Our Vision for Attendance 

Our Lady's embeds a whole school culture where high attendance is valued and supported by all.  

Aims 

At OLPS, we are driven by an unwavering commitment to making school attendance a top priority, fully integrated with every aspect of school improvement. we support children and families to connect, belong, and thrive.

The Government expects schools to promote good attendance and punctuality and reduce absences to help ensure that every pupil realises their educational potential. 

Ofsted and Blackburn with Darwen Local Authority expect all pupils to achieve 96% attendance or higher.

Regular attendance at school helps children to achieve their personal, social and educational potential and to lead successful lives as adults. 

A Multi-Tiered System of Support

To guarantee a comprehensive approach to attendance, OLPS implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for school attendance involves three tiers of intervention, with roles for teachers, the school, children, parents, and external agencies – including the Local Authority.

Data-driven decision-making and training requirements are pivotal to the implementation of this system. The system aligns with the Department for Education's (DFE) "Working Together to Improve School Attendance" statutory paper 2024.

Tier 1 - Universal Approach: Establishing a baseline universal attendance approach that benefits all children.

Tier 2 – Internal individualised Strategies and Early Help Support: Tailoring strategies to individual needs and providing early help support for persistent attendance challenges.

Tier 3 - Higher Needs Strategies Support: Furnishing specialised support for children, young people, and families with complex attendance requirements, including access to external agency support when necessary.

The Importance of School Attendance at OLPS

School attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental pillar of education. It plays a pivotal role in shaping academic success, personal growth, and future prospects, making it an indispensable aspect of any educational system.  Regular attendance to school can have a significant impact on: 

• Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.
• Knowledge Acquisition: School is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.
• Social Development: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.
• Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.
• Teacher Interaction: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.
• Preventing Knowledge Gaps: Frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in long-term academic struggles.
• School Engagement: Children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.
• Legal and Parental Responsibility: Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child's regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.
• Community Well-being: High levels of school attendance contribute to the overall well-being of communities.

Day-to-Day Processes for Managing Attendance OLPS

        What do i do if my child is going to be absent? 

• There is an answerphone service to pick up absence messages, alternatively phone calls to school 01254 59420 and emails to the office at office@olps.blackburn.sch.uk are satisfactory. If your child will be absent for more than one day, this needs to be done on a daily basis to avoid unauthorised absences.

        What happens if i do not contact school? 

• If your child is absent from school and no satisfactory reason has been given on the day of the absence then this will be recorded as unauthorised.
• School will contact the parents of any absent children who have not given an explanation on a daily basis by 10.00 via text asking for the reason of the absence.

• A phone call will take place for unexplained absences daily by 10.30am and recurring patterns may result in a home visit.

      What do i do if i have a medical appointment?

• Any appointments should be made out of school hours where possible. When this cannot be done an appointment card needs to be brought into school or the absence will be marked as unauthorised.
• Children absent due to a parent or family member’s appointment will not be authorised. 

      ​​​​​​​Why have i had a home visit?

• Continued unauthorised absences will result in a home visit if contact cannot be made by any other means, to ensure the safety of the pupil and to further explore why the child is not in school.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​      Who can pick my child up if they need collecting during school hours?

• During school hours if a child needs to be collected, this must be by an adult over the age of 18.

​​​​​​​      What if i need to pick my child up early?

• Due to legislation, we are unable to release children before 3.25pm unless proof of appointment is given at the office and a phone call has been made prior to collection so that the office is aware.

School Times of the Day at OLPS

The school day begins at 8.55am and ends at 3.25pm.

Registration opens at 8.55am and closes at 9.05am.

Children arriving after 9.05am will be recorded as late. Children arriving after 9.35am will be recorded an unauthorised unless a satisfactory reason has been provided.

Regular lateness is monitored and could result in a phone call home or meeting in school to improve this.

Children are expected to arrive on time and attend all scheduled lessons and activities. Parents/carers are expected to collect children on time at the end of the school day. If the child is not collected and no contact can be made with parent/carer or emergency contacts, then a phone call will be made to children’s social care or police to report.

Inclusion Team and Penalty Fines

The inclusion team are referred to if there are concerns about attendance and, though support has been offered or implemented, there has been no improvement. The threshold for a penalty notice must be considered at 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 days) of unauthorised absence over a 10 week rolling period. This may also include absences as a result of arriving late after register closes.

Holidays are not authorised for absences.

Penalty notices will be charged at £160 per parent/per child to be paid within 28 days. If paid within 21 days this is reduced to £80.

If a second penalty notice is issued to the same child within a rolling 3 year period, parents will be issued the rate of £160

A maximum of 2 penalty notices may be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period, so at the 3rd (or subsequent) offence(s) another course of action will need to be considered by the local authority (such as prosecution or one of the other attendance legal interventions).

https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-attendance/penalty-notices-unauthorised-absences-school

Contact Details of School Staff at OLPS

Illness

There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about health protection and managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These advise when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.

For further information about illness and school attendance, please see the NHS guidance with the below link:

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS

Useful links to support with your child's attendance 

School attendance and absence: Overview - GOV.UK

How to help your child have good attendance - BBC Bitesize

How to improve your child’s school attendance and where to get support   – The Education Hub

Welcome | Family Hubs

School readiness: How to prepare your child for school - BBC Tiny Happy People

School Ready: Top tips to help you get ready for school - BBC Bitesize