A07: PUPIL ATTENDANCE POLICY

“Every day counts”

1.     Rationale:

Regular attendance is central to raising standards and attainment and helps to ensure that all pupils can fulfil their potential. Hence, pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school.

2.     Admission and Attendance Registers:

Edison Global Academy  has an admission register and an attendance register. All pupils, regardless of their age, are placed on both registers.

a. Admission Register:

This contains the personal details of every pupil enrolled in Edison Global Academy , along with the date of admission or re-admission to the school, information regarding parents and details of the school last attended.

Expected First Day of Attendance:

Edison Global Academy  enters pupils on the admission register and attendance register from the beginning of the first day on which it has agreed or been notified, that the pupil will attend the school. For most pupils, the expected first day of attendance is the first day of the academic year. If a pupil fails to attend on the agreed or notified date, Edison Global Academy  is liable to establish the reason for the absence and mark the attendance register accordingly.

Deletions from the Admission Register:

Edison Global Academy  reserves the right to delete a pupil from the admission register (i.e. for non-payment of school fees), but not before the school has given timely notice to the parents and the Supreme Council of Education.

Preservation of the Admission Register and Attendance Register:

Every entry in the admission register and attendance register must be preserved for a period of three years after the date on which the entry was made.

b. Attendance Register: Attendance registers are relevant to all pupils enrolled at Edison Global Academy .

For safeguarding and educational reasons, schools must follow up all unexplained and unexpected absence in a timely manner.  The Qatar MOE expects that unexplained absences are checked up on every day. Each school will have in place a procedure outlining the process and timeline it uses to follow up on these unexplained and unexpected absences. School also need in place a procedure for following up on students who are regularly late.

3.     Edison Global Academy  Procedure

Class Teachers are responsible for completing attendance registers during the first period. The names and details of pupils who join or leave the school will be included or deleted from the Attendance Register (as well as the Admission Register).

The school reports the following attendance issues to the MoEHE:

1. 3days of unauthorized absence
2. Deletion from the school register when the next school is not known.

Each attendance register will include the following information:

1. details of the pupil’s class/level/form/tutor group
2. whether a pupil is present, absent or late on any given day

Information about authorised or unauthorised absence and correspondence between home and school, is to be kept in each student’s correspondence file/or electronically.

Electronic registration:

1.      The register will be automatically backed up.

2.      There will be provision for the register to be stored for at least 3 years.

The class teacher and the Administration officer will be responsible for noting when students have unexplained or unauthorized absences. When this reaches the period as noted on each school’s procedure, the Administration officer will follow up by contacting the parents/caregivers for an explanation. Any ongoing issues that arise will be addressed with either the student’s parents and/or with the MoEHE. Any Phone calls will be minuted, and any correspondence in written form, will be placed in the pupil file. Information gained through phone calls or digital will also be noted in a written form and filed in the student’s file.

Attendance Register Entries:

Each school will have a written procedure stating how to use and advising how entries will be made on the digital register used by that school.

1. Attendance totals should be completed daily
2. The administration assistant will publish an ‘absent pupils’ list and will do the following:

                                                     i.     ascertain the reason

                                                    ii.     ensure the proper safeguarding action is taken

                                                  iii.     identify whether the absence is approved or not

3. In the event of a fire, the class teacher/staff member the school procedure indicates will take a hard copy of the class roll, with absences noted, to the assembly point.
4. The register is an important legal document and the records are open to inspection by the appropriate authorities

Minimum Attendance for Students:

For all pupils to pass one academic year, Edison Global Academy  stipulates a minimum attendance of 85% of teaching days throughout the three terms (see also Pass/Fail Policy).