The school’s vision and values in relation to attendance:

Regular attendance helps to create a stable learning environment for all pupils. The values and ethos of the school promote the dignity, self-esteem and full development of each pupil as a human person. A high level of regular attendance allows each pupil to develop to their full potential.

 

The school’s high expectations around attendance:

The school strives to achieve full attendance for all pupils in so far as is possible.

 

How attendance will be monitored:

• Roll call is taken daily by class teacher  using

Aladdin by 10.00am

• Punctuality is monitored by class teacher for

Late-comers and this is recorded on Aladdin.

• Attendance report is submitted to TUSLA twice

a year

• Attendance monitoring of targeted children by

principal

 

Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:

• Target setting and targets

• The whole-school approach

• Promoting good attendance

• Responding to poor attendance

Targets

• To raise monthly average attendance to 96%

• To target families at risk

• To encourage punctuality and reduce the amount of time lost through lateness.

• To increase awareness among parents of the importance of attending school every day and to encourage them  not to take their children on family holidays during term time.

 

Whole-school approach in promoting good attendance:

• Promote school as an attractive, positive learning environment

• Promote participation in a wide range of after-school and in school activities on offer in the school i.e. Gaelic football, camogie, basket-ball choir, swimming, dancing, recorder, guitar, ballet, speech and drama, homework club etc.                   

• Encourage parents to explain absences by note and follow up if they are not furnished to the school.

• If punctuality is an issue the number of missed minutes is recorded and this information is furnished to parents.

• Link with outside agencies e.g. TUSLA

• Letter furnished to parents once they are absent for 20 days.

• A warning text

• End of year attendance ceremony where awards are presented to children with excellent attendance. Gold medals are presented to children with 100% attendance and certificates to   children with 1 to 3 days absent.

• In analysing this year’s attendance figures it was noted that a significant number of absenteeism pertained to international families. The parents take them home during term time to avoid excessive travel costs. At each of the information meetings for parents the class teacher will remind all parents of the importance of being in school every day and of avoiding taking children out of school during term time.  This message will be reinforced during assemblies and through newsletters.

 

Responding to poor attendance:

• Referral to Tusla /EWO

• Meetings with targeted families

 

School roles in relation to attendance:

Principal's Role: 

• To provide leadership in the creation of a school ethos that is supportive of high levels of engagement and attendance.

• Leads the review and implementation of the school’s attendance strategy.

• Arranges for the monitoring and evaluation the school’s attendance strategy.

• Ensures a whole school approach regarding the implantation, development and monitoring of the school’s attendance strategy

• Ensures the notification of TUSLA and EWO in relation to pupils with attendance difficulties.

• Oversees the proper maintenance of documentation and records and furnishes these to relevant government departments.

 

Teacher’s role:

• To ensure a positive classroom climate that encourages good attendance.

• To set high expectations for punctuality and attendance.

• To record attendance data daily.

• To alert relevant staff re concerns about attendance and punctuality.

• Supports students on return when they have missed periods of schooling.

• To use the school’s attendance strategy

• To report regularly to parents on pupils attendance as per school policy.

• To keep a record of accumulated minutes of instruction missed through lateness

 

How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored:

The school strategy statement will be monitored yearly and targets reviewed and set for the following year at whole school level.

 

Review process and date for review

Review-June 2018 at whole staff meeting

Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management

September  2017

Date the Statement of Strategy submitted to Tusla

September 2017