At Bedale High School securing excellent student attendance is one of our most significant priorities. Where students have attendance above 97% (our attendance target), they achieve excellent GCSE results in our school.
To incentivise student attendance, we operate a number of a reward programmes in school that acknowledge excellent attendance.
100% Attendance Club
The 100% Attendance Club is an exclusive club in school that recognises those who maintain the very highest level of attendance. Students can join the 100% Attendance Club at October half term if they have maintained 100% Attendance for the duration of half term 1.
Upon joining the club, students are presented with a wristband. This wristband is their ‘passport’ to access a range of incentives including:
- A 5-minute early lunch pass every day.
- A non-uniform pass for the last day of every half term.
- Automatic priority access to all Club Point trips and events.
- A variety of ‘pop-up’ reward events that take place during the school year.
- VIP Access to the Bedale Festival Event in July.
Students will remain part of the 100% Attendance Club for as long as they maintain their 100% attendance. We do, however, recognise that there are some circumstances which are exceptional, and absence will be unavoidable.
Permitted exceptional circumstances include:
- To mark a religious observance, including attending the wedding of an immediate family member.
- To attend a specialist medical appointment related to a long-term medical condition or absence directly linked to that condition or any form of disability.
- To grieve for and attend a funeral of an immediate family member.
- Any other exceptional circumstance approved by the Headteacher.
In all cases where parents / carers wish for an exceptional circumstance to be approved, an Exceptional Circumstances form must be completed and submitted to school.
Club Points
We recognise that not all students will be able to maintain 100% attendance for the full academic year and do not wish for these students to lose their motivation towards maintaining excellent attendance. As a result, our second attendance incentive known as ‘Club Points’ is accessible to all students, irrespective of their current attendance level.
Club Points are attendance currency at Bedale High School. For each week that students attend Monday – Friday, they will be issued with a Club Point. Club Points are awarded by form tutors during the weekly Positive Behaviour session and consist of a stamp being placed in the student planner.
Club Points can be used to access the following rewards:
- January Reward Trip (10 Club Points)
- Easter Reward Trip (10 Club Points)
- Bedale Summer Festival (15 Club Points)
The location for the reward trips shown above will be selected by students through our student voice activities.
The Bedale Summer Festival is a full day off timetable in non-uniform at the end of the school year. Students will be able to access outdoor games, food and drink stalls, inflatables, and at least one fairground ride!
Attendance Procedures
As a school, we seek to ensure that students attend school regularly and go far beyond what might be expected in terms of incentives for students to do so. We do this because we know how excellent attendance leads to not only excellent outcomes, but also enhanced life chances both in terms of future earnings potential and wider enjoyment.
Where student attendance falls below our target of 97%+, students will enter our attendance procedures which are outlined below.
| Green 1 | 100% |
Membership of the 100% Attendance Club. Access to all Club Point Reward Trips. |
| Green 2 | 98% | Student is no longer able to access the 100% Attendance Club reward programme. |
| Green 3 | 97% | Attendance is above our attendance target but is now approaching a level of concern. |
| Amber 1 | 96% |
Concern letter 1. Fast Track Attendance Procedures Commence. Attendance Monitoring Period Commences. Where attendance does not improve, fixed penalty notice request made to local authority. |
| Amber 2 | 93% |
Concern letter 2. Processes within Amber 1 continue. |
| Amber 3 | 91% |
Concern letter 3. Processes within Amber 1 continue. |
| Red | 90% |
Child is now a Persistent Absentee. Concern letter 4. Processes within Amber 1 continue. |
| Black | 75% and less |
Concern letter 5. Attendance Contract Progress Commences. Where attendance does not improve, case submitted to the Local Authority for prosecution. |
Our desire is to support excellent attendance at school and overcome whatever barriers may be causing reduced attendance. At any stage of the procedures above where attendance improves into a higher category, attendance procedures will cease and day to day monitoring will re-commence.
Please note, we reserve the right to conduct home visits where we are concerned about a student absence / a pattern of unacceptable absences is noted.
Where attendance does not improve and a contact is submitted to the local authority for prosecution, fines of up to £2500 may be issued alongside a potential custodial sentence. This is something that we wish to avoid at all costs.
Punctuality
Students are welcome to attend school from 8.15am daily. Form time commences at 8.35am. Where students arrive to school after 8.35am, they will receive a late comment into their planner. 3 lates in a half term = afterschool detention. 6 lates in a half term = isolation.
Holidays in Term Time
Please be aware that we are no able to approve holidays during term time.
Medical Appointments
Medical appointments should not be made during the school day. If it is absolutely essential that appointments take place during the school day, please ensure that the time out of school is kept to an absolute minimum, including ensuring that students never take the full day off school for appointments. Please be aware that all students will be required to be collected from school by named contacts to attend any appointments.