Marked absent if late new regulations

Fair enough but what's the excuse for the piss poor grammar?

If you read the guidance, those late after registration is closed are marked as U and for statistical purposes that is classed as unauthorised absence. The school still knows they are on site and the register is not inaccurate.

Code U isn’t the same as those marked absent using other codes such as I, G or O.

I feel like this is a life lesson surely. I tell my kids you should always give yourself a 10 minute cushion when going anywhere. If you’re going to work / an appointment you don’t want to be parking up/ walking through the door when you are supposed to be at your desk surely?

Could be a girls school. I work in one and all communication says ‘your daughter’ not ‘your child’.

I think this is part of the new guidance. I think the leaflet we had from our school last term explained similar. I imagine, for fire reasons, they’d still be parked as present in some way so it was known they were on site, but the code for registration purposes would be absent, and it will count towards unauthorised absences that can be fined for. There must be a mechanism in place for this already, as if a child has an appointment first thing they are marked as M even if they come in part way through the morning, they’re not marked as late (at least this is the case at my daughter’s school). But presumably someone would go looking for them in a fire.

This!

Did they really send that ?

Registration at my son's secondary was between 8.30-8.50. most schools have registration earlier than 9. Most are in their first lessons but then. So they wouldn't be only 5 minutes late it would be much longer. It's disruptive for other pupils and teachers when someone is late. Obviously if a bus is late or cancelled that's understandable bit in most cases it's laziness.

That guidance doesn't state that lateness should be marked as absent. It DOES say that absence should be followed up robustly in order to ensure children and families are supported in order that attendance can be improved.

A late mark shows that a child is on the premises. An absent mark shows they are not.

Again, a massive safeguarding problem for the school if they have children on site but not accounted for. Their records are inaccurate, which is AGAINST the guidance. I would be raising merry hell with the school (even if my kids had 100% attendance). It's easy to pull a late report and work on persistent lates, but marking students absent when they are sat on class is a HUGE problem.

I’d be more concerned about the SPAG taught by the school, tbh, if that screenshot is anything to go by.

That was my school experience 40 years ago. Not unusual

Dc school have also brought this in this year. Didn't know if it was just our policy or government

So get to school on time?

I feel like you've typed that screenshot up yourself.

The spelling mistakes, poor grammar and lack of punctuation plus the fact it says 'you(sic) daughter' makes me wonder why they would send individual messages to people? Surely it would say 'your child' or 'your son/daughter' to include everybody?

Yes this was our rule. If you're not there when the register is taken you're absent and have to go to the office to explain why you were late

This looks like the guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf

At DC's secondary school they mark attendance for every lesson, so if you were late/absent for lesson 1, you would then be marked as present for lesson 2.

They've also always had the rule that if you arrived after the register was taken you would be absent, so don't think this is a universal change.

School days also have 2 sessions so if you were absent for session 1 due to lateness, you would be marked present for session 2.

I imagine your school has a problem with students being "slightly" late and is trying to crack down.

Huge safeguarding risk.

If a child is marked absent their presence won't be sought during a fire/emergency evacuation.

This cannot possibly be government advice (former school attendance officer, many may hours spent chasing kids who've accidentally been marked present/absent).