The school’s attendance leads are Anthony Devanney (Deputy Headteacher) and Sophie Jaques (Attendance Officer).
Registration
Nidderdale High School opens the doors at 8:30 am each morning. Staff are present to greet students and support them in settling into their classrooms.
- Morning Registration: Registration begins at 8:45 am when the school day officially starts and students are expected to be in their tutor base.
- Afternoon Registration: The afternoon session starts at 1:15 pm.
Punctual Arrival at School
Punctual arrival at school is essential. The Student Entrance is closed after 8:45 am to ensure the safety and security of all students in school. Students arriving after 8.45 am should use the main School Entrance.
- Late Arrival: If a student arrives late but before 9:15am they will be marked as late (L) by their form tutor. Parents / carers should contact the school office to report the reason for the lateness.
- Office Registration Closure: The office will close the register at 9:15 am. Any students arriving after this time will receive a mark of unauthorised absence (U). Parents / carers must contact the school office to report the reason for lateness.
Frequent lateness:
- Disrupts learning for both the child and the class.
- Affects the smooth running of the school, and result in unauthorised absences, which could result in a Penalty Notice or, in extreme cases, prosecution.
- Creates bad habits which could impact later life negatively.
Absence Procedures
Parents/carers must notify the school of the reason for an absence on the first day by 8:30 am or as soon as possible by calling the school absence line at 01423 711246.
If a student is absent without prior notification, the attendance officer will contact the parent by email or telephone on the first day of absence.
The school follows up on absences to:
- ascertain the reason for the absence,
- ensure appropriate safeguarding actions are taken,
- determine if the absence is authorised or unauthorised,
- record the correct attendance code in the school census system.
If the school cannot establish contact and a student is absent for several days, a home visit may be conducted to verify the student’s well-being.
Illness
Absences due to illness are authorised. The school will not routinely require medical evidence. However, parents/carers may be asked to provide documentation, such as a doctor’s note or appointment card where this is deemed necessary.
If the school questions the authenticity of the illness, the absence may be marked as unauthorised, and parents/carers will be informed in advance.
Poor Attendance
The Department for Education (DfE) monitors student attendance. For students with Persistent Absence (below 90%), the attendance team will reach out to discuss support options. Additionally, North Yorkshire Council is informed of any student with consistent poor attendance or 10+ days of unauthorised absence.
Continued poor attendance will be closely monitored and additional meetings and school contact will be in place to address this.
Penalty Notices
Under government guidelines (Working Together to Improve Attendance, 2024), all schools are required to consider issuing a fine when a student has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence.
Starting from August 2024, the fine for unauthorised absences meeting government criteria is £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days. Repeat fines within a three-year period may also be issued at a higher rate of £160.
Penalty Notice Criteria
Fines may be issued when:
- a student has 10+ sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence within a 10-week period,
- a parent takes a child out of school during term time without approved leave,
- a child is delayed in returning from leave without school approval,
- a student is marked late after registers close (U code) more than 10 times, or
- a student is suspended from school but is seen in a public place during the first five days of the suspension.
Fines per parent, per child are capped at two fines within a three-year period. Once this limit is reached, further action, such as prosecution, may be considered. Funds collected via fines are used by North Yorkshire Council to cover administrative costs and to support school attendance initiatives.
Missing Student Protocol
Students are not permitted to leave school day without permission. If a student is discovered missing, the following actions will be taken:
- The staff member noticing the absence will inform a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and/or the pastoral team immediately.
- The school office will act as the main point of contact during the search.
- A member of staff will search the premises, including:
- all classrooms,
- toilets,
- library and hall
- School grounds.
- Staff will search outside the school premises if needed and will carry mobile phones for communication.
- Parents will be informed if the student has not been located. If necessary, the police will be notified.
- If the student has a social worker, is a looked-after child, or has SEND, the relevant personnel will be informed.
Once found, the student will be looked after and spoken to, ensuring they are safe. Parents and any relevant agencies will be informed immediately. The Deputy Headteacher will review the incident to understand its cause and reinforce school rules around staying on site. Disciplinary action may be taken if deemed appropriate.
Term-time holiday
Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.
Each application is considered individually by the school.
The following are examples of the criteria for leave of absence, which may be considered as ‘exceptional’:
- Service personnel returning from active deployment
- Where inflexibility of the parents’ leave or working arrangement is part of the organisational or company policy. This would need to be evidenced by the production or confirmation from the organisation/company
- Where leave is recommended as part of a parents’ or child’s rehabilitation from medical or emotional problems. Evidence must be provided
- When a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis
Please note: Headteachers would not be expected to class any term time holiday as exceptional.
This is not an exhaustive list and Headteachers must consider the individual circumstances of each case when making a decision on this matter. Where a Headteacher feels that there may be exceptional circumstances which do not fit the criteria, they may refer to the local authority for advice. The decision of the Headteacher is final.
Parents who take a child on leave in term time without the permission of the school risk being issued with a penalty notice fine for unauthorised absences.
