Dear Parent and Carer,

At Callerton Academy, we believe that good attendance is a shared responsibility between school, parents/carers and our pupils.

We understand that children will occasionally be unable to attend school. Our aim is to work closely with families to understand the reasons for absence, identify any barriers and provide support as early as possible.

Reporting an Absence 

If your child is unable to attend school, you must contact us before 9:00am and provide a clear reason for their absence. This can be done by telephone or through our designated text messaging service.

If we have not heard from you by 9:00am, the school will contact you to establish the reason for your child's absence.

If your child remains absent, you will be required to provide an update each day, including the reason they are unable to attend. This allows us to maintain accurate attendance records and ensure we are aware of your child's circumstances.

Please remember that providing a reason for absence does not automatically mean that the absence will be authorised. Absences are considered in line with school and national attendance guidance.

Home Visits

As part of our attendance procedures, our Attendance Officers may carry out home visits when a child is absent from school. A visit may take place from Day 1 of an absence and does not need to be arranged or announced in advance.

We understand that an unexpected visit from school may sometimes feel concerning. However, we want to be clear that home visits are not intended to be punitive and are not about working against families.

Our Attendance Officers are there to work with you, not against you.

A home visit gives us an opportunity to:

• Check that your child and family are safe and well.
• Understand the reason for the absence.
• Discuss any barriers preventing your child from attending.
• Offer advice, support or signpost you to appropriate services.
• Build positive relationships between school and home.
• Agree how we can work together to support improved attendance.

If nobody is available when we visit, we will leave a contact slip through your door asking you to contact the school.

Why Do We Visit on Day One?

There have been important changes nationally in the way schools are expected to approach attendance. Government attendance guidance places a strong emphasis on early intervention, working in partnership with families and removing barriers to attendance.

Schools are expected to demonstrate that they are actively working with families when attendance is a concern. This means we should not wait until a child has been absent for several days before making contact or offering support.

A Day 1 home visit does not mean that you are in trouble or that we believe you have done something wrong. It is an opportunity to make early contact, understand the circumstances and offer support where needed.

We do not need to announce home visits in advance. An unannounced visit allows us to make contact at the earliest opportunity, particularly where we have been unable to speak to a parent/carer.

Working Together

We want our Attendance Team to be seen as a source of help, advice and support.

All family's circumstances are different, and our Attendance Officers will listen and work with you to understand what is happening. Where there are barriers to attendance, we will look at how we can support you to overcome them.

At the same time, regular attendance is extremely important for your child's education, friendships, wellbeing and future opportunities. Where attendance becomes a concern, we will act early and work with families to prevent difficulties from escalating.

We are on the same side

Our shared aim is to ensure that every child at Callerton Academy has the opportunity to attend school regularly, access their education and achieve their potential.

If there are difficulties affecting your child's attendance, please speak to a member of our Attendance Team. We would much rather work with you early and provide support than allow a problem to become more difficult.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards,

Lauren Anderson

Attendance Manager