Attendance Matters at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School

Our Vision

Our vision for St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is to enable all children to achieve their full potential in a safe, welcoming and happy learning environment.

We strive to create responsible citizens who are independent and confident lifelong learners, equipped to meet the challenges of a changing future.

This is achieved within an inclusive school that values every individual and celebrates the diversity of our community.

At St Bernadette’s, regular attendance is an important part of our vision to enable every child to achieve their full potential. Every day in school provides opportunities to learn, develop friendships, build confidence and independence, and participate fully in our happy, inclusive school community.

Parents and Carers: Your Legal Duty

Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their children attend school regularly and on time.

Failure to ensure regular attendance can result in legal action. This may include a penalty notice, a parenting order, a community order or prosecution in the Magistrates' Court.

We recognise that families may experience difficulties which can affect attendance. Our approach is therefore one of support, partnership and early intervention, while also meeting our legal responsibilities.

Our Attendance Expectations

There is a clear link between regular school attendance and children's educational achievement, wellbeing and wider development.

At St Bernadette’s, our expectation is that children attend school every day and are present for every lesson, unless they are genuinely unable to attend.

Our school attendance target is: 96%+

Good attendance helps children to:

• make consistent progress in their learning;
• develop positive relationships and friendships;
• build confidence, independence and resilience;
• take part fully in school life and enrichment opportunities;
• establish positive routines and attitudes towards learning;
• achieve their full potential.

Every day matters, and every lesson counts.

When Can My Child Be Absent?

A child registered at St Bernadette’s can only legally miss school where:

• they are too unwell to attend school;
• they have a medical or dental appointment which cannot reasonably be arranged outside school hours; or
• the school has authorised the absence in advance.

Parents and carers should make every effort to arrange routine appointments outside school hours wherever possible.

If Your Child Is Ill

If your child is unwell and cannot attend school, you must inform the School Office as soon as possible and before 9.00 am on the first day of absence.

Please continue to keep the school informed if your child is going to be absent for more than one day.

School Office: 01543 452 921

If we have not received a notification of absence, we will contact parents/carers as soon as the register closes.

If no satisfactory explanation is provided, the absence may be recorded as unauthorised.

Please note: Class Dojo is not an accepted method for reporting absence. Absences must be reported directly to the School Office.

Medical Appointments

Where a child needs to attend a medical or dental appointment during school hours, parents/carers should provide the School Office with appointment evidence wherever possible. This may be copied and retained for the school's records.

Where possible, children should attend school before and/or after their appointment rather than missing the whole school day.

Requests for Leave During Term Time

Headteachers can only authorise leave of absence in term time where there are genuinely exceptional circumstances.

Parents/carers must make any request in writing to the Headteacher as far in advance as possible, providing full details and any relevant supporting evidence.

Each request will be considered individually. The decision as to whether leave is authorised, and the amount of leave granted, rests with the Headteacher. Parents/carers will be informed of the decision at the earliest opportunity.

Circumstances that may be considered exceptional include:

• the return of a parent from active military service;
• the death or serious illness of a parent, step-parent or sibling;
• circumstances involving Young Carers;
• disability or respite leave;
• periods of obligatory religious observance;
• approved public performances, where appropriate supporting evidence is provided.

Circumstances that would not normally be considered exceptional include:

• family holidays or holidays taken because they are cheaper during term time;
• educational visits arranged by family members during school time;
• attendance at weddings or christenings;
• visiting relatives in the UK or abroad;
• parents/carers' work commitments, profession or annual leave arrangements making it difficult to take holidays during school holidays;
• a family member travelling abroad for medical treatment.

Taking a child out of school without the school's prior authorisation may result in a penalty notice.

Penalty Notices and Unauthorised Absence

From September 2024, the penalty notice for unauthorised absence is £80 if paid within 21 days, increasing to £160 if paid within 28 days

For example:

• 1 child: £160 per parent;
• 2 children: £320 for two parents;
• 3 children: £480 for two parents.

For a second offence, there is no reduction in the penalty amount.

Parents/carers should be aware that penalty notices are issued in accordance with the relevant local authority and national attendance guidance.

Poor Attendance and the 10-Session Threshold

A penalty notice may be considered where a child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence, equivalent to 5 school days, within a rolling 10-school-week period.

These sessions do not have to be consecutive and may span different school terms and school years.

Our priority is always to work with families at the earliest opportunity to prevent attendance from becoming a concern.

Monitoring Attendance

We monitor attendance carefully because we want every child to benefit fully from their education.

Attendance between 92% and 95%

When attendance falls between 92% and 95%, parents/carers will receive a letter from school outlining the child's attendance and explaining our concerns.

Parents/carers may be asked to provide appropriate evidence of illness for subsequent absences so that we can understand and support any ongoing attendance difficulties.

Attendance between 90% and 92%

When attendance falls between 90% and 92%, a further letter will be sent.

At this stage, the child is at increased risk of becoming a Persistent Absentee. Parents/carers may be invited to meet with school so that we can understand any barriers to attendance and agree appropriate support.

Where necessary, we may involve the Education Welfare Service.

Persistent Absence — Below 90%

When attendance falls below 90%, a child is classed as a Persistent Absentee.

The child's attendance will be monitored closely and the school may make a referral to the Education Welfare Service.

Parents/carers may be required to provide evidence to support future absences due to illness. Where attendance does not improve, further action, including a penalty notice or prosecution, may be considered in accordance with statutory guidance.

Our aim is not simply to monitor attendance, but to work in partnership with families to improve it.

Attendance in Perspective

There are only 190 statutory school days in a school year.

This means there are approximately 175 days outside the school timetable, including weekends and school holidays, when families can arrange holidays, visits and other activities.

Making the most of the 190 days in school gives children the opportunity to learn, grow, develop relationships and participate fully in our school community.

Every school day is an opportunity to learn. Every day matters.

Being on Time Matters

Being in school every day is important, but being on time is equally important.

• 8.40 am: School doors open and children enter their classrooms.
• 8.45 am: School gates close and registers are taken. Lessons begin.

Children arriving after the gates have closed will receive a late mark.

Late letters are produced regularly and shared with parents/carers to help families monitor punctuality.

Where a child is persistently late and there is no improvement, the matter may be referred to the Education Welfare Service.

The Impact of Lateness

Lateness can have an impact on both the individual child and the wider class.

For the child

Being late can mean that a child:

• misses the beginning of a lesson and important learning;
• misses morning routines and announcements;
• feels unsettled or anxious when entering the classroom late;
• has to catch up with instructions and activities;
• can experience an impact on their overall progress and attainment.

For the class

Lateness can:

• interrupt teaching and learning;
• require teachers to repeat instructions;
• distract other pupils;
• affect the learning environment for the whole class;
• affect attendance figures where a child arrives after the register has closed.

 

15 minutes late every day can add up to the equivalent of approximately two weeks of missed school over a year.

 

Working Together for Every Child

At St Bernadette’s, we believe that excellent attendance is a shared responsibility.

Regular attendance gives every child the opportunity to learn, build positive relationships, develop confidence and independence, and achieve their full potential.

We recognise that families may sometimes experience barriers to attendance. Our approach is therefore supportive, inclusive and focused on early intervention. We will work in partnership with parents and carers to understand and address any difficulties, while also fulfilling our legal responsibilities.

Our attendance expectations are not simply about achieving a percentage. They are about ensuring that every child can learn, belong, achieve and thrive.

This is at the heart of our school vision:

To enable all children to achieve their full potential in a safe, welcoming and happy learning environment.

Our Attendance Target: 96%+

Every day matters. Every lesson counts. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.