Guidance on Admission Registers and the Categorisation of Pupil Absence

 

The information contained within this document is based on the current applicable education laws, a list of which is provided at the end of the document. Further advise on legal matters or interpretation of law should be sought when clarification is required.

All schools are required to keep an Admission Register and an Attendance Register.

Admission Register

The admission register needs to contain the following information.

  1. An alphabetical list of every pupil who attends at the school and includes:
  1. Name in full
  2. Sex
  3. The name and address of every person known to the school as a parent of the child, and particulars of parent(s) with whom the pupil normally resides. (This includes any adult with whom the child is residing.)
  4. At least one emergency contact number.
  5. Day, month and year of birth.
  6. Day, month and year of admission to the school.
  7. Name and address of pupils last school, if any.
  1. In schools that have boarding pupils the admission register must show whether the pupil is a boarder or day pupil.

Deletions from the Admissions register

A pupil of compulsory school age can only be removed from the register if the following conditions apply.

  1. The pupil has been registered at another school

2. If the pupil has been registered in accordance with a school attendance order and the L.E.A. has substituted another school or the order has been revoked on the grounds that arrangements have been made for the pupil to be educated otherwise than at school.
  1. The parent has supplied written notification that the pupil is receiving education otherwise than at school and the pupil has ceased to attend at the school. (The school must notify the LEA Manager of Services for Home Educators).
  2. Except for boarders, the pupil no longer resides at a place, which is a reasonable distance from the school. All efforts should be made to establish what alternative educational arrangements have been made. This will permit school records to be forwarded to the next school
  3. The pupil has been granted leave of absence for a holiday beyond ten school days and has failed to return to school within ten school days of expiry of the leave granted and no valid reason for the non-return is known. (The school should inform NPAS in order to allow further investigation before removing the pupil from the register).
  4. The pupil has been certified by the school medical officer as unlikely to be in a fit state of health to attend school before ceasing to be of compulsory school age.
  5. The pupil has been absent for a period of not less than four school weeks and the school and LEA (NPAS) have been unable after reasonable enquiry to locate the pupil.
  6. The pupil has died.
  7. The pupil has ceased to be of compulsory school age.
  8. The pupil has been permanently excluded.
  9. The pupil has been entered onto the LEA register.
  10. The pupil has been attending the schools nursery but has not transferred to the reception class on completion of nursery education. Where possible it should be established where the child is to attend school.
  11. In special schools where the pupil has been placed by arrangement with the LEA, the pupil can not be removed from the admission register without permission of the local authority or by direction of the Secretary of State.
  12. The pupil has been continually absent for a period of not less than four weeks and is detained in pursuance of a final order made by a court or of an order of recall made by the Secretary of State.

Attendance Register

 

The attendance register should have the following information recorded at the commencement of the morning session of school and once during the afternoon session.

All entries must be in ink and any corrections visible
  1. The presence or absence of every pupil whose name is included in the admission register.
  2. If an authorised reason is known for the absence, then a code that indicates the reason should be entered.
  3. Where the reason for the absence cannot be established at the time of registration the absence should be marked as being unauthorised.

Any subsequent correction to the register recording the absence as authorised should be made as soon as practical once the reason for absence has been established.

 

 

Authorised Absence

The following are reasons that are acceptable for authorising absence.

 

1. Sickness/Medical. (Where possible parents should be encouraged to arrange routine medical appointments outside of school hours. If a pupil has to leave school for an appointment after registration a note should be made separately that the pupil is offsite for emergency evacuation purposes.
  1. Any unavoidable cause. (The headteacher should be satisfied that the reason for absence was justified. i.e. the death of a close family member).
  2. The absence occurred on a day of religious observance set aside by the parents’ religious body.

  3. Because the school is not within walking distance and no arrangements have been made by the LEA for transport. (Walking distances are under 8 up to 2 miles, over 8 up to 3 miles).
  4. The pupil is subject to a dual registration arrangement and is in attendance at the other school. (eg. the child is attending at a Pupil Referral Unit.)

    5.  

     

  5. Leave of absence.

Leave of absence can only be granted by the headteacher or their representative if the following circumstances apply.
  1. Employment for the purpose of taking part in a performance when the LEA has granted a licence.
  2. The pupils parent has made an application for leave of absence in order for the pupil to go away on holiday. (only in exceptional circumstances would this leave be for more than 10 school days) Refer to Norfolk Guidance on pupil holidays for more information.

Approved Educational Activity

This category covers specific types of supervised activities undertaken off-site but with the approval of the school. For statistical purposes absences in this category are included as if the pupil was present.
  1. Work experience placements for older pupils(under Section 560 of the Education act 1996)
  2. Field trips and educational visits, in this country and overseas.
  3. Sporting activities
  4. Link courses, whereby pupils attend an F.E. college for part of the time.
  5. Pupils not dual registered but receiving education at another school while remaining on the roll of their home school.

The key features of approved education activities are that they are:-

Educational and directly linked to the schools programme

Approved by the school

Supervised by school staff or someone authorised by the school.

Study leave is not included in this category as it is unsupervised and hence should be recorded as authorised absence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lateness

Unauthorised lateness is defined as arrival after the close of the registration period. In this circumstance the pupil’s presence on the school site will need to be noted but for statistical purposes they will be marked as Unauthorised Absent for that school session.

Current guidance is that registers can be held open for up to 30 minutes but the school is able to set a shorter time.

 

 

Unauthorised Absence

Any pupil whose absence has not been recorded for any of the preceding reasons must have the absence marked as unauthorised.

Each school will need to have in place procedures for dealing with those pupils who have unathorised absence. These procedures are best set out within the school’s attendance policy.

This policy should include details of internal action as well as the system for referral on to the Norfolk Pupil Attendance Service where necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education Law

Education law relating to admission and attendance is contained within the following Education Acts and Regulations.

The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995

The Education Act 1996

The Education (Pupil Registration)(Amendment) Regulations 1997

Who is a Parent

For educational purposes, the term "parent" is used to include those that have parental responsibility and those that have the day to day care of the child. (Section 576 Education Act 1996)

DFEE Guidance

The DFEE has produced the following documents in regard to school attendance.

Education Observed 13 Attendance at school 1989 (ISBN 0 85522 217 4)

School Attendance Policy and Practice on categorisation of absence.

Circulars 10 &11 1999