Attendance and Medical Appointments

We expect all children on roll to attend every day when the school is in session, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to do so. We believe that the most important factor in promoting good attendance is development of positive attitudes towards school. To this end, we strive to make our school a happy and rewarding experience for all children. We will reward those children whose attendance is very good. We will also make the best provision we can for those children who, for whatever reason, are prevented from coming to school.

Our school day starts at 8.45am prompt, with teachers beginning admission from 8.40am. The school gates, and classroom doors, will be closed at 8.50am. If you arrive late, please proceed to the school office, where you will be asked to register your child's late arrival by completing a simple form. Please do not send your child to the office without an adult.

The Headteacher (Senior Attendance Champion – Claire Sarginson) and School Administration Assistant (Assistant Attendance Champion – Laura Pearce) will be responsible for monitoring attendance and attendance patterns. They can be contacted via the school office – 01543 278595, for any attendance related matters.

Only the school can make an absence authorised. Parents do not have this authority. Consequently, not all absences supported by parents will be classified as authorised. There are only 7 reasons for the school to consider authorising an absence:

1. Illness of the child

2. Family bereavement - close family member

3. Medical appointments (ONLY when these cannot be made outside of school hours)

4. Educated off site

5. Religious observance

6. Sporting competition or event– at the discretion of the Headteacher only.

7. Other exceptional circumstance – at the discretion of the Headteacher only.

Absence, other than illness, will not be authorised if attendance is below 90% and is therefore currently classed as persistently absent. 

It is the responsibility of the parent, carer or guardian to contact the school to report an absence or late arrival. This should be done by 9.15am on the day of the absence.

Attendance text alerts - 

From Autumn 2, if your child's attendance drops below 93%, then you will receive an auto-generated text alert to inform you of this. These texts are sent weekly, but you will only receive a follow up text if your child has attendance below 93% and they have any additional days off school. We hope this service will support parents to stay updated, and will also highlight worries at the earliest opportunity.

Attendance reporting - 

Parents can view their child’s attendance at any time on BromCom, via the My Child At School App. As a school, we strongly encourage parents to check attendance at least once a month. Parents should contact the school office if they feel errors are present.

Attendance letters and meetings - 

Parents are strongly encouraged to contact the school office if they have concerns about attendance and feel that support is required. The office will direct them to the most appropriate member of staff to offer support, ensuring a meeting is arranged at the earliest opportunity. At the meeting individual plans can be actioned, if needed, and referrals to external support may also be considered.

If attendance drops below the school target of 96% (starting from Autumn 2) parents may receive a letter indicating that this is the case and that attendance needs to improve.

If attendance drops below 93% then parents may be asked to meet with the Headteacher to discuss the reason for this and any necessary action will be agreed. 

If attendance drops below 90% then this is classed as persistent absence. Parents may be asked to meet with the Headteacher and an attendance contract initiated (see policy for further details). Staffordshire guidance will be followed when attendance drops below this figure, which means that no illness will be recorded on the register unless the Headteacher is satisfied the illness is preventing the child from attending school. A GP appointment card or other suitable evidence can be provided to support the absence. If attendance does not improve and the contract is not adhered to, other action may then be considered.

Attendance policy - click HERE to download

Unauthorised Absence and Penalty Notices

From Monday, 19th August, 2024, the government regulations regarding unauthorsied absence and penalty notices changed. Please read the attached letter carefully to ensure that you are up to date with these changes and how they affect you. This information will be particularly important to you if you take your child(ren) for holidays during term time.

Penalty notice information - click HERE to download