Importance of School Attendance ( 2024)
School attendance Dont let your child miss out leaflet for parents
Under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 parents are responsible for making sure their child receives an education. The law also says that every child between the ages of 6 and 16 must attend school or otherwise receive an education. Most children attend recognised schools although some are educated at home or in non-recognised schools.
The majority of children in Ireland start school at either 4 or 5 years of age. Your child must be at least 4 years of age at the start of the school year (September) to enrol in primary school. Here is what you need to know about your child’s school attendance.
What should I do if my child cannot go to school?
You must tell the school that your child cannot attend and say why. Write a short note to the school to explain why your child was out of school and send it in with your child when they go back to school. Generally, there are good reasons why a child is missing school (e.g. illness).
Keep in regular contact with your child’s school to explain why your child is absent and, where appropriate, provide medical certificates.
What will the school do if my child misses a lot of school?
The school must tell the statutory Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency if your child has missed 20 days or more in the school year, or if it is concerned that your child is missing too much school.
What we must do if your child misses a lot of school?
If a school tells us that your child is missing too much school, an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) will work with the school and may visit you to see how we can help to make sure that your child attends school more often.
Can I take my child on holidays during term time?
We are obliged to inform you that taking a holiday during term time means that children miss important school time. However we recognise that the parents are the prime educators of their children and that family time is important. Financial considerations also come into play regarding timing of holidays. The school can give a pupil some reading books if they wish to borrow some also.
Can I be taken to court if my child doesn’t attend school?
If you are a parent or guardian of a child aged between 6 and 16 you have a central role to play in ensuring that your child does not miss out on his or her education. Under Irish law you must ensure that your child attends school or otherwise receives an education.
We will help parents in whatever way we can to ensure your child gets an education. However, parents who refuse to co-operate with the EWO regarding their child’s school attendance (or fail to register with the Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency if they are being home educated or in receipt of an education in a ‘non-recognised school) can be taken to court and fined or imprisoned. Legal action of this kind only takes place in exceptional circumstances and forms a very small part of the Board’s work.
At what age can my child leave school?
The minimum school leaving age is 16 or after three years of post-primary education, whichever is later.
My child is refusing to go to school. Where can I get help?
Sometimes young people refuse to attend school despite the best wishes of their parents. There are often underlying reasons behind the young person’s decision not to attend school and parents often feel powerless to help their child. If your child is refusing to attend school and you need support, contact us and an Educational Welfare Officer will get in touch with you.
A school has refused to enrol my child – what can I do?
If a school refuses to enrol a child, for whatever reason, you have the right to appeal the decision to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
You can do this by filling in an Appeals Form, which you can get from the school or from the Department of Education and Skill’s website www.education.ie.
My child has been suspended or expelled from school. What can I do?
If a school decides to suspend or expel your child and if you are not happy with the school’s decision, you can appeal it to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
You can do this by filling in an Appeals Form, which you can get from the school or from the Department of Education and Skill’s website www.education.ie.
Other decisions taken by the school about your child
Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 allows parents (and students who have reached the age of 18) to appeal certain decisions made by a school’s Board of Management. Appeals may be made about a decision to:
Refuse to enrol a student.
Suspend a student from the school for more than a certain number of school days in any one school year.
Permanently exclude (expel) a student.
You can get more information about appealing decisions on enrolment in Primary Circular 22/02 Appeals Procedures under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 and in the Appeal Procedures document. See the parents’ section of the Department of Education and Skills’ site www.education.ie for further information.
You can also contact us and an Educational Welfare Officer will offer you support and assistance.
Your appeal is heard by an appeals committee set up by the Department of Education and Skills. In most cases, appeals are dealt with within 30 days. The Department may give directions to the Board of Management of the school to resolve the matter. The appeals committee will issue a decision in all cases heard.
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
