School Attendance Strategy Policy

Name of school

Coláiste Phádraig CBS

Address

Roselawn, Lucan, Co. Dublin

Roll Number

60264A

The school’s vision and values in relation to attendance

Two of the five elements of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST)Charter are:

• Excelling in Teaching and Learning
• Creating a Caring School Community.

Excellence in teaching and learning can only be achieved if students have a sense of commitment to attendance and a sense of pride in their own achievements and the schools achievements.

We strive to create a caring school community that identifies and serves the need of students, that promotes care and responsibility and that seeks to provide a safe and respectful working environment for all members of the school community.  We believe that the provision of such an environment promotes and encourages good attendance at school.

The school’s high expectations around attendance

All students are expected to attend school for each of the 167 school days.  We understand that illness or personal/family circumstances at a point in time may cause a student to be absent from school.  We encourage Parents/Guardians to make dental/hospital appointments outside school time whenever possible.

How attendance will be monitored

Attendance is recorded and monitored on the schools Facility CMISAdmin/ePortal administration software.

Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:

·      Target setting and targets

·      The whole-school approach

·      Promoting good attendance

·      Responding to poor attendance

• The following list of strategies have been put in place to encourage/support good attendance at school:
• The Board of Management funds a Home School Liaison person for two hours a week.
•  Teachers record attendance at the start of each class. 
•  At 10am each morning, if a student is absent from school and the absence has not been explained, a text is sent to the student’s Parent/Guardian saying that he is not in school.
•  All classes are mixed ability classes.
• There is a wide and varied selection of subjects offered to all students  to meet the needs of all students.
•  The School Improvement Plan includes literacy and numeracy targets that are monitored on a regular basis.
• The school Care Team monitors student attendance as part of its weekly meetings.  This facilitates early intervention in cases of concern.
•  The benefits of positive behaviour are promoted in the schools Code of Behaviour.  Each month, a ‘Student of the Month’ is selected for each class group and the winner receives a lunch voucher.  At the end of the school year, students who have behaved in a positive manner are put in a draw for each year group.  Two winners from each year group receive a tablet PC.  At the end of the year, students who have achieved across all areas of school life are invited with their Parents/Guardians to an ‘Awards Night’.
•  On the ePortal system which records issues with homework, teachers can also put in positive comments when a student has contributed positively in class.
• A book rental scheme is available to all Junior Cycle students.  A book voucher scheme is operated for Senior Cycle students.
•  A ‘Friendship Week’ takes place early in the school year during which talks are arranged on topics such as mental health and bullying.
• Anti-bullying posters are prominent on the school corridors.
• There is a breakfast club available to students from 8.15am in the morning.
•  After school study and a homework club for students with special needs are also available to students.
• There is a wide variety of extracurricular activities available to students – of a sporting and non-sporting nature.

School roles in relation to attendance

If a student is absent from school, Parents/Guardians are encouraged to contact the school office to explain the absence.  Students then present a note explaining the absence to the school reception when they return to school.

Each teacher takes a roll and records it on ePortal at the start of each class.  On a daily basis, the school receptionist provides a report to the Deputy Principal and Year Heads which contains the names of students who were absent from class/school the previous day.  Year Heads monitor unexplained absences of students.

The school care team (comprising of the Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Heads, Guidance Counsellors and Learning Support Coordinator) meets on a weekly basis and discusses situations and possible solutions where a students’ attendance is causing concern.

Partnership arrangements (parents, students, other schools, youth and community groups)

Reports on student attendance are forwarded to Tusla as required.  If an individual student’s attendance is causing concern then a referral will be made to Tusla by the Principal.

If mental health/anxiety issues are a cause of a student’s poor attendance then the students  Parents/Guardians will be advised by the school counselling team to bring him to a local GP (for possible referral to CAMHS if required).

The school has close links with the Stoneybatter Community Training Workshop.  If a student is at risk of leaving school due to poor academic ability or a more vocational focus then a referral will be made to the Stoneybatter Community Training Workshop by the Guidance Counselling team. 

How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored

The school care team monitors student attendance on a weekly basis.  The Deputy Principal and Year Heads supported by the school administration staff monitor student attendance on a daily basis.

Review process and date for review

The Board of Management will review the School Attendance Strategy on an annual basis.

Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management

11th January 2018

Date the Statement of Strategy submitted to Tusla

12th January 2018