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IMPORTANT WARNING NOTICE – ACTIONS ON SCHOOL UNIFORM NON COMPLIANCE
It has been brought to my attention that, once again, some pupils are not arriving in full school uniform. I have previously raised this with parents and carers and this led to significant improvements; however, some parents are not adhering to policy.
In particular:
A full copy of the governor approved school uniform policy is available on the school website.
Consequences
Department for Education guidance (Guidance for governing bodies, school leaders, school staff and local authorities 2013)
“A head teacher, or a person authorised, may ask a pupil to go home briefly to remedy a breach of the school’s rules on appearance or uniform. If the pupil continues to breach uniform rules in such a way as to be sent home to avoid school, or takes longer than is strictly necessary to effect the change, the pupil’s absence may be counted as an unauthorised absence. If a school is considering excluding a pupil in response to breaches of uniform policy then this must be in line with the legal requirements for exclusion”.
As of 24th April, parents will be called to collect children to amend their attire, or bring to the school the appropriate clothing.
This date has been applied in order to allow parents to purchase the appropriate clothing if they do not have it at this time and is deemed reasonable and appropriate notice.
Objections or complaints about the school uniform policy or actions following the above guidance can be addressed to the Headteacher directly, or through the school’s governor agreed Complaints Policy (available on the school website). Parents are however reminded that admission to the school is on the grounds that governor approved policies are adhered to. By sending your child to Ashgate Primary School, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of these policies.
In the interim, the staff are directed, where it is appropriate, to ask children to remove items that do not match policy (hoodies, earrings, bows, non navy blue jumpers) and parents will receive notice that they have sent their child to school incorrectly dressed.
I would like to thank those families who do ensure that their children are in school uniform each day and are keen to demonstrate to their children the importance of education by following school policy. Your contribution is very much valued.
Yours sincerely
Mr Seargent
A simple, but well-earned thank you.
I am blessed with a dedicated staff and I do all I can to make them know this; but occasionally, it is the simplest of things that can make a difference, but can be missed.
As you are aware, over the winter period, there were many bugs and infections impacting on children around the school and in the wider community. To combat this as best as possible the cleaning team have been going out of their way to carry out additional cleansing tasks to reduce the spread of infection. This has included additional surface wipes including chair handles and backs, pupil individual whiteboards, door handles etc. Whilst these do get cleaned as a part of the rota, it is nice to see that they have voluntarily added to their task lists to help the parents, families and school out. This will have made a difference.
So, bravo to one and all in the clean team. It is the simple things that make Ashgate Primary School a community that cares and a delight to work in.
Absenteeism, Persistent Absenteeism and the issuing of fines / Court Orders
Dear Parents
Several parents have approached me to question the school’s position on absenteeism. In particular queries have been raised around recent letters issued to parents informing them that they are required to attend a meeting to discuss possible actions, including the issuing of fines or Court Orders.
Firstly, I will make clear that it is not the school’s policy, but that of the Department of Education, to issue fines (also known as fixed penalties) for persistent absenteeism; I do however understand the necessity to do so in some cases.
It is the Department of Education/Ofsted that dictate attendance below 95% is poor and that below 90% is ‘persistent absenteeism’. The reasons for this have been made clear before; good attendance is vital for the success of pupils and their wellbeing. Our own school data, as well as that issued nationally, makes clear that poor attendance results in poorer outcomes for children.
The Law
Children must attend school under the Education Act 1989 (revised). Poor attendance at school can result in one or more of the following:
Parents should understand that attendance is an issue for children at our school –
We are in the bottom 10% nationally and our persistent absence record is worse. This impacts on outcomes for children individually and the school as a whole.
I will actively seek to enforce the necessary legal actions to address absence affairs where improvements are not seen and /or parents do not engage with or recognise the legitimate concern.
They are only children; does it really matter?
YES! The fact is that children who attend school for less than 95% of the time underperform significantly and have ominously reduced lifetime opportunities. It is not good enough to send your child to a good school or be graded a ‘Good School’ if absenteeism impacts on achievement. Schools with poor attendance and diminished outcomes do not remain ‘Good’.
But my child has been ill and I have told you this?
Absence is absence, and impacts on a child’s learning and wellbeing, regardless of the reason. This is clear in the actions taken under national policy. Whilst I have utter respect for parents who state that absence has been a result of specific unavoidable illness, this does not negate the fact that their child has been impacted by it, or that the policy applies to all. A child, who is absent due to intermittent illness, has missed the same amount of time as a child who has been absent as a result of a parent’s failure to bring them to school for unauthorised reasons.
If a parent is subjected to a fine, this can be appealed against on medical grounds, but it should be noted that the absence is not ignored owing to circumstance and may not be seen as ‘good reason’ in court without specific, long term, medical support and evidence.
To be clear, under policy and in reality, absence through illness has the same impact as absence for any other reason and as such is included in your child’s absence figures. This is a national requirement.
So, are you saying you want me to bring my child into school when they are ill?
No. But I do ask parents to consider carefully if absence is really necessary. We are not medical practitioners and cannot make decisions on behalf of health professionals, or indeed parents – the choice is yours.
My child always attends school, yet you say that there are ‘unauthorised absences’, how can this be?
If your child arrives late, beyond the close of register, the late mark is converted to an unauthorised absence. Again, this is a national requirement, not the school’s. This is done because too much time in school has been missed. Arrive late and children may be considered absent; arrive persistently late, and it is easy to fall below the expectation.
I cannot afford a fine, how will I pay the school?
Firstly, fines are not issued by, or paid to the school – despite what you may have read on social media or in popular press. The courts issue fines and the revenue is taken by them. If you cannot pay a fine, this is a matter for the courts and is dealt with in line with any other unpaid debts to the Crown. The school has no say in this.
I will not pay the fine, what can they do to me?
Simply put, the fine increases to up to £2500. If you continue not to pay, you can get up to a 3 month prison sentence.
I did not realise this and I have received a letter re my child’s absence. What can I do?
Ashgate Primary School is here to help you when and where we can.
I wish to end by stating that it is my duty as Headteacher to address poor attendance and the duty of my Governing Body to hold me accountable for it. The vast majority of parents at Ashgate Primary School ensure their children attend in line with the expectation and I am grateful for this, as are my staff.
I cannot however ignore that attendance in my school, for too many children, is below that expected. It is a stark and frightening fact that whilst we are driving up standards across the school, many are missing out on and suffering as a result. This has a negative impact on the children and the wider school.
We have always had a firm stance on attendance matters and will continue to do so and I know that the wider community supports this. Your actions are appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Mr Seargent
We are updating our medical records.
Please ensure that you return the medical form for pupils who require inhalers by Friday 17th March.
This form supersedes any previous information shared with school.
If you cannot find your form, one is available on this site under 'Parents > General Letters and Notices ', or from the school office on request.