DASP Attendance Statement

Information for Parents: DASP
Attendance Statement

It is essential that children and young people form good habits of regular attendance at school from an
early age and that good attendance is maintained throughout their school career. The schools in the
Dorchester Area Schools Partnership are committed to working together to ensure that there is a
consistent approach to school attendance. It is a legal requirement that all children should attend their
educational provision and it is the parent/carers responsibility to ensure that their children attend school.

Schools within the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership have agreed the following:

● No Leave of Absence will be granted during term time, except in exceptional circumstances.

● The schools in the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership will monitor the attendance of our pupils
and work closely with the Locality Early Intervention Teams to support children and young people
whose attendance levels are causing concern.

● Whilst we understand that children do become ill on occasions, children who lose a lot of time at
school can suffer in the long term from significant gaps in their learning. Schools have the right to
request evidence of illness and will do so if a child builds up considerable absence through illness
over a period of time. If a child’s health continues to affect their education, schools are obliged to
make a referral to the School Medical Officer to ensure that all that can be done is being done.

● If a child is ill it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure that they inform the school. DASP
schools all operate a targeted “First Day Call” system, which means they will contact you to ask why
your child is not in school and when they are expected to return.

● It is important that pupils are in school on time. Good punctuality is not only important in obtaining
maximum benefit from education; it is also a key skill for adult life. Lateness is monitored by
schools in the DASP Partnership and contributes to absence rates.

Children only get one chance at school and your child’s chances of a successful future may be affected by not attending school or college regularly.

From September 2015 DASP has been addressing significant attendance issues with a DASP
Attendance Panel.