Attendance

At Greenvale we take attendance very seriously. In order to maximise the progress your student can achieve it is important that they attend school as much as they possibly can. We positively encourage good attendance and hence we give out certificates for good attendance in the end of term assembly.

However we understand that our young people are occasionally unwell or have to attend appointments. If your son/daughter is unwell or has an appointment and will not be attending Greenvale, please call the main school number 0208 465 0740 as soon as possible. Messages can be left on the school answer phone in the event of being unable to speak to Office staff directly. Where a phone call has not been received, Office staff will call you on the numbers you have provided, to ascertain the reason for absence.
Our procedures are as follows; 
  1. On a daily basis office staff will go through the registers between 9.30 am and 10.00 and any absences will be noted. If no explanation has been received, school will attempt to contact the parent/carer. If the school fails to contact the carer the school will then follow up with a visit to the family home. If we still remain unable to contact the family the police or social services will be notified. 
  2. If the child returns to school with no explanation of the absence from their parent/carer, the parent will be contacted or a letter will be sent to the parent/carer requesting this information. 
  3. If a pattern of concern re attendance is developing, the Headteacher will speak or write to the parent/carer about their child’s pattern of absences. 
  4. If there is no significant improvement, the Headteacher will contact the parents/carers and invite them into school to discuss attendance. 
  5. Once point 4 is reached the Education Welfare Officer should receive copies of all previous attempts made.

Accurate attendance returns are made to the DfE within the stipulated time frame. 

The Headteacher reports attendance to the school’s Governors termly.

The school adheres to Lewisham Local Authority protocols with regard to nonattendance including the issuing of penalties.

Lewisham council requires a termly absence return to be sent to their Attendance and Welfare department, with reasons for absence.
 

HOLIDAY ABSENCES

Schools are only able to authorise holidays taken in school time under special circumstances. However, our governors have recently agreed that students can be permitted to take a total of two weeks authorised holiday in term time, in any two year period. This decision was made to acknowledge the difficulties our families can experience when taking a holiday during the busiest holiday seasons. Any other holidays cannot be authorised.