Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from the school for a reason classified by the school, not by the parents/carers, such as a genuine illness or other unavoidable cause. The school must be made aware of this before 8.30am on each day of absence (lines are manned from 7am), by calling the absence line (01424 711950 Select: Option 1). Please note, notification is only accepted by telephone. Medical evidence must be emailed to us on the first day of absence on: THA.attendance@hastings.mulberryschoolstrust.org If contact is not made with the academy for periods of absence, we will perform outreach welfare visits to ensure the student is OK. Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised if the students’ parent/carer notifies the academy in advance of the appointment. If a student is present at registration but has a medical appointment during the session in question, no absence needs be recorded for that session. We encourage parents/carers to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the student should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary. The students’ parent/carer must also apply for other types of term-time absence as far in advance as possible of the requested absence. Absence requests can be completed by completing the ’withdrawal from learning form’. The principal will only grant a leave of absence to a student during term time if they consider there to be ‘exceptional circumstances’. A leave of absence will not be granted for the purposes of a family holiday. A leave of absence is granted at the principal’s discretion, in accordance with local and national guidance, including the length of time the student is authorised to be absent for. Absence requests can be completed by completing the ‘withdrawal from learning’ form. We are committed to work with our parents and carers, students and community to ensure every student has access to education. We promise that we will: Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all students can fulfil their potential is a commitment to attendance. Regular and punctual attendance is of paramount importance in ensuring all children have full access to the curriculum. Missing out on lessons or arriving late leaves students vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less well than their peers. We strongly believe every student should be at the school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Permitting absence from school without a good reason is an offence by the parent or carer. The staff responsible for attendance matters and to whom you should refer concerns initially, are: We consider each young person as an individual. We are intent on supporting attendance to enable all students have the opportunity to achieve their potential Mental Health Our experienced and knowledgeable safeguarding team are able to support pupils and work closely with external practitioners where appropriate Social Issues Our skilled pastoral team offer quick response support and aftercare for a wide range of social issues including friendship and bullying concerns Education If your child is struggling in the classroom, we offer a wide variety of interventions. These range from class based teacher support to specialist special educational needs (SEN) interventions and in some cases a more vocational approach Parental Experience We appreciate that everyone’s experience of school can differ. Our experienced Hastings leadership team welcome you to visit for a coffee/tea and tour to discuss how education works here at Mulberry Academy Hastings (by appointment only) Travel In some extreme cases, we may be able to offer support in terms of travel to and/or from school Persistent Absence – 90% Attendance or Below If 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised lateness or persistent absence are accrued during the 10-week academic period following the ‘warning letter’, a penalty notice will be submitted to the Legal Interventions Team at East Sussex County Council. Should a penalty notice be issued and your child’s attendance declines further or deemed a cause for concern, a referral to ESBAS (Education Support, Behaviour and Attendance Service) will be submitted for further intervention, in support of improved attendance. Penalty Notice At the Mulberry Academy Hastings, we have legal powers to use penalty notices to address poor attendance and punctuality. The school may request that a penalty notice is issued where parents and carers appear unwilling to take responsibility for their child’s attendance. Below are three circumstances in which penalty notices may be issued: Our academy has a legal duty to publish its absence figures to parents and carers and to promote attendance. Equally, parents and carers have a duty to ensure their children attend, punctually, every day the academy is open to students. The academy staff are committed to working with its parents and carers to ensure as high a level of attendance as possible. Useful LinksUnplanned Absences
Planned absence
Approval for term-time absence
Withdrawal from Learning Application request
School Attendance
Key Staff
Name Role Email J.Mann Attendance Manager j.mann@hastings.mulberryschoolstrust.org Attendance Team THA.attendance@hastings.mulberryschoolstrust.org The Hastings Academy Attendance Support Offer
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