Attendance status and late-arrival coding procedure

This procedure applies to maintained and academy schools in England using the attendance codes described in the applicable attendance guidance. It applies to every session in which the school takes an attendance register.

Register opening and closure

The register remains open for [register open period], using the same period for every session and not exceeding 30 minutes. The school sets out this period in its attendance policy.

Recording attendance at registration

Record a pupil as present only when the pupil is in school during registration. Do not record a pupil as present if the pupil is not in school when registration is taken.

Pupil arriving before the register closes

If a pupil was absent when the register started being taken but arrives before the register closes, record the applicable late-arrival code. Late arrival should be actively discouraged, and the school should remain alert to patterns of late arrival.

Pupil arriving after the register closes

If a pupil is recorded with code N but arrives later in the session after the register has closed, amend the attendance register from code N to code U or another absence code that is more appropriate.

Audit arrangement

Apply [attendance register audit arrangement] so that attendance-register records and audit trails demonstrate that pupils are recorded as present only when they are in school at registration and that late arrivals after register closure are recorded with an appropriate absence code.