Attendance

Absence/Late Procedures

To report an absence please call our Absence Hotline Number 08448365681 or the school office on 01305 265651.

Alternatively you can email: attendance@dmsschool.co.uk or message the school through our School Comms app.

The children line up in the playground at 8:50am and the school day starts at 9:10am right after AM register.  PM Registers are taken at 3:00pm and the school day ends at 3:30pm.

If your child is going to be absent from school, please telephone the school absence line  01305 265651, option 1, and leave your child's name, HB and reason for absence.

If a pupil arrives after 9:00am this will be marker as late (L) and pupils will need to sign in at the office. Any pupil arriving late after this will require a message of explanation (written or verbal).  If no explanation is received by the following day, the absence will be marked as unauthorized (O).

If a child needs to leave the site for an authorised reason e.g. doctor’s appointment, they sign out at the school office and upon return, sign in.

All absences should be accompanied by a note, e-mail or telephone message.

HOWEVER, ONLY THE SCHOOL CAN DECIDE IF THE ABSENCE IS AUTHORISED.

If a parent or carer deliberately allows their child to be absent from school without good reason, then they are colluding with their child’s absence from school. This is unauthorised absence.

If a child is missing from a lesson the member of staff sends a message to the office and a senior member of staff will pursue the absence. If the pupil has left the site they will contact the parent or carer.  If the pupil cannot be found and contact cannot be made with the parent or carer the Police will be informed.

Tutors notify office staff when there is concern over absence e.g. patterns of absence, groups of pupils are absent or a pupil is absent for more than 3 days without authorization.  The Attendance Officer staff will contact parents/carers to account for each day of absence.

If absence drops below 85% the Attendance Officer will contact the family for a first meeting via letter.

A daily text system is operated for any unexplained absence. All concerns and resulting action is recorded by the Attendance Officer and communicated to HB tutor and SLT.

Queries regarding attendance are referred to the Attendance Officer, Mrs Stewart Pope.

Pupils achieving less than 85% attendance or persistent unauthorised absence will be pursued by the Attendance Officer and working alongside with the Head of School, the Local Authority and other relevant agencies.

Ref: The Education Act 1996 - sections 434(1)(3)(4)&(6) and 458(4)&(5); The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006; The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010; The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011; The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.

Attendance of pupils who are dual registered is monitored in conjunction with the relevant educational establishment.

The whole school attendance target is agreed with LA. School Staff, parents and Governors are aware of this target.

Pupil and whole school attendance is reported to parents via the school app weekly, but attendance data is available to parents on request at any time.

Child Protection Policy - Appendix 7

Sending Ill or Injured Children Home

For the safety of all our pupils, an adult is required to physically collect any child who is ill or injured. The adult must sign the child out at the office indicating that they are taking responsibility for the child.

Dorchester Middle School will not send an ill or injured child to a home where there is no adult present.