The Hastings Academy is committed to work with its parents/carers, students and community to ensure every student has access to education:
Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all students can fulfil their potential is a commitment to attendance. Regular and punctual attendance is of paramount importance in ensuring all children have full access to the curriculum. Missing out on lessons or arriving late leaves students vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less well than their peers.
Every student should be at the academy, on time, every day the academy is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Permitting absence from school without a good reason is an offence by the parent/carer.
For your information, please find the following link to the relevant pages on the ESCC website which can be accessed by parents: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/schools/attendance-behaviour/truancy-non-attendance/penaltynotice/"
Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from the academy for a reason classified by the academy, not by the parents/carers, such as a genuine illness or other unavoidable cause. The academy must be made aware of this before 9.10am on the first day of the absence, by calling the absence line (01424 711950 Select: Option 2). All absences must be advised or followed by written confirmation (appointment card, prescription, GP letter, hospital letter). This supports the academy in its monitoring of your child's attendance. Absences without due cause/formal confirmation may be considered as unauthorised.
Unauthorised absences are those which the academy does not consider reasonable and for which no 'leave' has been given. This includes;
Children are sometimes reluctant to attend school. Any problems with regular attendance are best managed between the academy (your child's Head of School, Student Support Manager), the parents/carers and child. If your child is reluctant to attend, it is never better to cover up their absence or to give into pressure to excuse them from attending. This gives the impression that attendance does not matter and may make things worse.
The Hastings Academy has legal powers to use penalty notices to address poor attendance and punctuality. The academy may request that a penalty notice is issued where parents/carers appear unwilling to take responsibility for their child's attendance. Below are three circumstances in which penalty notices may be issued:
If 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised lateness or persistent absence are accrued during the 10 week academic period following the 'warning letter', ESBAS may issue a penalty notice and/or begin case work with the family in support of improved attendance.
The Academy has a rewards system in place for good attendance. At the end of each term, students who have achieved 100% attendance will receive a certificate and letter home, praising this achievement. In addition, throughout the year further awards are presented for excellent attendance to tutor groups and the school in which the student belongs.
The staff responsible for attendance matters and to whom you should refer concerns initially, are:
Ms Sharon Knowles – Attendance Manager | s.knowles@hasla.org.uk | ext. 1082 |
Mrs Sue Scowen – Student Support Manager – East Hill | s.scowen@hasla.org.uk | ext. 1237 |
Mrs Karen Muggridge – Student Support Manager – West Hill | k.muggridge@hasla.org.uk | ext. 1085 |
Miss Emma Wright – Student Support Manager – Silverhill | e.wright@hasla.org.uk | ext. 1328 |
Mrs Beverley Jones – Student Support Manager – Firehills | b.jones@hasla.org.uk | ext. 1341 |
The Hastings Academy has a legal duty to publish its absence figures to parents/carers and to promote attendance. Equally, parents/carers have a duty to ensure their children attend, punctually, every day the academy is open to students. The academy staff are committed to working with its parents/carers to ensure as high a level of attendance as possible.