.

Requests for leave due to exceptional circumstances must be submitted using a Leave of Absence Form, either in person or via email to the Attendance Officer Mrs N Bridges [email protected]

Each request will be carefully reviewed; however, only exceptional circumstances will be approved. Unauthorised leave will result in a fixed penalty notice being issued by the Local Authority if the criteria are met.

Parents are strongly encouraged to consider the academic impact of term-time holidays. Missing school can lead to gaps in learning, difficulty catching up, and a negative effect on academic progress. Research consistently shows a strong link between regular attendance and higher achievement.

Leave of Absence Form

Our Commitment as a Academy

Ormiston Venture Academy will:

  • Support families in promoting regular attendance
  • Provide pastoral support and consider phased returns where appropriate
  • Work collaboratively with external agencies, including the local authority and healthcare services

The Department for Education introduced national changes to penalty notices for unauthorised absence during term time, effective from 19 August 2024.

Key Updates

  • New Penalty Rates
    Penalty notices are issued at £160 per parent, per child. If paid within 21 days, the amount is reduced to £80.
  • Second Penalty Notice
    If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling three-year period, the charge will be £160, payable within 28 days, with no reduction available.
  • Threshold for Issuing a Penalty Notice
    A penalty notice may be considered if a student accrues 10 sessions (5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week period. This includes late arrivals after the register has closed (U code) and may span different terms or academic years.

Limit on Penalty Notices
A maximum of two penalty notices may be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling three-year period. Any further unauthorised absence may result in prosecution or alternative attendance interventions.

Regular school attendance and parent’s legal responsibilities letter sent September 2025

Students are expected to arrive at the academy and all lessons on time. The academy day begins at 8:25am.

Morning registration takes place in PL time from 8.25 – 8.45am. Students arriving after registers are closed are marked as having an unauthorised absence for the morning session.   Students who arrive late will be issued with an Immediate Demerit.

Persistent lateness may result in further intervention and could place parents/carers at risk of a fixed penalty notice.

Parents and carers must inform the academy of their child’s absence before 8:30am on the first day of absence, providing a valid reason.

The academy must be informed every day a student is absent. Failure to make contact will result in the absence being recorded as unauthorised.

If no communication is received, a home visit may take place to ensure the welfare of the student.

Where attendance concerns are identified, persistent, unexplained or irregular absence may be treated as a safeguarding concern. This may result in pastoral or safeguarding follow-up, including meetings with parents/carers, welfare checks, home visits, and liaison with internal or external agencies where appropriate, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the student.

Medical appointments should be arranged outside of school hours wherever possible.

If an appointment during the school day is unavoidable, the Attendance Team must be informed in advance, outlining the exceptional circumstances. If your child has a medical appointment during the school day, they are expected to attend the academy before and after the appointment, wherever possible, to minimise disruption to their learning.

Evidence such as an appointment card or hospital letter may be requested.

We recognise that students may become unwell; however, for minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, headaches, or general discomfort, students are expected to attend school.

If a student becomes unwell during the school day, parents/carers will be contacted.

Where absences are frequent or attendance concerns arise, medical evidence may be required to authorise further absences.

Is my child too ill for school?

We acknowledge that mental health can affect attendance and are committed to supporting students appropriately. However, not all mental health-related absences can be authorised.

Students experiencing mental health difficulties are encouraged to attend school, where support is available through our pastoral and SEND teams.

Where a student is unable to attend due to mental health concerns, medical evidence may be required. Without this, absences may be recorded as unauthorised.

Regular attendance supports mental wellbeing by providing routine, social interaction, and a sense of belonging.

It is normal for students to feel anxious at certain points, such as during transitions or at the start of a new academic year.

If anxiety begins to impact attendance, parents are encouraged to contact the academy so that concerns can be explored and appropriate support put in place.

Further guidance is available through Young Minds, which offers advice on managing school-related anxiety, or via the School Health Just One Norfolk Team: Worries & Anxiety

If a student is absent for 20 consecutive school days and their whereabouts cannot be confirmed, the academy is legally required to notify the local authority as a Child Missing in Education (CME).

Where a student is believed to have left the country or cannot be located, the academy may remove them from the school roll in accordance with local authority and DfE guidance.

Attendance Policy

Further Support

We are committed to working with families to support positive attendance. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please contact the academy’s Attendance Team for advice and support.

Attendance Officer Mrs N Bridges [email protected]

Attendance Engagement Lead Mrs L Burridge [email protected]