Attendance (CME) Policy

SPM Development Services Limited Assessment Policy May 2025

Reviewed and Updated: September 2025
Next Review: September 2026, or sooner if statutory guidance changes.

Purpose

This policy sets out how SPM Development Services Ltd records, monitors and reports attendance. It ensures compliance with statutory guidance, including ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ (2024) and the Children Missing Education statutory guidance (2024). Attendance is a safeguarding issue and patterns of absence may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

Scope

This policy applies to all pupils taught by SPM Development Services Ltd through local authority or school commissioning arrangements, including those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and those educated outside of school (EOTAS). Recording Attendance
  • Tutors must record attendance at every session, noting whether the pupil is present, absent or late.
  • Reasons for absence should be recorded if provided by the parent/carer.
  • Records must be accurate and submitted promptly to SPM for central logging. Reporting Absence
  • If a pupil does not attend a planned session, the tutor must notify SPM immediately.
  • Repeated absences or patterns of lateness must be reported to the DSL and commissioning authority.
  • Where there are safeguarding concerns linked to absence, the DSL must be informed without delay.

Escalation Procedures

  • Unexplained or persistent absence will be escalated by the DSL to the commissioning local authority, in line with Children Missing Education guidance.
  • Where a child’s whereabouts cannot be established, or there are concerns about safety, the DSL will make a safeguarding referral to the local authority or contact the police if necessary.

Parental Engagement

SPM will work with parents and carers to encourage good attendance, highlight the importance of regular learning, and address barriers to attendance where possible. All discussions with parents/carers about attendance will be recorded.

Safeguarding

Attendance concerns may be an indicator of safeguarding risks. All unexplained or unusual patterns of absence must be referred to the DSL in line with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (2025).

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if statutory guidance or commissioning authority requirements change.