Attendance
Every School Day Matters
Hove Park School is committed, in partnership with parents, carers, students, and governors, to maintaining a school that serves its community and is a source of pride for all who are part of it.
We recognise the importance of excellent attendance and punctuality in supporting students’ academic achievement, personal development, and future success. Research consistently shows that students with higher levels of attendance achieve better outcomes and are better prepared for further education, employment, and adult life.
We are committed to supporting all students to attend regularly and arrive on time. We work collaboratively with a range of specialist staff, including our Educational Welfare Officer, School Counsellor, and SEND & Safeguarding Team. We also work closely with external agencies and services—including the Schools Mental Health Service, Access to Education, Children Missing Education, and the School Nurse—to ensure that appropriate support is provided to students and families whenever needed.
Why we want excellent attendance
Being Safe in school – The only way we can be sure that your child is safe is if we see them. Regular attendance ensures we have eyes on students and that they are supported across all aspects of their schooling.
Access to the full curriculum – All students are entitled to a full-time education by law. To ensure students are accessing all the lessons they need, they must attend every day the school is open wherever possible.
Sense of belonging – School is not just a place to learn; we work hard to ensure every student really feels part of the community at Hove Park School. From the Year 7 Big Camp to the Year 11 Prom, there is something for everyone that gives every child the opportunity to try something new. There is always something throughout the year to look forward to.
Life skills – Having good attendance and punctuality is a life skill, and it is one that we promote here at Hove Park School to prepare your child for the future in every way. We will often talk to students about what an employer would want in terms of commitment, work ethic, and reliability.
Friends – Undoubtedly, friendships are strengthened the more you are in school. Children who miss school more than their peers often find it difficult to maintain positive friendships. Friendships are vital for school-aged children, especially as young minds develop.
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing – Researchers from Loughborough University and the Office for National Statistics carried out a study in England to look at how missing school and mental health issues are linked. The analysis, based on a linked dataset of 1.1 million children aged 5 to 16, shows that poor
Wider school participation – A wide variety of clubs take place on both campuses every week. There really is something for everyone, including film clubs, fitness suite sessions, dance, netball, rugby, drama, journalism, football, Chinese, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Hove Park School students have the opportunity to widen their participation and enrich their future on every level.
Graduated Response
Cause for concern
Attendance dips below 95% - Year teams work closely with our Educational Welfare Officer to monitor students’ attendance. All Students are placed onto the school’s Attendance framework so we can keep a close eye on those giving cause for concern as well as celebrating Students that are always in and always punctual.
Patterns of absence – During attendance link meetings the Year team, with the support of the EWO, look for patterns of absences. Patterns are concerning but often dealt with quickly when it becomes clear that a student may be avoiding something in particular that they find difficult. Regular and prompt contact home can quickly offer support and solutions.
Increasing days off for illness – We understand that everyone gets sick sometimes but regularly taking days off for illness is a cause for concern. It is best to provide evidence to support absences where possible (Doctors notes/appointment cards/copies of prescriptions). Where possible, you should encourage your child to come to school. A cough, a cold, feeling a bit unwell are all unpleasant but not something we need a day off for.
No contact from home – Not hearing from parents/carers when students are absent from school is concerning to us. It means we don’t know where your child is and whether they are safe or not. It is important that we hear from you on every single day of absence. Absence with no contact from home will be classified as unauthorised by the school.
What will we do
1. Daily Registration
- Teachers will take the register at the start of the day and during the start of every lesson.
- If your child is in school, great — nothing more to do.
2. If Your Child Is Absent
If your child is not in school and we haven’t heard from you:
- Our Attendance Team will contact you (usually by phone and/or text).
- Please let us know the reason as soon as possible by either calling 01273082857 or emailing the absence address appropriate to your child’s year group:
If we have heard from you then, we will record it and keep an eye on things.
If we don’t receive a reason, the absence is marked as unauthorised and we will follow up.
3. Early Support
If we notice a pattern or are concerned about increased absences or punctuality:
We will:
- speak with your child
- contact you to talk things through
- offer support to help improve attendance
This stage is about working together, we are not here to place blame, and we want to parents/carers to feel comfortable in contacting the school to discuss their worries at any time.
4. Extra Help if Needed
If attendance doesn’t improve, we may offer more support, such as:
- a meeting with you and your child
- help from our SEND team if your child has additional needs
- an Early Help plan to support the family
Our aim is always to remove barriers and find solutions.
5. Safeguarding Checks
If we are worried that absence may be linked to a safeguarding concern, our Safeguarding Team will become involved.
This may include:
- welfare checks
- working with other agencies
- ensuring your child is safe
Your child’s wellbeing is always our top priority.
6. Legal Support (Last Resort)
If attendance still does not improve, the case may be referred to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). Our EWO will also case work complex absence cases with a holistic approach ensuring all possible support is/has been considered.
EWO intervention can also lead to:
- formal meetings
- penalty notices
- legal action (We will always try to support before taking this action)
Our Promise
We will always:
- communicate clearly
- work in partnership with you
- keep your child’s wellbeing at the centre of every decision
Promote good attendance through praise and rewards – Year teams will drive rewards and praise students for being here, every day, ready, on time. Year teams will celebrate improvements to previously concerning attendance levels.
Make ourselves available within a reasonable time – Communication is important to us, and we will always endeavour to respond to queries within a reasonable time. We will always try to meet with parents as soon as possible, it may be that we can’t meet as soon as a parent might like due to working patterns and other commitments, but we will always communicate this to parents/carers.
Attendance links
Year teams – Every year group is led by a dedicated head of year and supported by a non-teaching assistant head of year, providing together both academic and pastoral leadership. These staff play a key role in the daily life and wellbeing of our students. Year teams are often the first point of contact for students and families, offering guidance, support and advice throughout a student's time at school. Their aim is to build strong relationships with students and families, helping to create a positive, safe and successful school experience.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) – SEND provision at Hove Park School is led by Assistant head teacher Lauren Pinney, Lauren has extensive expertise across all areas of the SEND Code of Practice. Lauren is supported by Edward Bayliss – Assistant SENCO. Edward takes the lead role in our Alternative Provision Support.
Caitlin McGinley leads our specialist Cullum Centre provision with support from Emily Tucker – Assistant SENCO. The Cullum centre specifically provides tailored support for students with an Autism diagnosis and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Our SEND team works closely with students, families and staff to ensure that appropriate support is in place for every learner. They help teachers adapt and differentiate the curriculum to meet individual needs, remove barriers to learning and attendance, and enable students to access all aspects of school life successfully.
The SEND team works in close partnership with our Educational Welfare Officer to identify and address any challenges that may impact a student's wellbeing, engagement or attendance, ensuring that students receive coordinated, holistic support for effective change.
School Counsellor – Rose Scott is our resident counsellor. Rose provides clinical intervention for students across the whole school as well as providing consultation and support to our teams. Rose supervises student counsellors working with our students and is a key link with the schools’ mental health team. Please see our wellbeing page.
Safeguarding Team – The safety and wellbeing of our students is at the heart of everything we do. Our Safeguarding Team works to ensure that all students feel safe, supported and protected.
The team works closely with students, families, school staff and a range of external agencies to identify and respond to any concerns that may affect a student's welfare,
wellbeing or ability to attend school regularly. This includes supporting students who are subject to statutory safeguarding plans, those requiring early help support, and those experiencing difficulties that may create barriers to attendance.
Attendance and safeguarding are closely linked. Where patterns of absence become significant or persistent, this may indicate that a student is vulnerable or in need of additional support. In some cases, low attendance can become a safeguarding concern, particularly where a student is at risk of becoming severely absent or missing education altogether.
Our Educational Welfare Officer works in close partnership with the Safeguarding Team to monitor and support students whose attendance is causing concern, including those identified as severely absent or at risk of becoming Children Missing Education (CME). Together, they work proactively with families and external services to remove barriers to attendance, promote student wellbeing and ensure that every young person remains safe, visible and supported.
EAL (English as an Additional Language) Coordinator – Shahena Bashir – We value the rich diversity of our school community. We recognise that many of our students and families speak languages other than English, and that some students may join us with little or no experience of speaking English.
Shahena provides support to students who are learning English as an additional language, helping them to access the curriculum, develop their confidence and make successful progress in school. Working closely with teaching staff, she ensures that appropriate strategies and resources are in place to support students' language development whilst enabling them to fully participate in school life.
We are committed to working in partnership with families and understand the importance of clear communication. Where there is an identified need, we will make every effort to provide translated information or arrange interpretation support to ensure that parents and carers can engage fully with their child's education and the wider school community. Our aim is to ensure that all students and families feel welcomed, included and supported throughout their time at Hove Park School.
Parents/Carers – Positive partnerships between home and school are essential to supporting every student's success. We know that parents and carers want the very best for their child, and we share that ambition. Attending school every day and arriving on time helps students build positive relationships, develop confidence and resilience, and make the most of the opportunities available to them. We are committed to working closely with families to ensure that every student is supported to attend, achieve and thrive.
Finally - The Most Important Person We Work With – The Student – At the heart of all our attendance work is the student. We believe that students are more likely to attend regularly when they feel valued, supported and connected to school. Where attendance becomes a concern, we will always seek to understand the reasons behind it by talking directly with the student and listening to their views. Through individual meetings, mentoring, attendance reviews and targeted support, we work with students to identify barriers and develop strategies that help them attend school consistently.
Alongside this personalised support, we promote the importance of attendance and punctuality through assemblies, tutor time activities, attendance campaigns and whole-school initiatives. Our aim is to help every student understand the link between good attendance, academic achievement, wellbeing and future success, empowering them to take pride in their attendance and make the most of every opportunity available to them.
Contacts
Attendance administration:
- Please contact the relevant year contact found in the table below
- Any member of the office team at Hove Park School will be able to support you in the first instance and point you in the right direction.
| Year Group | Absence Email | Absence Phone |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | absenceyear7@hovepark.org.uk | 01273 082858 |
| 8 | absenceyear8@hovepark.org.uk | 01273 082858 |
| 9 | absenceyear9@hovepark.org.uk | 01273 082858 |
| 10 | absenceyear10@hovepark.org.uk | 01273 082858 |
| 11 | absenceyear11@hovepark.org.uk | 01273 082858 |
Educational Welfare Officer – Lisa Carruthers - lcarruthers@hovepark.org.uk
Senior Leadership Attendance Champion – Emma Vermeer - evermeer@hovepark.org.uk
SENCO – sendmanagement@hovepark.org.uk please also see our mental health and wellbeing page .
Safeguarding – safeguarding@hovepark.org.uk
| Year Group | Head of Year | Title | Assistant Head of Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | esatterly@hovepark.org.uk | Director of KS3 | aclarke@hovepark.org.uk |
| 8 | esatterly@hovepark.org.uk | Director of KS3 | swilliams@hovepark.org.uk |
| 9 | nskiltonday@hovepark.org.uk | Head of Year 9 | jwilliams@hovepark.org.uk |
| 10 | tlowrie@hovepark.org.uk | Director of KS4 | shutchings@hovepark.org.uk |
| 11 | madnett@hovepark.org.uk | Head of Year 11 | sholt@hovepark.org.uk |
Punctuality
We have all experienced the occasional delay—a missed bus, traffic disruption, car trouble, or simply oversleeping. We understand that these situations can happen from time to time. However, the school day starts promptly at 8.30am, and all students are expected to be present and registered by this time.
Arriving late can have a significant impact on a student’s day. Walking into a lesson after it has started can make students feel self-conscious or anxious, and they may miss important information or teacher instructions given at the beginning of the lesson. This can leave them at a disadvantage compared with their peers and make it harder for them to feel fully engaged and ready to learn. Being on time helps students start the day positively and confidently.
Holiday during Term Time
We refer families to our Attendance Policy, which reflects current Department for Education (DfE) guidance. The DfE states that: “Generally, the DfE does not consider a need or a desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance.”
As a result, requests for leave of absence during term time will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances and must be submitted in advance to your child’s Head of Year. Family holidays, long weekends, visits to relatives, celebrations, cheaper travel costs, or other recreational activities are not regarded as exceptional circumstances and are therefore unlikely to be authorised.
We strongly encourage families to arrange holidays and non-essential appointments outside of term time wherever possible.
Working together to improve school attendance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (applies from 19th August 2024)
The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk) (applies from 19th August 2024)
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
