Wykham Park Academy expects all students to aspire to achieve 100% attendance, and the minimum expectation for attendance is 96%. Statistics clearly show that the students who attend school regularly make the most progress and therefore significantly increase their life chances.
The following is important information for all parents:
- Morning registration starts at 8.45am. Students arriving after this time will be marked as late. We therefore request that all students are in school by 8.40am.
- The academy is responsible for your child’s welfare and safety during school hours. Therefore if your child is going to be absent, please inform the school by 8.30am every day that your child is absent so that we know of his/her whereabouts. This can be by phone (Attendance office: 01295 225225) or by emailing attendance@wykhampark-aspirations.org.
If you are the parent of a sixth form student at Wykham Park Academy or Futures Institute Banbury please you phone Cara Perkins on 01295 251451 extension 128 or email cperkins@wykhampark-aspirations.org. - Every effort must be made to ensure medical and dental appointments are made outside school hours but we acknowledge that this is not always possible. If a medical or dental appointment is made during school hours, the academy requires evidence in order to authorise the absence.
- Absences will only be authorised if a written explanation is provided for the absence. An email (as stated above) or a note in the planner will both be accepted as authorisation for the absence. If a written explanation is not provided within 10 days of the last day of absence, the absence will remain as unauthorised. If a student’s attendance remains as unauthorised, then the parents/carers will be informed and a meeting will be arranged.
- The law states that any student becomes a persistent absentee when they miss 10% or more schooling for whatever reason. If the student’s attendance record shows that either he/she has become a persistent absentee or is at risk of missing at least 10% of schooling, then the parents/carers will be informed and a meeting will be arranged.
- The academy will request proof of ill-health (eg, a letter from a hospital, a GP’s appointment card) during the period of an attendance contract following a parental meeting.
- Persistent lateness is also a cause for concern, and meetings will be arranged for parents/carers of students who are developing a pattern of arriving to school late.
- Any requests for holidays to be taken during term-time will not be given authorisation.
- Should students require time off for religious observance, the academy will authorise one day of absence per academic year.
- In cases of persistent absenteeism, the school reserves the right to ask the County Attendance Team to either issue a Penalty Notice Warning or take further legal action through the Magistrates’ Court system.
I would also like to inform you that the academy arranges regular reward trips for students whose attendance either shows clear improvement or is consistently high. Information is made available to parents about these trips.