Research shows that children who attend school regularly are likely to be more successful. A pupil who misses a day of school a week misses an equivalent of two whole years in their school life. This obviously leads to gaps in their knowledge that become difficult to fill. A recent survey has indicated that more than 70% of children who did not attend school regularly admitted to committing at least one criminal offence.
The School Attendance Improvement Service support attendance by working on initiatives with the police and other agencies e.g truancy sweeps.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families expects all students to achieve an attendance level of at least 95 percent in every school year and individual schools generally expect a much higher level.
If your child is ill or unable to attend school for some reason, you need to contact the school by telephone and/or letter to inform them. The school will then "authorise" this absence.
If your child has been away from school for three days (in some schools even sooner) without any parental contact, the school may contact you either by phone or by sending a letter to ascertain the reason for your child’s absence. Such a letter could draw your attention to the fact that your child has been missing school without a reason. Such absence will be recorded as "unauthorised" absence from school and it is unauthorised absence from school which carries with it the risk of prosecution.
All Local Authorities have School Attendance Improvement Services (often know as Education Welfare Service) whose main task is to monitor absence and work with families and young people where the level of absence is giving cause for concern. School Attendance Improvement Services have the power to prosecute parents and issue penalty notices incases of unauthorised absence.
All Primary and Secondary schools in Oldham have an allocated LA Attendance Officer or Adviser. An Adviser and Officer work together in locality areas to ensure consistency of service to schools in each ward.
The School Attendance Improvement Service provides specialist support and advice to schools, families and pupils on all matters relating to attendance.
If you wish to discuss matters pertaining to the attendance of your child at school then contact Oldham School Attendance Improvement Service on 0161 770 6620 and ask to speak to either the Adviser or Officer responsible for the school your child attends or e-mail your query to sais@oldham.gov.uk