Statement of Strategy for School Attendance
The school’s vision and values in relation to attendance:
We, in Ballyfin NS, strive to provide a welcoming school environment that is inclusive, fun, creative and safe. We are committed to excellence in education and aim to develop the full potential of each student. We hope that our school will be a pleasant and happy place for all members of our school community, and accordingly that our pupils will want to come to school. We acknowledge that regular school attendance is essential for success in school, and for the development of good habits that will stand to our pupils in their adult lives.
The school’s high expectations around school attendance:
There is a strong tradition of good school attendance in Ballyfin NS, and it is assumed by all members of the school community that pupils will attend daily and punctually, unless they have a genuine reason for absence. This expectation, and the procedures around attendance (e.g. that a written explanation should be provided for each absence), are frequently communicated to parents, pupils and staff members, in class, at assemblies, in notes home and at parent-teacher meetings.
In cases where there is a genuine reason for a long-term or ongoing absence it is expected that parents will liaise with the class teacher/principal with a view to ameliorating the effects of this absence for the child.
How attendance will be monitored:
Attendance and enrolment records are maintained through the Aladdin software system. Records of enrolment are maintained in the Pupil Online Database (POD), and in the pupils’ individual files. Copies of referral forms and communication with the Educational Welfare Officer are stored in the relevant child’s individual files.
Class teachers monitor the attendance of their pupils, and depending on the age of the child the issue of attendance may be raised informally with the child or parent if this is deemed appropriate. Once a child has missed seventeen days in a school year the Aladdin system sends a text to the parents advising them of this, and reminding them of the school obligation to inform the Tusla Educational Support Service of pupils who miss twenty days or more. Parents are invited to discuss the reasons for the absences with the class teacher.
In cases where the principal deems absences to be unsatisfactorily explained, or otherwise to be a cause of concern, a referral is made to the Educational Welfare Officer once twenty days have been missed in the school year. Parents are informed about this referral being made.
Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:
Target setting and targets
Historically Ballyfin NS had very good attendance rates, and many children attend every day unless they are unwell. Attendance dis-improved during the Covid pandemic, however, and has not yet returned to pre-Covid levels. For example, during the 2023/24 school year, while 18 children had absent rates of 3 days or less, 47 children had absences of more than 20 days and the overall absence rate for the year was 7.8%. We did not achieve any of the attendance tier targets as set out by Tusla’s Educational Support Service during the 23/24 school year (see Appendix attached).
Pupil punctuality is, for the most part, not a concern at the present time, nor has it been in the past. There is some concern about pupils going home early, which is not reflected in the attendance figures. Parents generally provide written explanations for all absences.
It is hoped that this Statement of Strategy will assist in the improvement of attendance across the school.
The whole-school approach
In general all stakeholders in the school community appreciate the value of school attendance and are supportive of the school’s efforts to maintain it. Good attendance and punctuality are promoted throughout the school in all classes.
Promoting good attendance
The pupils are made aware of the importance of good attendance, and it is emphasised across the school. In order to avoid effectively rewarding good health (and to avoid encouraging ill pupils to come to school), attendance certificates or similar are not awarded, but class teachers/principal may praise those with excellent attendance at the end of each term/year. In cases where a child’s attendance has improved significantly the child may be sent to the principal for praise and/or a note of commendation sent home.
Responding to poor attendance
Where the attendance of a child comes to attention as a cause for concern, a variety of strategies may be employed depending on the circumstances of the case and the professional discretion of the principal/class teacher. These include, but are not limited to:
School roles in relation to attendance:
All members of the school community are responsible for fostering and encouraging a climate of good attendance throughout the school.
Teachers’ responsibilities:
Principal’s responsibilities:
Parents’ responsibilities:
Pupils’ responsibilities:
Board of Management responsibilities:
Partnership arrangements:
Co-operation between staff, parents and pupils is vitally important for the welfare of pupils. The school endeavours to work with all relevant outside agencies to the best of its abilities to ensure the well-being of pupils. Where appropriate, information relating to school attendance may be shared with other agencies (e.g. another school where a child has enrolled, social workers, NEPs etc.) as well as with the school’s Educational Welfare Officer and Tusla’s Educational Support Service.
How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored:
The Aladdin system allows for a thorough and rapid analysis of attendance to be undertaken at individual, class and whole school levels. Attendance is monitored on an ongoing basis in the school, and more formally at the end of each year when the Annual Attendance Reports (AAR) are submitted to Tusla. The principal makes reference to school attendance in her Principal’s Report at each Board of Management meeting.
Review process and date for review:
It is expected that the school’s Attendance Policy will be formally reviewed in the school year 2027/28, unless circumstances dictate that an earlier review date is advisable.
Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management:
The Statement of Strategy for School Attendance was ratified by the Board of Management on October 7th 2024.
Signed: Fr Joe Brophy, Chairperson BOM
Brigid Bennett, Secretary, BOM
The school’s vision and values in relation to attendance:
We, in Ballyfin NS, strive to provide a welcoming school environment that is inclusive, fun, creative and safe. We are committed to excellence in education and aim to develop the full potential of each student. We hope that our school will be a pleasant and happy place for all members of our school community, and accordingly that our pupils will want to come to school. We acknowledge that regular school attendance is essential for success in school, and for the development of good habits that will stand to our pupils in their adult lives.
The school’s high expectations around school attendance:
There is a strong tradition of good school attendance in Ballyfin NS, and it is assumed by all members of the school community that pupils will attend daily and punctually, unless they have a genuine reason for absence. This expectation, and the procedures around attendance (e.g. that a written explanation should be provided for each absence), are frequently communicated to parents, pupils and staff members, in class, at assemblies, in notes home and at parent-teacher meetings.
In cases where there is a genuine reason for a long-term or ongoing absence it is expected that parents will liaise with the class teacher/principal with a view to ameliorating the effects of this absence for the child.
How attendance will be monitored:
Attendance and enrolment records are maintained through the Aladdin software system. Records of enrolment are maintained in the Pupil Online Database (POD), and in the pupils’ individual files. Copies of referral forms and communication with the Educational Welfare Officer are stored in the relevant child’s individual files.
Class teachers monitor the attendance of their pupils, and depending on the age of the child the issue of attendance may be raised informally with the child or parent if this is deemed appropriate. Once a child has missed seventeen days in a school year the Aladdin system sends a text to the parents advising them of this, and reminding them of the school obligation to inform the Tusla Educational Support Service of pupils who miss twenty days or more. Parents are invited to discuss the reasons for the absences with the class teacher.
In cases where the principal deems absences to be unsatisfactorily explained, or otherwise to be a cause of concern, a referral is made to the Educational Welfare Officer once twenty days have been missed in the school year. Parents are informed about this referral being made.
Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:
Target setting and targets
Historically Ballyfin NS had very good attendance rates, and many children attend every day unless they are unwell. Attendance dis-improved during the Covid pandemic, however, and has not yet returned to pre-Covid levels. For example, during the 2023/24 school year, while 18 children had absent rates of 3 days or less, 47 children had absences of more than 20 days and the overall absence rate for the year was 7.8%. We did not achieve any of the attendance tier targets as set out by Tusla’s Educational Support Service during the 23/24 school year (see Appendix attached).
Pupil punctuality is, for the most part, not a concern at the present time, nor has it been in the past. There is some concern about pupils going home early, which is not reflected in the attendance figures. Parents generally provide written explanations for all absences.
It is hoped that this Statement of Strategy will assist in the improvement of attendance across the school.
The whole-school approach
In general all stakeholders in the school community appreciate the value of school attendance and are supportive of the school’s efforts to maintain it. Good attendance and punctuality are promoted throughout the school in all classes.
Promoting good attendance
The pupils are made aware of the importance of good attendance, and it is emphasised across the school. In order to avoid effectively rewarding good health (and to avoid encouraging ill pupils to come to school), attendance certificates or similar are not awarded, but class teachers/principal may praise those with excellent attendance at the end of each term/year. In cases where a child’s attendance has improved significantly the child may be sent to the principal for praise and/or a note of commendation sent home.
Responding to poor attendance
Where the attendance of a child comes to attention as a cause for concern, a variety of strategies may be employed depending on the circumstances of the case and the professional discretion of the principal/class teacher. These include, but are not limited to:
- Informal discussion between the pupil and class teacher or parent and class teacher;
- Formal meeting between the deputy principal/principal and parent with a view to identifying the reasons for non-attendance;
- Attempt to resolve the reasons for non-attendance, be they academic/social/emotional;
- Agreement on strategies to improve attendance between parents and teachers (and possibly pupil depending on age etc.) – e.g. reward system, social/emotional or academic supports etc;
- Referral to other agencies as appropriate and/or parents advised to seek help from GP etc;
- Advice sought from relevant professionals/agencies;
- Referral made to Educational Welfare Officer once 20 days missed and if still a cause of concern.
School roles in relation to attendance:
All members of the school community are responsible for fostering and encouraging a climate of good attendance throughout the school.
Teachers’ responsibilities:
- Encouraging pupils to attend regularly and punctually;
- Filling out the attendance on Aladdin each day and recording reasons for absences when provided;
- Contacting parents when absences are not explained in writing/email;
- Alerting the principal when a child’s attendance is a cause for concern;
- Referring to pupil attendance, when relevant, at parent-teacher meetings and on the end of year reports;
- Contributing to the completion of referrals to the Education Welfare Service of Tusla when applicable;
- Supporting parents to achieve good attendance;
- Class teachers are not obligated to send home work for children who are not present in school. In particular, there is no expectation that teachers send home work for children who are avoidably absent, e.g. on holidays, and doing so should not be taken as condoning avoidable absenteeism. In some cases, it may be deemed desirable for work to be sent home in order to ameliorate the effects of an unavoidable absence on the child, but in the understanding that this is a poor substitute for good school attendance.
Principal’s responsibilities:
- Responsibility for maintaining the attendance records of the school and submitting absence reports to Tusla is the overall responsibility of the principal, but may be delegated to other staff members at the principal’s discretion.
- Pupil referral forms are completed by the principal with the assistance of the class teacher in cases where there are serious concerns about a child’s attendance or welfare, and the principal/teachers work with the Educational Welfare Officer to try rectify these concerns. The advice of the Educational Welfare Officer may be sought as appropriate.
- Ensuring the school’s compliance with all regulations and guidelines related to school attendance, including co-ordination of the admissions process of the school.
- Promotion of the value of school attendance throughout the school community
Parents’ responsibilities:
- Sending their children to school on time every-day unless they are ill or have a genuine reason for non-attendance;
- Notifying the school in writing or by email of the reasons for absences from school, and discussing planned absences with the school;
- Ensuring, insofar as is possible, the children's medical and other appointments are arranged for times outside of school hours;
- Avoiding, where possible, taking children on holidays during term-time;
- Working with the school and Tusla’s Education Support Service to resolve any attendance problems that may arise;
- Supporting the school in helping their child catch up after a period of absence;
- Showing an interest in their children’s school day and homework, and praising and encouraging their children’s achievements in school;
- Encouraging their children to participate in school activities.
Pupils’ responsibilities:
- Pupils are expected to attend school punctually everyday, and to remain in school for the duration of the school day, unless they have a genuine reason why this is not possible.
- Pupils are expected to comply with all school rules so as to ensure that Ballyfin NS is a nice place for all members of the school community to come to school and come to work.
- Pupils are expected to do their best in all aspects of their school work, and to catch up on work missed during absences, where at all possible.
Board of Management responsibilities:
- The Board of Management has overall responsibility for the preparation of the school’s Statement of Strategy for School Attendance and for supporting the principal and school staff in their efforts to achieve high levels of attendance.
Partnership arrangements:
Co-operation between staff, parents and pupils is vitally important for the welfare of pupils. The school endeavours to work with all relevant outside agencies to the best of its abilities to ensure the well-being of pupils. Where appropriate, information relating to school attendance may be shared with other agencies (e.g. another school where a child has enrolled, social workers, NEPs etc.) as well as with the school’s Educational Welfare Officer and Tusla’s Educational Support Service.
How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored:
The Aladdin system allows for a thorough and rapid analysis of attendance to be undertaken at individual, class and whole school levels. Attendance is monitored on an ongoing basis in the school, and more formally at the end of each year when the Annual Attendance Reports (AAR) are submitted to Tusla. The principal makes reference to school attendance in her Principal’s Report at each Board of Management meeting.
Review process and date for review:
It is expected that the school’s Attendance Policy will be formally reviewed in the school year 2027/28, unless circumstances dictate that an earlier review date is advisable.
Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management:
The Statement of Strategy for School Attendance was ratified by the Board of Management on October 7th 2024.
Signed: Fr Joe Brophy, Chairperson BOM
Brigid Bennett, Secretary, BOM
