​​​​At Penistone Grammar School good attendance and punctuality are of the highest priority. We strongly believe that one of the best ways families can support our students is ensuring that they attend school on every single day possible. Each student has an attendance target of 97% for the school year and we are extremely proud of the fact that a high percentage of our students will finish the school year with attendance at or above this level.

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We very much appreciate the support of the parents/carers and families of these students as we know that by working together, we help our students gain the best possible outcomes.

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Excellent attendance at school is crucial if students are to reach their full potential. If a student is aiming high, they need to be determined to attend school on time every single day. Every day or lesson missed is a day or lesson lost.

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Punctuality

Students are expected to be in school ready to start learning by 08:15 each day.  Students who arrive late to school will receive a written reminder in their student passport.

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Late written reminders are part of our Relationships & Belonging Policy and will be handled according to the policies associated with this.  Support will be given by the Family Support Team to improve students’ punctuality; this will involve meetings with students and parents. 

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If a student is persistently late to school, we may have no alternative but to make a referral to the Educational Welfare Service who will conduct an assessment and implement appropriate interventions.

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Students are expected to arrive on time to each of their lessons throughout the school day. Students who arrive late to lesson will receive a written reminder.​

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What to do if your child is absent from school

Please report any absences on our "My Child at School" app. We are now using the MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) app as the primary method for reporting student absences and attendance-related matters, including:

• Student illness and absence reporting

• Medical and dental appointments

• Other attendance-related communications and requests

As part of this change, we will be moving away from the use of Studybugs, as well as routine attendance reporting via voicemail and email.

We have made this decision to create a more streamlined and efficient process for both families and school staff. Using a single platform will help ensure information is received promptly, recorded accurately, and reduces the risk of communication errors or omissions.

Further guidance on how to report absences and submit attendance information through MCAS can be found here, this includes clear instructions and support to help parents and carers familiarise themselves with the new process.

If you do not currently have access to MCAS, please download this free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store by searching for 'MyChildAtSchool'. If you have never accessed MCAS before, have changed your email address, or are unable to log in, please contact the school reception team once you have downloaded the app and they will be able to issue or reissue an activation code and provide support to help you access your account.

Should you have any queries regarding any of the above, please contact the Family Support Team by emailing attendance@penistone-gs.uk.

For safeguarding reasons, please continue to report daily on the My Child at School app for each day your child is absent. In the case of absences where no contact has been received from parents/carers, we will send a text message advising you of the absence and asking for an explanation. When students have been absent for several days consecutively, one of our support team will contact home to discuss the absence and offer any support required.​

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Absence for Medical Reasons

If a student becomes ill at school they should speak to a member of staff who will arrange for an assessment about whether they should remain in school, or whether it is necessary for us to contact a parent/carer to collect the student. Under no circumstances should a student call home and ask to be collected without first speaking to a member of staff.  

If a student suffers an injury or illness which requires specific arrangements to be put in place, a risk assessment will need to be completed before they can return to lessons. It is important that parents/carers contact school to make an appointment to attend with the student on their return to school following the injury/illness so that the risk assessment can be signed. Until the risk assessment is in place, we will be unable to let students access mainstream lessons for their own safety.

Should it be necessary for students to be absent from school for a prolonged period of time due to a medical condition, we ask that students are assessed by a medical professional and that supporting information of their medical condition is provided to school.

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Attendance and Punctuality Rewards

At Penistone Grammar School we believe that strong attendance and punctuality are essential elements of a student’s school career; these life lessons will not only increase the probability of a student achieving to the very best of their ability but also prepare them for life after school.  We work hard with our students and their families to embed these principles throughout their school experience.

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Throughout the school year we reward students’ attendance in various ways. We aim to offer each of our students the opportunity to celebrate strong attendance and punctuality either as an individual or as part of a group