At Plume, Maldon's Community Academy, we believe in maximising school attendance for all students and supporting the stakeholders that enable our students to maximise their attendance. Through a proactive, supportive and 'Discipline with Dignity' approach we will always do our utmost to support students in attending the academy.
Attendance at Plume is of paramount importance to the success of our student's mental well-being, social interaction, and academic progress. By aiming to maximise school attendance for each of our students across Years 7-13 through the support of our attendance, pastoral and safeguarding teams we believe that we can provide bespoke provisions that enable all stakeholders to access a suitable provision where possible in a mainstream provision. As an academy, our target attendance figure is 95% and through our Maximising School Attendance Team we will continue to strive to maximise attendance to 95%+.
Maximising School Attendance Team at Plume, Maldon's Community Academy
To oversee attendance at Plume Academy line managing all areas of attendance and ensuring the academy remain compliant with the Department for Education's policies and guidance.
Mr Stoneman
(Vice Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead) Senior Leader for Attendance
To be the lead attendance figure for our Key Stage 5 students supporting with communications to all stakeholders and monitoring, supporting and maximising students attendance across Plume College.
To lead on attendance for all students at Fambridge Road Campus supporting with communications to all stakeholders and monitoring, supporting and maximising students attendance across Years 9-11.
To lead on attendance for all students at Mill Road Campus supporting with communications to all stakeholders and monitoring, supporting and maximising students attendance across Years 7 and 8.
To support students who may be struggling to attend the academy on a daily basis. And with medical evidence will be supported by the local authority and academy via an Education Access Referral.
Mrs Sarling
Maximising School Attendance Programme Co-ordinator
To complete regular home visits to parents and carers addresses where the attendance policy has not been adhered to, to ensure that the stakeholders are supported in a bespoke manner and to encourage, and ensure that students continue to improve their attendance figure on a daily basis.
Early Help Leaflet(https://23b35d47-4d27-440e-9e1d-6bec6ce60fe6.usrfiles.com/ugd/23b35d_b05afba8164b446485272293604e727c.pdf)
Useful Links(https://23b35d47-4d27-440e-9e1d-6bec6ce60fe6.usrfiles.com/ugd/23b35d_0bd5ad4a91ef49e6ab6ff32c50dfcb99.pdf)
Attendance & Punctuality Policy(https://23b35d47-4d27-440e-9e1d-6bec6ce60fe6.usrfiles.com/ugd/23b35d_29b1f2fdc3d743e19f224782014d44e5.pdf)
Alternative Provision Policy (https://www.plume.essex.sch.uk/_files/ugd/23b35d_a29ee1d914dc479c8bf14f3a31ddb20c.pdf)
Pharmacy First - an NHS Service - 21 January 2024(https://23b35d47-4d27-440e-9e1d-6bec6ce60fe6.usrfiles.com/ugd/23b35d_d33d2e15ab5146169f7a02e88462ebfc.pdf)
Attendance Week - 16 September 2024 (https://23b35d47-4d27-440e-9e1d-6bec6ce60fe6.usrfiles.com/ugd/23b35d_30c37601abc44fe68d0c6e5f7cd0fac2.pdf)
Attendance Information 2024/25 - 3 September 2024 (https://www.plume.essex.sch.uk/_files/ugd/23b35d_95e7f83f11e241e0ab6ad54811196b7e.pdf)
Working together to improve school attendance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f1b048133c22b8eecd38f7/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance__applies_from_19_August_2024_.pdf)
Resources for families | Children's Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)(https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/back-into-school/resources-for-families/)
How to apply for Leave of Absence
Mrs Clark, as the Joint Head of Academy, will be leading on the decision process for holiday requests during term time.
These requests must be submitted four weeks before the holiday and will only be authorised if the 'exceptional circumstances' provided are deemed appropriate as outlined by the Department for Education.
All requests will receive an email response from the academy.
Please read and familiarise yourself with this information before completing your application. (https://23b35d47-4d27-440e-9e1d-6bec6ce60fe6.usrfiles.com/ugd/23b35d_4130e41c73344009842f5c0fb3392904.pdf)
Please apply via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/HTCr7imHEF(https://forms.office.com/e/HTCr7imHEF)
Further information regarding the recently updated DfE guidance is available here:
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/02/29/fines-for-parents-for-taking-children-out-of-school-what-you-need-to-know/(https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/02/29/fines-for-parents-for-taking-children-out-of-school-what-you-need-to-know/)
This academic year, as per the updated guidance from the DfE, any student arriving after the registers close at 9am, will now receive a ‘U’ code for their lateness. This ‘U’ code represents an unauthorised absence for a student and will negatively impact their attendance, if they were to fall below 90%, they would be categorised as ‘Persistently Absent’ and this could lead to attendance actions being taken.
Good punctuality at school is essential for students to achieve their full educational potential. It is also vital for students to form good habits for later life. Punctuality records form part of references passed onto employers or higher educational institutes. We would therefore like to remind all stakeholders of the importance of arriving to the academy on time. Whilst we fully appreciate that roadworks and closures can pose some difficulties with punctuality, we reiterate to students that such events should be taken into consideration where possible as it is imperative that students arrive no later than 8.25am each morning.
Punctuality in school life builds the path to success in a student’s life by enabling them to plan ahead, making an efficient routine, and be prepared for their tasks. A punctual student is better equipped to deal with their day-to-day tasks than a person who leaves it for the last moment. As an academy, we acknowledge the importance of punctuality in a student’s life from a young age and strives to build this habit as part of their holistic approach to education.
The tutor time sessions that students attend have clearly planned curriculum that not only include the legal requirement of a morning register being taken, but also Personal Development lessons and crucial information that the students will be required to know for their safety and learning. Students and stakeholders should expect to be challenged on persistent lateness and punctuality issues whether that be to the start of the academy day or individual lessons. Students will be supported as they always are but they will be expected to adhere to the academy movement times and ensure they arrive to lessons on time.
To ensure the correct process is followed please can we ask that on each day of absence by 8.45am:
A call to 01621 854681
Choose Option 1 - 'student absence'
Then:
Option 1 for Years 7 and 8
Option 2 for Years 9 - 11
Alternatively, please email the dedicated Attendance email address attendance@plume.essex.sch.uk which is monitored by both campus Attendance Offices. This can also be used to share medical appointment cards or letters and medical evidence, such as prescriptions and medication packaging.
If you feel you need additional pastoral support or there is a particular barrier to any students attendance of their usual academy provision then please also contact their respective Assistant Head of Year or Head of Year to ensure that we look to continue to maximise all students attendance.
Please note, we support students returning to the academy 24 hours after the last occasion of illness.
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