At Allens Croft Primary School, we recognise the positive impact that good attendance and punctuality has on academic achievements, as well as on friendships and social and emotional development.

When a child is absent from school, parents/carers have a legal requirement to inform the school the reason for the absence. If a reason is not given, the absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’.

Family holidays must be taken during school holidays when school is closed; otherwise children’s educational progress may be impaired. On the rare occasion that families have to take leave during term time, parents/carers must request permission from the Head Teacher in writing. If permission is not given for this absence, it will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’.

Five Foundations of Effective Attendance Practice 

The school has adopted the Five Foundations of Effective Attendance Practice framework: a staged approach to managing pupil attendance. The aim of the Five Foundations strategy is to ensure children do not become persistent absentees and parents/carers are supported to prevent this.

Any absence (including authorised absence) from school is an absence; if a child has 19 school days absence (10% of the academic year) in one academic year, they are considered a persistent absentee. Good attendance and punctuality is vital to a child’s success in education.

The stages to managing attendance

Stage 1 – A stage 1 letter is sent when a pupil has had 5 days absence in the year advising parents/carers of the concern surrounding their child’s attendance.

Stage 2 – A stage 2 letter is sent home when a pupil’s attendance continues to decline and a pupil has 8 days of absence. Parents/carers are invited to a meeting to explore reasons for absence and support the improvement of attendance.

Stage 3 – When a pupil has 10 days absence in a school year, a stage 3 letter is sent home inviting parents/carers in for an Attendance Review Meeting with the Attendance Team. At this stage a pupil is considered to be at risk of becoming a persistent absentee.

Stage 4 – After 14 days absence the school will work closely with the Local Authority to ensure all avenues of support are offered to parents/carers and pupils. The Local Authority’s attendance process: Support First, may be used at this point.

Support

There is support available for parents/carers and pupils who experience poor attendance. This support might take the form of:
- Meetings
- Telephone calls
- 1:1 meetings with pupils
- Referrals to external support agencies
- ‘We Miss You’ Seesaw messages sent out

Why attendance and punctuality is important?

Good school attendance promotes good outcomes for children. Pupils who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and make less progress than their peers. Good attendance also shows secondary schools that a pupil is reliable. 

It is important to arrive at school on time. If a child arrives late to school every day, their learning begins to suffer. If your child arrives late, you will be asked for the reason by a member of the admin team or one of the senior leadership team.