Attendance at Rushey Mead Academy

Although we are an academy, we are required as a state-maintained school to follow the statutory attendance guidance from the Department for Education. More information for parents can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence

Leicester City Council (the Local Authority) is the legal body that monitors our school in relation to the above and helps to ensure that all children attend school regularly. This means that they will continue to issue Penalty Notices (fines) and chair legal meetings where necessary.

Why is regular school attendance important?

Regular and punctual attendance is not only a legal requirement, but it is essential for students to maximise the opportunities available to them.  ‘Attendance Matter, because you matter’ attendance contributes to better academic outcomes, increased confidence, and a greater sense of responsibility.

Is the school expecting every student to achieve 100% attendance?
Although we understand during the year that there will be genuine reasons for absence and that therefore not every student will be able to achieve 100%, we always encourage our students to attend school as much as possible.

What if my child is ill?

You will need to contact the school each morning so we can update our registers. Longer periods of illness absence (over 3 days) can only be authorised if medical evidence is shown to the school office. If you have received a medical evidence letter as your child’s attendance is below 96% due to illness, then any future absences that may occur can only be authorised when medical evidence has been provided. Medical evidence can be things such as named prescriptions or medication, appointment cards or notes from the doctor.

Reporting a Student Absence

If your child is absent from school, please call 0116 266 3730 (option 1) to report their absence.
This is now a voicemail-only service — please leave a clear message including:

• Your child’s full name
• Their year group and form
• The reason for their absence

You must report your child’s absence on the first day and each subsequent day if they remain off school.

If you would like to speak to someone, please select:

• Option 2 for Student Support
• Option 3 for Reception

What if my child has a medical condition that may affect their attendance?

You should contact the office and make an appointment to speak to the year team, so we are aware of your child’s needs. When there are exceptional circumstances such as this, we often take a different approach to managing attendance in school, according to the child’s needs.

Can I take my child out of school during term time?

Schools are not allowed to authorise holiday requests. You must still complete an exceptional leave request form for all planned absences. We are required to know the whereabouts of your child during term-time for safeguarding purposes.

Will I receive a penalty notice (fine)?

We may submit a penalty notice request to Leicester City Council for an unauthorised absence.

If the school have concerns about your child’s attendance?

If we are concerned about your child’s attendance, we will send you a letter outlining their attendance record, including any late marks. These letters are usually sent at the end of each term.

If there is no improvement after receiving this letter, we may refer the case to our Education Welfare Officer (EWO) at Leicester City Council. The EWO will help us identify the next steps, which may include inviting you to a legal meeting (a panel meeting). During this meeting, we will discuss our concerns, listen to your views, and work together to create a parenting contract to improve attendance.

If the situation does not improve, we will continue to work with the Education Welfare Service and may take further action, including a PACE meeting (Police and Criminal Investigations), and, if necessary, issue a penalty notice or pursue legal action.

Celebrating Attendance

At Rushey Mead Academy, we value and celebrate excellent attendance!

• Termly Certificates are awarded to students with strong attendance.
• Celebration Assemblies recognise those who have shown outstanding commitment to being in school
• Wheel of Names. One student per year group with 100% attendance will be randomly selected per term.
• Ice-Skating Trip for 60 students with 100% attendance
• Year Group Recognition for the form group with the best attendance in each year.

We believe that every day in school counts — and we’re proud to celebrate those who make it a priority

SOL Tracker

Rushey Mead Academy launched a new attendance initiative as part of our commitment to raising standards and supporting student success. We are working closely with families to promote consistent attendance and punctuality, as regular attendance is vital for academic achievement, personal growth, and long-term success. Our target for all students is a minimum of 97% attendance, and we appreciate the support of parents and carers in helping children attend school every day and on time.

Please take time to read the following documents and policies: –

• Punctuality 
• Attendance and Punctuality 
• Beginning of term letter – English
• Beginning of term letter – Gujarati translation
• Launch Letter – English
• Launch Letter- Gujarati translation
• Start of term letter – English
• Start of term letter – Gujarati translation

Other useful information