School attendance team

We provide help, advice and support to those children, young people and their families who are experiencing education related difficulties especially around regular attendance at school.

We support schools by:

• Working in partnership with schools in developing strategies to raise attendance
• Providing advice about implementation of school based policies, procedures and systems, like effective registration procedures
• Receiving attendance referrals
• Developing partnerships between home and school
• Facilitating case conferences and other meetings
• Giving advice and support
• Providing training and other school related activities
• Using statistical analysis as a means of targeting resources and identifying specific school related issues

We support families and pupils by:

• Monitoring the progress of Looked After Children and targeting the appropriate support
• Making home visits to help parents/carers with school attendance problems
• Working directly with pupils to solve difficulties affecting their rights and responsibilities within the education law
• Supporting families when transferring schools
• Helping parents to understand their rights and responsibilities within the education law
• Acting as a link between home and school when communication has broken down
• Providing a link with other agencies on behalf of families
• Providing information on education otherwise than at school

However persistent failure in ensuring your child attends school regularly can lead to prosecution.

Medical notifications

Where a child or young person is likely to be absent for 15 or more school days (cumulative) due to an illness (physical or mental health), schools are required to inform the School Attendance Team using the medical notification form below. Schools must include an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) when submitting the referral. An IHCP can be in place for as long as the child or young person remains in education, or it may only be in place for a few weeks. You can download an IHCP at the bottom of this page.

If you have any queries regarding medical notifications, please email cme@salford.gov.uk

Medical conditions school notification form

Reduced and personalised provision

All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. In very exceptional circumstances, where it is in a pupil’s best interests, there may be a need for a temporary part-time timetable to meet their individual needs. For example, where a medical condition prevents a pupil from attending full-time education and a part-time timetable is considered as part of a re-integration package. A part-time timetable should not be used to manage a pupil’s behaviour.

A part-time timetable must only be in place for the shortest time necessary and not be treated as a long-term solution. Any pastoral support programme or other agreement should have a time limit by which point the pupil is expected to attend fulltime, either at school or alternative provision. There should also be formal arrangements in place for regularly reviewing it with the pupil and their parents. In agreeing to a part-time timetable, a school has agreed to a pupil being absent from school for part of the week or day and therefore must treat absence as authorised.

A part-time timetable is known as a build up timetable, please use the form below to notify us about a build up timetable.

Build up timetable notification

Build up timetables need to be reviewed regularly, and no later than every six weeks. Please use the notification form below to inform us of a review that has taken place.

Build up timetable review

This page was last updated on 19 February 2025