SCOIL MAELRUAIN SENIOR
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Introduction:
This Policy was drawn up to ensure and maintain a high level of attendance at school by all pupils.
Rationale:
This Policy was drafted for the following reasons:
- The Board of Management wishes to comply with legislation (Education Act 1998, Education Welfare Act 2000).
- The Board of Management wishes to promote and encourage regular attendance as an essential factor in our pupils learning.
Relationship to Ethos:
Scoil Maelruain Senior endeavours to enable every pupil to actively participate in all school activities. Regular attendance helps to create a stable learning environment for all pupils and the school hopes to promote co-operation among pupils, parents/guardians and staff in maintaining a high level of regular attendance through the school year.
Aims:
- To raise awareness of the importance of regular school attendance.
- To identify pupils at risk of leaving school early
- To promote and to foster positive attitudes to learning.
- To ensure compliance with the requirements of the relevant legislation.
Recording and Reporting:
- Information provided in enrolment forms is recorded in the Clár Leabhar; (name, date of birth, address, Religion).
- The school attendance of individual pupils is recorded on Alladin and in the Leabhar Rolla of each class on a daily basis.
- The roll call is taken at 9.50 a.m. each morning.
- Class teachers send home forms to parents/guardians of children who have been absent asking them to sign the form and tick the box relating to the absence. These absence forms are sent to the secretary who puts them on Alladin. These absence forms are retained by the secretary for one year.
- Any pupil absent for a cumulative total of 20 days is reported to the NEWB (National Education Welfare Board)..
- The class teacher should monitor the children’s attendance and/or bring any irregular or erratic patterns of non attendance to the attention of the Principal.
- Children who are late are requested to sign the late arrivals book outside the office.
- The school secretary records and monitors children who leave school early.
- Scoil Maelruain Senior makes quarterly returns to the NEWB.
- An Annual Report will be submitted to the NEWB.
- Parents/guardians are informed in writing on the end of year Report of their child’s percentage attendance during the school year.
- Parents/guardians are informed in writing if their child’s attendance is included in the Annual Final Report to the NEWB.
- Pupils whose non-attendance is a concern may be invited to meet with the Principal or Deputy Principal.
- The school must inform the Education Welfare Officer in writing where a child has missed 20 or more days in a school year, where attendance is irregular, where a child is removed from the Register and where a child is expelled or suspended for 6 days or more.
Strategies to Promote Attendance:
Scoil Maelruain Senior endeavours to create a safe, welcoming environment for our pupils and their parents/guardians:
- Parents/guardians are consulted in drafting and reviewing Policies with the aim of promoting a high level of co-operation among the school community.
- The teaching staff collaborates in the planning and implementation of the Primary School Curriculum so as to provide a stimulating learning environment for all pupils.
- There is a focus on the value of regular attendance and on the importance of good attendance.
- The calendar for the coming school year is published annually in June and a reminder is published on the school website.
- Pupils are consistently encouraged to be in school and on time.
- Awards for attendance are made annually to pupils who have the best attendance in each class.
Strategies in the event of Non-Attendance:
- Section 17 of the Education Welfare Act (2000) states that “the parent of a child shall cause the child concerned to attend a recognised school on each school day” and
- Section 21 of the act obliges schools to inform the Education Welfare Officer if a child is absent on more than 20 days in any school year or if a child does not attend school on a regular basis.
Following all reasonable efforts by the NEWB to consult with the child’s parents and the Principal or Deputy Principal, the Education Welfare Officer may serve a ‘School Attendance Notice’ on any parents who he/she concludes is failing or neglecting to cause the child to attend the school. A successful case taken against the parent may result in a fine and/or imprisonment.
Transfer to another School:
Under Section 20 of the Education Welfare Act (2000) the Principal of a child’s current school must notify the Principal of the child’s previous school that the child is now registered in their school.
When a Principal receives notification that a child has been registered elsewhere he/she must notify the Principal of the pupil’s new school of any problems in relation to attendance at the pupils former school and of such matters relating to the child’s educational progress and welfare as he or she considers appropriate.
Success Criteria:
- A maintenance of annual attendance rates above 94%
- Board of Management, staff and parent/guardian awareness of their legal obligations under the Education Welfare Act 2000.
Roles and Responsibilities:
It is the responsibility of the Principal, Deputy Principal and staff to implement this Policy under the guidance of the school’s Board of Management and with the support of the Education Welfare Officer, parents and guardians.
Implementation:
This Policy was ratified by the Board of Management on November 17th 2014.
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