Punctuality Management

Punctuality management is generally the next step after managing your attendance rate and getting it to at least the minimum desired level unless there is a specific reason to tackle it earlier.

Collecting Punctuality Data

Lateness data can be collected via the attendance register.  There are two lateness codes - L if the pupil is late before registers close (this counts as an attendance code) and U if the pupil is late after registers close (this counts as an absence code).  It is therefore important that you consider carefully the time that you wish the registers to close and staff are clear as to when to use each code.  The current DfE School Attendance Guidance (page13 and page 56) contains some new requirements in relation to punctuality and states: 'Schools should actively discourage late arrival and be alert to patterns of late arrival. All schools are expected to set out in their attendance policy the length of time the register will be open, after which a pupil will be marked as absent. This should be the same for every session and depending on the structure of the school day not longer than either 30 minutes after the session begins, or the length of the form time or first lesson in which registration takes place. A pupil arriving after the register has closed should be recorded as absent using code U, or another absence code that it is more appropriate.'

Some academies will wish to collect further data such as the amount of minutes late and/or the reason for lateness.  This can be useful strategically to decide how to improve punctuality but its usefulness needs to be balanced against the risks of inconsistent recording of lateness and the additional workload on staff in doing this.

Another way of collecting punctuality data is to do an audit - perhaps one week per term when staff collect more specific and agreed information from all the pupils who are late during that period.