Good attendance and punctuality are essential to our pupils’ success at school. Your child should attend school each day unless he/she is absent because of illness. All absences must be reported by the parent/guardian by using our Studybugs app or by phoning the school on the first day of absence by 9:00am. It is then important for the parent/carer to keep the school updated until your child returns to school.

If you haven’t already done so, please download the free Studybugs app by visiting your app store. Use Studybugs to tell us whenever your child is unwell and not able to attend school or if you are running late.  

We also use this system to communicate with you regarding newsletters, events happening in the school and any important dates. 

When your child returns to school, medical evidence must be provided to authorise these absences. Examples of this can be an appointment card/letter/text or prescribed medication. 

Professor Russell Viner, Chief Scientific Adviser at the DfE, has published a blog on tackling winter illness as a driver of school absence. The article outlines seven steps to healthier schools and higher school attendance.

Why is it important to attend school regularly?

• To give your child the best possible start in life.
• They will be able to keep up with their work
• They will achieve better results.
• They will develop friendships and social skills.

School attendance is central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential. The government has set a target of 95% attendance for all pupils. This rate allows for periods of illness or particular circumstances when absence from school is unavoidable. We want your child to attend school regularly as this supports their learning. If your child is not well or if you have a planned reason why your child cannot attend school, please inform the school at the earliest opportunity via Studybugs.

The Law

Children of compulsory school age must, by law, receive a full-time education.

Each person with day-to-day parental responsibility could be taken to court and fined for each child who is not attending school regularly or who is persistently late.

The Education Act 1996 states that all pupils should attend school regularly and punctually. ‘If a child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.’

What does your child's attendance percentage mean? 

Attendance Percentage	Meaning	Implications and School Action
100%	Perfect Attendance	Ensures no learning is lost.
98% +	Excellent Attendance	Very good chance of academic success.
95% - 97%	Good/Expected Attendance	Generally considered the national expectation. Allows for some minor illness or unavoidable absence.
90% - 94%	Serious Concern	This has a significant negative effect on attainment and is equivalent to missing at least 4 weeks of school in a year. Schools will initiate formal intervention, such as attendance meetings and action.
Below 90%	Significant concern – Persistent Absentee	This level of absence results in substantial missed learning, equivalent to at least 6 weeks of school (150 lessons) per year. Further legal intervention may be considered.
Below 80%	Severe Absence	This indicates serious concern, equivalent to missing over 8 weeks of school a year. Over five years, this equates to a whole year of education lost. This is likely to result in prosecution and significant fines or other legal action.

 (It is important to remember that this is considered on a case-by-case basis and focuses specifically on unauthorised absences) 

Punctuality – Arrival at School

Drop off: The school gates open at 8.40am. Your child should be in school by 8:50am for the start of the school day. The school gates will close at 8:50am and if you arrive after that, you must enter the school via the school office where this will be recorded as a late mark. 

Pick Up: Gates open at 3:20pm - children should be collected on time. If you arrive after 3:30pm please make your way to the office. Year 5 and 6 pupils may make their own way home with parental consent and agreement from the class teacher. Nursery up to Year 4 must be collected by someone aged 16 or over unless you have consented otherwise.

If you are running late or your child is being collected by another person, please ensure that you have informed us by 3pm so that we can pass this information on to the class teacher. 

Lateness

Every Minute of Learning Counts!

Persistent lateness can:

• Can cause embarrassment to the child.
• Make it harder for the child to settle into the class routine.
• Can cause disruption to the rest of the class.

Unplanned Absences

Please inform the school before 9.00am on the morning of the first day of absence.

Keep the school informed if the absence is to continue via Studybugs.

Medical Evidence is needed to authorise your child's absence (prescription, a clear photo of the medicine label including name of your child and date, appointment texts or letters) – you can send this via email info@northbeckton.ttlt.academy

Authorised and Unauthorised Absence

The school can only authorise any absences in the following circumstances:

• Genuine illness with medical evidence provided
• Dental/medical appointments (if you are unable to arrange this outside of school hours)
• Close family bereavement
• Recognised religious observance
• Official Appointments (passport, embassy) 

What is NOT acceptable?

• Caring for a parent or sibling
• Going shopping
• Day trips
• Birthdays
• Bad weather
• Family holidays that have not been discussed with the Attendance Officer

Planned Absences

Where possible, organise authorised absences well in advance.

Please try to arrange medical appointments during holiday times or out of school hours.

If you cannot make doctor or dentist appointments outside of school hours, wherever possible, the child should come to school before the appointment and return to school afterwards. 

Office staff will not be able to collect your child from class after 3pm.  If your child has an appointment, please ensure that they are collected before 3pm or you may be asked to wait until the gates have opened.

Religious Observance

If you wish to take your child out of school for a religious observance, please inform the Attendance Officer via Studybugs. 

Exceptional Leave – Family Holidays

Please note that schools will continue to work with parents to reduce unauthorised absences and will consider each Term Time leave request on a case-by-case basis.  Any holidays or leave taken may be recorded as an unauthorised absence and a Penalty Notice may be issued.
If you are due to travel, please ensure that you have informed the school by filling out a Term Time Leave form. This can be collected from the main office. 

There is a set fine of £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days.  It is important to keep up to date with government guidance regarding attendance and absence. 

Rewarding Good Attendance

We promote the importance of good attendance and punctuality as part of our pupils’ education. At the start of the academic year, ‘great attendance’ is the focus of a school assembly.

Rewards include: 

• Weekly attendance and punctuality awards for classes with the highest attendance percentage.
• Half-termly 'Excellent Attendance' certificates.
• End of year 'Excellent Attendance' certificates along with a prize, for those that achieve 100%, a medal is also rewarded.

Your involvement is a key element in your child's success at school. We hope that by working together, we can make a positive difference.

If you have any questions, please speak with the school's Attendance Officer, Mrs Omer.