Attendance
Attendance at Forest Oak:
Forest Oak School prides itself on its high expectations for attendance and punctuality. Children need to be in school to learn. Missing time from school leaves children vulnerable to falling behind in their learning, as well as impacting upon their friendships and social interactions.
We have very high expectations of attendance at Forest Oak - at least 95%. Research has shown that attendance and punctuality are important factors in school success, which has a positive impact on learning, progress and gives pupils the best life chances.
|
Attendance During One School Year |
Equates to Days Absent |
Number of weeks absent approximately |
Number of lessons missed |
|
95% |
9 Days |
2 Weeks |
45 Lessons |
|
90% |
19 Days |
4 Weeks |
95 Lessons |
|
85% |
29 Days |
6 Weeks |
145 Lessons |
|
80% |
38 Days |
8 Weeks |
190 Lessons |
|
75% |
48 Days |
10 Weeks |
240 Lessons |
|
70% |
57 Days |
11.5 Weeks |
285 Lessons |
|
Minutes Late Per Day |
Equates to days of teaching lost in one year |
Number of lessons missed. |
|
5 minutes |
3.5 Days |
17 Lessons |
|
10 minutes |
7 days |
35 Lessons |
|
15 minutes |
10.5 Days |
52 Lessons |
|
20 minutes |
14 Days |
70 Lessons |
|
30 minutes |
21 Days |
104 Lessons |
Legal Requirements:
Parents/carers have a legal duty, under section 444 of the Education Act 1996, to ensure regular and punctual attendance of students of compulsory school age and students who attend the school for post 16 education.
At Forest Oak, we work within the guidelines on attendance laid down by Solihull LA. Unauthorised absence from school is an offence and parents/carers may be referred to the Local Authority Enforcement Team, which could result in a penalty notice being issued.
Parents must inform school of their child’s absence on the first day and each subsequent day of absence, unless there is a specific diagnosis and a recovery/isolation period is known.. To report an absence please phone the school on : 0121 717 0088 and press Option 1 to leave a message for the main office. Alternatively, you can email the school office on 500office@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk the reasons for your child’s absence; please remember to include any medical evidence/appointment letters you may have.
Please do NOT rely on a DoJo message to class staff as when staff are teaching, the message may be delayed in getting to the office and you may receive an unnecessary call.
If you have signed the consent to share information with the Special School Nursing team, they will also be able to evidence any medical appointments, diagnoses, prescribed medication or treatment plans.
Attendance Support:
If you are struggling with school attendance, we are here to support you, and it is essential that you communicate and engage with us. In the first instance, please speak to your child’s class teacher and the class team. We also have in school trained Mental Health First Aiders and Emotional Literacy Support Assistants, along with numerous intervention and support groups and sessions.
Other staff in school who can support with attendance are:
Sam Pitt – Family Support Worker - S500spitt@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk
Babz Roberts – Learning Support Mentor - s500broberts@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk
Special School Nursing Team - s500nurses@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk
Miss I Jerrard - Senior Mental Health Lead - s500sjerrard@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk
Miss L Powers – SLT lead for Attendance - s500lpowers@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk
If you’re not sure if you’re child is too ill for school, there is advice on the NHS website, please see the following link: