Attendance

Good attendance is directly related to a child’s enjoyment and achievement at school and is vital to promote successful learning.

We strive to provide a welcoming and caring environment where all members of our school community feel wanted and secure.

All staff take responsibility for welcoming pupils into school and into the classroom every day.

Persistent or long-term absence has a negative impact on all areas of school life, not just academic achievement but also on the development of key skills and friendships. Interrupted attendance makes teaching and learning difficult for all pupils and can limit pupil achievements. At Beechwood School, we place a high value on maintaining high levels of attendance. We work closely with parents and carers to make this happen for every pupil.

We expect all pupils to be at school, on time, unless the reason for absence is unavoidable. However, we will question parents where we believe low priority is given to attendance and punctuality.

We understand that pupils are sometimes reluctant to attend school and that the reasons for this are varied and may be complex. We aim to resolve any problems with regular attendance by making early contact with parents and offering support including referral to our Support Services. Where children are anxious about coming to school, we can offer practical support and help to develop strategies to manage anxiety and encourage excitement about coming to school.

Our overall aim is to promote a whole community approach to improving attendance and punctuality. We believe this will help us to:

  • make sure pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school
  • improve the overall percentage of children at school
  • make attendance and punctuality a priority for the whole school community, including parents, staff and children
  • provide support advice and guidance to parents and children
  • develop a systematic approach to gathering and analysis of attendance data
  • develop and maintain positive communication between home and school
  • establish a system of rewards and incentives
  • work together with the School Attendance Service and other services or agencies
  • recognise individual needs of children who have been absent for a prolonged period and who are returning to school.

Medical appointments:

Every effort should be made to arrange medical appointments outside of school hours.  If it is necessary for your child to be out of school for this reason, then the amount of time should be minimal and medical proof should be provided. So that your child doesn’t miss out on their learning, we suggest that they attend school either before or after their appointment if appropriate.

Illness:
We are aware that illness can happen and that children might need time to recover. The school office should be informed before 8.30am on the first day of your child’s absence due to illness and then each morning (before 8.30am) until they return back to school.  For children whose attendance becomes of concern because of the amount of illness/medical appointments etc, then school will write advising the Parents/Carers that the Head Teacher will no longer authorise any such absences unless supported by medical evidence.

Holidays and leaves of absence:

Holidays or other reasons for leave of absences in term time will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances. Parents are asked to complete a leave of absence form to inform school that they wish to take their child out of school during time.

Unauthorised absences:

If your child has multiple unauthorised absence, then a referral will be made to the Education Investigation Service could be made which might result in a fine. If you have any concerns or questions about attendance, please feel free to talk to Mrs T Bleakley or Mrs V Lewis via the school office on 01384 470 127.

Get in touch to find out more about our School