ATTENDANCE
At Pitmaston Primary School we believe in promoting excellent attendance and punctuality for all of our pupils in order for them to make the most of the opportunities that school has to offer. We believe that regular attendance is vitally important in promoting successful learning, as well as developing key life skills which are essential for success in the world beyond school. It has been proven that attainment can be closely linked to attendance and in order to achieve their full potential children should aim for the highest levels of attendance and punctuality.
The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school…. Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school. (Working together to improve school attendance, 2024).
Attendance and morning drop-off:
- We ask that all pupils arrive punctually at 8:45am, via parent/carer’s chosen gate (Pitmaston Park or Winchester Avenue), to ensure they reach their classrooms on time. The gates will close promptly at 8:55am. Pupils arriving after this time must report to the School Office to sign in. Arrival after 9:00am will result in a late mark. Arrival after 9:30am will result in an unauthorised absence mark for the morning session.
Illness, medications and appointments:
- Parents/carers are asked to inform the school by telephone (01905 423710), no later than 9:30am, if a pupil is going to be absent. Press option 1 to leave a message on the absence line, stating your child’s full name, class and reasons for the absence. As per our school attendance policy, if no contact is made then a member of the safeguarding team may complete a home visit. We have a duty of care to know where a child is when they are absent from school.
- We can only give your child medication if it is 1) prescribed and 2) you have completed a ‘agreement for school to administer prescribed medication’ form (available from the school office). We are unable to give your child any other medication (such as Calpol) and children are not, under any circumstances, allowed to keep medication for self-administration in their bags — however, if you wish to come into school to give the medicine yourself we will be happy to help arrange this.
- We encourage parents/carers to make appointments outside of school hours. We accept that occasionally there will be the need for emergency appointments, however these will be rare. We ask that parents/carers provide written or verbal confirmation of medical appointments. We do not expect pupils to be absent all day for medical appointments, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
How does Pitmaston promote and celebrate good attendance?
At Pitmaston we understand that sometimes illness, or other unavoidable circumstances, may mean your child is absent from school for a day or two. As such we have a range of ways that we celebrate good attendance across the school year, ensuring that all children are included:
DAILY: All staff reward good attendance and punctuality on a daily basis through verbal praise and encouragement.
WEEKLY: Each week collective class attendance is displayed via the Pitmaston ‘Car Race’ display. The top 3 classes in KS1 and the top 3 classes in KS2 are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze leaves to go on the ‘Attendance Tree’, displayed in the main school entrance. 1st place in each key stage is awarded the ‘Attendance Class of the Week’ trophy, which is displayed proudly in their classroom for the duration of the week. Weekly assemblies also promote attendance and announce the weekly winners.
‘Attendance Tree’, displayed in the main school entrance. 1st place in each key stage is awarded the ‘Attendance Class of the Week’ trophy, which is displayed proudly in their classroom for the duration of the week. Weekly assemblies also promote attendance and announce the weekly winners.
MONTHLY: The “Attendance H.E.R.O.” incentive recognises children who have been “Here Everyday Ready On time” over the course of one month. Children who achieve 100% attendance will be awarded with a HERO postcard and sticker, presented to them by their class teacher. Children have 11 chances over the academic year to earn an attendance HERO postcard.
YEARLY: At the end of the school year a special Attendance Assembly takes place. The class from each key stage who have the highest attendance for the year win a special ‘celebration afternoon’ with various activities and treats.
Planned absence from school:
Government legislation states that no planned absence from school will be authorised, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Parents must notify school in writing of any planned absence during term time, using the ‘Leave of Absence Request Form’ available at the office, or on the school website.
This must be done prior to the absence taking place, giving school as much notice as possible. Absence requests for exceptional circumstances will only be accepted by the Headteacher when completed on this form.
We will consider each application for a leave of absence individually taking into account the specific facts, circumstances and relevant background context behind each request.
Unauthorised leave has a negative impact on your child’ attendance and may result in a fixed penalty notice being issues by the Local Authority.
Support:
“Improving attendance is everyone’s business. The barriers to accessing education are wide and complex, both within and beyond the school gates, and are often specific to individual pupils and families” (Working together to improve school attendance, August 2024).
Mrs Bream (Deputy Head Teacher) is the named senior member of staff with the lead responsibility for attendance and punctuality. Mrs Kelethe Pusharski (Family Support Worker), is the attendance lead support. Both strive to work alongside parents, offering the necessary support to overcome barriers to attendance.
At Pitmaston we take a proactive approach to attendance and as such, should your child’s attendance or punctuality become a concern, Mrs Bream or Kelethe will contact you to discuss this further. In some instances, you may be invited into school for a formal Attendance Meeting, where a plan of action and support is agreed.
If you believe that attendance is, or is likely to become, an issue for you, please do not hesitate to contact school to arrange a chat with Kelethe to discuss this further. Alternatively, attend her weekly drop-in session on a Friday morning, straight after morning drop-off (no appointment needed).
Documents:
- Leave of Absence Request form
- Illness & Absence Guide for Parents/Carers
- The first 30 minutes at Pitmaston: information for parents
- Attendance policy
Useful Links:
Is my child too ill for school?