Attendance

Statement of Strategy for School Attendance

Name of school St. Brendan’s P.S.
Address Moorpark Street, Birr, Co. Offaly
Roll Number 12370C
The school’s vision and values in relation to attendance

School Vision: We see our school as a place where pupils enjoy learning in an atmosphere of contentment, fulfilment, respect and positive affirmation. We encourage curiosity, co-operation, and active participation so that pupils will appreciate their own worth as physical and spiritual beings and of their potential contribution to society.

Our values and beliefs are to do our best for every pupil every day to give them all the best chance to be happy and fulfil their potential. In order to do this we welcome them to school each day with warmness, kindness, and enthusiasm to get the best out of them and ourselves. The school is a warm, bright and vibrant place and so we encourage good attendance from our pupils.

The school’s high expectations around attendance
We support families in encouraging them to send their boys to school each day. Any non-attendance at school must be explained by parents and the school follows up unexplained non-attendance strictly and with support of EWO. Effort at school attendance and improvement in this area is rewarded and recognised at whole school through awards and rewards.

How attendance will be monitored
FROM 2017/2018: School Aladdin System

Summary of the main elements of the school’s approach to attendance:
• Target setting and targets
• The whole-school approach
• Promoting good attendance
• Responding to poor attendance
Targets were chosen at whole staff level with regard to existing attendance data. Improvements were sought in all areas. 100% attendance/improvers/no. of boys who missed 20+ days/no. of boys who missed 40+ days/ no. of boys who were referred to EWO/no. of boys who with 100% attendance for a term. Targets are reviewed annually to measure progress at staff/BOM level.
The whole school approach is key to the effectiveness of the DEIS attendance plan. All parties from pupils/staff/parents and support agencies are aware of the plan and its goals. Support and implementation must be supported by all involved and successes can be celebrated.

Promoting good attendance:
Pupils are rewarded for 100%attendance /improvements both termly and yearly at whole school level. Daily and weekly attendance is rewarded (encouraged) from the provision of attractive educational activities such as music, pottery, dance, Aistear sports and theatre shows. These are funded through DEIS programme and are scheduled at times and days when attendance has shown to be challenged. School teams for attendance are also created each year (1st – 6th) with termly rewards such as trips to pet farms and outdoor education centres.

Responding to poor attendance:
Support of both pupils and family is central to our approach. Parental responsibility for ensuring school attendance overrides anything that school can do so our strategy relies greatly on good home-school relationships which are supported through our HSCL and SCP services. Families are notified regarding poor attendance and this process follows through to possible referral to NEWB through our supportive EWO and could reach legal proceedings.

School roles in relation to attendance Parent/Guardian – Primary responsibility for attendance.
Pupil – Desire and willingness to come to school each day to learn and enjoy life.
BOM/Principal – To ensure school is warm, bright, safe, vibrant and a happy place to be.
Class Teacher – To motivate and engage each pupil and to teach them the primary school curriculum to allow them to reach their full potential and develop in a holistic manner.
HSCL/SCP – To support in implementing the plan and to work with those at risk of dropping out of our education system.

Partnership arrangements (parents, students, other schools, youth and community groups) HSCL, SCP, NEWB, EWO, Offaly traveller movement

How the Statement of Strategy will be monitored On –going promotion and development
Review process and date for review Each year (Oct)
Last Review 2021
Date the Statement of Strategy was approved by the Board of Management Discussed at each BOM meeting.
Annual review of date in plan.
Date the Statement of Strategy submitted to Tusla October 2017