Attendance

We offer an extensive and engaging curriculum. Students are expected and are entitled to access the full curriculum. 

Every School Day Matters

At Hove Park School we recognise the importance of having excellent school attendance & punctuality. Evidence suggests that those with better attendance have better outcomes and are more equipped to deal with life post 16. We support students in a number of ways at Hove Park School to ensure regular and punctual attendance, we work collaboratively with internal specialist staff including Educational Welfare Officer, school counsellor, SEND, Safeguarding & Well-being team as well as linking with external agencies including Schools Mental Health Team, Access to Education, Children Missing Education & School Nurses.

Why we want excellent attendance 

Being Safe in school – The only way Hove Park School can be sure that your Child is safe is if we see them, regular and punctual school attendance ensures we have eyes on Students and that they are supported across all aspects of their schooling.


Access to the full curriculum – At Hove Park School we offer an extensive and engaging curriculum. All students are entitled to a full-time education by law, and we ensure their access to broad range of subjects is fulfilled. 


Sense of belonging – School is not just a place to learn; we work hard to ensure every student really feels part of the community at Hove Park School. From Year 7 Big Camp to Year 11 Prom, there is something for everyone that gives every child the opportunity to try something new. There is always something throughout the year to look forward to. Every student matters. 


Life skills – Having good attendance and punctuality is a life skill and it is one that we promote here at Hove Park School, preparing your child for the future in every way. We will often talk to students about what an employer would want in terms of commitment, work ethic and reliability. 


Friends – Undoubtedly friendships are strengthened the more you are in school. Children that miss school more than their peers often find it difficult to maintain positive friendships. Friendships are so important for school aged children and that is never truer than when a young mind is developing. 


Wider school participation – There are a wide variety of clubs taking place on both campuses every week. There really is something for everyone from film clubs, time in the fitness suite, dance, netball, rugby, drama, journalism, football, Chinese and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Hove Park School students have the opportunity to widen their school participation and enrich their future on every level. 

Miss school miss out poster
Miss school miss out poster

Cause for concern

Attendance dips below 95% - Year teams work closely with our Educational Welfare Officer to monitor students’ attendance. All Students are placed onto the school’s Attendance framework so we can keep a close eye on those giving cause for concern as well as celebrating Students that are always in and always punctual. 

 

Patterns of absence – During attendance link meetings the Year team, with the support of the EWO, look for patterns of absences. Patterns are concerning but often dealt with quickly when it becomes clear that a student may be avoiding something in particular that they find difficult. Regular and prompt contact home can quickly offer support and solutions. 


Increasing days off for illness – We understand that everyone gets sick sometimes but regularly taking days off for illness is a cause for concern. It is best to provide evidence to support absences where possible (Doctors notes/appointment cards/copies of prescriptions). Where possible, you should encourage your child to come to school. A cough, a cold, feeling a bit unwell are all unpleasant but not something we need a day off for. 


No contact from home – Not hearing from parents/carers when students are absent from school is concerning to us. It means we don’t know where your child is and whether they are safe or not. It is important that we hear from you on every single day of absence. Absence with no contact from home will be classified as unauthorised by the school.


What will we do

Use our pastoral systems to support – We have a wide range of staff supporting students with difficulties in attending school regularly, each year group has a non-teaching assistant head of year as well as head of year, we have a school counsellor, wellbeing team, safeguarding team, and Educational Welfare Officer. Please see our mental health and wellbeing page .

 

Promote good attendance through praise and rewards – Year teams will drive rewards in their respective years, praising students for being a HERO (Here, Every day, Ready, On time) and having excellent attendance, as well as celebrating improvements to previously concerning attendance levels. 


Contact you to discuss absences - If we have had no contact from home regarding absence a safeguarding text will be sent, this may be followed by a phone call by a key member of staff working with your child, year teams & Educational Welfare Officer.


Make ourselves available within a reasonable time – Communication is important to us and we will always endeavour to respond to queries within a reasonable time. We will always endeavour to meet with parents as soon as possible, it may be that we can’t meet as soon as a parent might like due to working patterns and other commitments, but we will always communicate this to parents/carers. 


Write to you to set targets around attendance – If there is no improvement to attendance following phone calls/emails/texts/meetings, and, following a review by the Educational Welfare Officer then school will refer to the Local Authority in-line with Brighton & Hove Code of Conduct.


Miss school miss out poster for secondary schools

Year teams – We are very fortunate here at Hove Park School – every year team is led by a Head of Year (teaching) and supported by an Assistant Head of Year (non-teaching). Year teams play a vital role in your child's life at Hove Park School. They are often the first point of contact for students and families, liaising with staff on all levels to ensure positive outcomes.   


SENCO – Specialising in all areas of the SEN code of practice, SEN is led by Lauren Pinney and Caitlin McGinley (Assistant Head Teachers). Mrs McGinley supported by Emily Tucker – Assistant SENCO heads up our specialist Cullum Centre for students with an EHCP who have an Autism Diagnosis. Mrs Pinney leads SEN across the rest of the school with Assistant SENCO Edward Bayliss. Our SENCOs ensure our teachers differentiate the curriculum and that learning barriers to attending school are minimised. The SEND works closely with our Educational Welfare Officer. 


School Counsellor – Rose Scott is our resident counsellor. Rose provides clinical intervention for students across the whole school as well as providing consultation and support to our pastoral teams, social emotional and mental health team, and our safeguarding team. Rose also supervises student counsellors working with our students and is a key link with schools’ mental health team.   


Safeguarding Team – Our safeguarding team work tirelessly to ensure all students are always safe, both emotionally and physically. The safeguarding team link with all Hove Park School staff, external services, and agencies to ensure all students both on statutory plans, as well as those in need, are getting support and that barriers to attending school are minimised. There are times when absence becomes so concerning it is regarded as a safeguarding concern. Our Educational Welfare Officer works closely with the safeguarding team particularly with students deemed to be under severe absence or Children Missing Education. 


EAL co-ordinator – We are aware that for a number of our students and parents/carers, English is an additional language with some of students arriving with no English whatsoever. We have a dedicated member of staff responsible for students with EAL. We will endeavour to ask for communication to be translated where we know there is a need.  


CAMHS – Please see our wellbeing page . We have a primary mental health worker attached to our school.


Parents/Carers – Positive working relationships with parents is crucial, We know you want the very best for your child and so do we. Ensuring that they attend school both regularly and punctually gives them the very best chance of academic, inter-personal and future success. 


Students – We work hard to engage students with an inspired curriculum and exciting extra-curricular activities. We will always endeavour to meet with students and talk to them about improving their attendance as well as delivering whole-school initiatives and assemblies.

Contacts 

Attendance administration:

 

  • Please contact absence@hovepark.org.uk or call 01273 082858 with any day-to-day queries.
  • Any member of the office team at Hove Park School will be able to support you in the first instance and point you in the right direction.

 

Educational Welfare Officer – Lisa Carruthers - lcarruthers@hovepark.org.uk

 

SENCO – sendmanagement@hovepark.org.uk please also see our mental health and wellbeing page . 


Safeguarding –  safeguarding@hovepark.org.uk  please also see our safeguarding page .


Punctuality

Being on time to school is a life skill and it is an important one that we promote here at Hove Park. School starts promptly at 8.30am and all students are expected to be where they are registered by this time. If a student is late to school, they will have to make up lost time either during break or after school detention. Walking into class late makes students feel anxious, missing the start of lessons where important instructions are being given puts them at a disadvantage to others and they start the day feeling less engaged than they would have if they had been on time. 

Legal 


We want to work with our students, parents, and carers to ensure that every child has access to the full curriculum. We understand that sometimes students struggle to come to school, and we will do all we can to support parents/carers to fulfil their role in ensuring regular and punctual school attendance. Where all other avenues have been exhausted and support is not working or being engaged with, school will request the LA enforce attendance through statutory intervention or prosecution to protect the Student’s right to an education.


Holiday during Term Time 


We refer you to our Attendance Policy – The Department For Education guidance states that “Generally, the DfE does not consider a need or a desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation, to be an exceptional circumstance”. All requests for holidays during term time need to be received by school at least 2 weeks in advance. Parents/Carers can find forms to request absence on this page.   


Working together to improve school attendance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (applies from 19th August 2024)

The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk) (applies from 19th August 2024)

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/


Hove Park School attendance policy

Absence during term time form 

Code of Conduct August 202

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