Attendance
Birchfield Primary School believes that all children should take maximum advantage of the opportunities offered to them in school, to enable them to reach their full potential. Being at school on time and every day is crucial to a child maximising their potential.
Along with attending school every day, being punctual is extremely important and in fact an essential life skill. We encourage our children to come to school on time each day. Our lessons start straight away after registration at 8.50 am. The children who are regularly late therefore miss vital learning time each day. This can then add up to a significant amount of learning time lost within a half term. If there are children who are repeatedly late we will contact the parents and carers to establish reasons for this and we will work together to resolve the issues.
Attendance is a key priority, every week class attendance is announced in assemblies and displayed in school. The winning classes each week receive a certificate and an additional five minutes play. Over the period of a term we do track a child’s individual attendance. Having 100% attendance within a term is a real achievement and something that we recognise at the end of the academic year.
Attendance is always written into our termly newsletters, updates are shared with parents and it is always on the agenda at the Governors Pupil Support Committee. Our attendance team provide feedback on the whole school picture - all of this information is then relayed back to the full Governing Body.
The Department for Education say:
‘It is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. The pupils with the highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment.’ Working Together to Improve School Attendance 2022 (DFE)
Having a good level of attendance at school gives your child the best chance of success in achievement and progress both now and in the future.
Good attendance is important because:
- Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and absence below 95%
- Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically
- Regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to cope with
- Regular attenders find learning more satisfying
- Regular attenders are more successful in transferring between primary school, secondary school, and higher education, employment or training.
- Attending school regularly safeguards the welfare of children whilst they are not in the care of their parents/carers
Punctuality
Do you know that children who arrive a few minutes late start the day feeling more stressed and do not make a positive start to their learning? They often miss out on key messages and education. It disrupts the education of the rest of the class.
At Birchfield Primary School, the school day begins at 8.50am . Doors open for children at 8.40am. There are members of school staff on the doors or in the playground should you wish to speak to anyone.
Being late to school has a significant impact on the amount of learning time lost over a school year.
The table gives you an indication of how much time is lost if regularly late.
Attendance Matters – Family Booklet
Is my child too ill for school? A guide from the NHS for a range of common illnesses.
Holiday Request - Leave of absence form