REGULATING STUDENT ATTENDANCE
In order for students to access all the opportunities that PVM Centre provides, regular and punctual attendance is essential. Regular attendance ensures students have continuity of learning, can develop and maintain relationships with their peer groups and staff whilst also developing a pattern of commitment which will create a positive attitude and ethos to support their transition into the world of further education, training or employment. Students who maintain regular attendance also benefit from participating in the attendance reward system, specific to each individual.
PVMC Students who attend a Centre within the Respite 12 weeks placements, Reception Year 10)Long Term (Year 11), Primary may have had erratic attendance patterns throughout their recent
educational histories. These can be a result of exclusions (both fixed term and/or permanent), truancy, undiagnosed medical conditions, long term illness, medical conditions such as depression or anxiety, waiting for specialist centre placements, travel arrangements, parents choosing to keep their children away from centre and family difficulties.
In addition they may have also spent time out of lessons for misbehaviour or even refused to enter a classroom. Each and every one on these experiences has a clear and sometimes drastic impact on each child’s educational progress which then compounds any difficulties they may already have. The Centre will follow the daily attendance procedures in order to address and improve that student’s attendance. However consequential processes for prolonged absence or punctuality issues, including referrals to Education Welfare Service will be the responsibility of the Centre and dictated by their attendance policy.
It is an expectation that PVM Centre and all relevant linked agencies will work in partnership to achieve and maintain excellent Centre attendance and punctuality. In order to ensure consistency, accuracy of recorded attendance and access to appropriate early help and intervention, the Centre must mirror respite attendance upon receipt of the weekly attendance every Friday. This ensures already established legal processes remain in situ and evidence to access early help or intervention and support is accurate.
PVMC Respite will liaise daily with all related external agencies in relation to individual student punctuality and attendance updates and are expected to work jointly to remove barriers preventing each student achieving above 95% attendance. This may include coordinated external referrals for example early help when required. This process will be further embedded by PVMC Respite at Initial Interviews, review and end meetings. For those students who are permanently excluded and are on the sole role PVM Centre will again follow the daily attendance procedures in order to assess, address, review and improve student attendance which is expected to be maintained above 95%. However, the consequential process will work in partnership with PVMC allocated staff and the relevant Local Authority Education Welfare Service which is reflected and outlined in this policy.
Students who have suffered prolonged periods of non-attendance will obviously find it difficult to return to the expectations of a classroom setting for a variety of reasons including loss of habit, fear of the work or teacher expectations and further conflict or failure. During both respite and long term placements we endeavour to identify the individual student and family barriers impacting on punctuality and attendance through daily assessment, intervention and review.
Our ethos is to work on an early intervention basis by promptly identifying barriers and initiating specificsupport and guidance to enable students and parents to fully benefit from what PVM Centre has to offer. Therefore, working in partnership with families and carers is an essential element of our work. We adopt a consistent, robust and honest approach to communication to ensure parents/carers have information and access to the intervention and support we can provide.