Children have a right to an education (UNICEF article 28) and need to attend school regularly to benefit. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind*. We want all children to experience success, to work hard, to do their best to achieve their learning targets, behave well and reach their full potential.

At Bidston Village, we put great emphasis our legal and moral duty to promote good attendance for our children. Good school attendance is essential for optimum progress and achievement. Children who come to school regularly and on time make good progress in their learning. We want all of our children to achieve to the best of their potential and they cannot do this if they are not in school learning every day.

If you have any concerns about your child's enthusiasm for school, their health, friendships or learning support please contact us.  We often find that a joint approach can be supportive and beneficial for children and parents.  As well as school staff, we can also look for support from our partners in the school nursing service, locality team and other professionals.

We classify good attendance as 95%+.  That is our aim for all children. Children who have good attendance at school flourish socially, emotionally and academically.

Below 95% needs improving.  

Below 90% is a concern. We will contact you about your child's attendance if it is below 90% and request a school-based meeting to look at how we can support your child's attendance at school.

Below 85% is a significant concern.  We will arrange a school-based meeting to look at an action plan for improving your child's attendance.  Your child's attendance will be monitored daily by our attendance officer.

All absences must be reported to the absence line or via parentapp before 9AM (leaving your child’s name, class and reason for absence)

Absences must be reported by the adult who has parental responsibility for the child.

All medical appointments must have evidence so appropriate mark can be made. Any medical appointments with no evidence will be classed as unauthorised. 

IF ABSENCE IS NOT REPORTED 

Any children who are unaccounted for on the register will have phone calls home to confirm reason for the absence. 

If no contact is made with parents/carers phone calls will be made to emergency contacts to find out a child’s whereabouts.

If no contact is made and we are still unsure of a child’s whereabouts a home visit will be conducted by the attendance team.

The NHS website also has some guidance to help you determine if your child is too unwell to attend school. 

At Bidston Village we are very clear that leave from school will only be granted on very rare occasions.  Our policy states what those exceptional circumstances are.

If unauthorised leave is taken we will work with our council officers to challenge this and apply fixed penalty notice fines if they are required.

All parents must inform us if they are applying to take leave from school.  Under the new national framework, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons. To apply for leave call into the school office for a form.

Punctuality is a high priority.  We firmly believe it is essential that children attend school on time if they are to achieve their potential. Lateness not only adversely affects a child's attainment but also their personal and social skills and can make it difficult for them to settle for the day.  Lateness can have a significant effect on children’s progress as it equates to lost learning time.

There is a clear link between attendance and attainment; the more time a pupil spends in school the more likely they are to improve their opportunity to fulfill their full potential.

How we manage lateness

Between 8:40am - 8:50am children may enter school through their own classroom or designated doors.

At 8:50 am all external doors and gates are closed. Children arriving after this time should report directly to the main office where their parent/responsible adult must sign them in.

Children arriving up to 9.30am will be given a late

Registers are taken between 8:50-9:00am and close at 9am. Children arriving from 9:00am onwards must be signed in at reception by an adult recording a reason for lateness.

Children arriving after 9:00 am, but before 9.30am will be recorded as late (L).

Children arriving after 9.30am will be marked as present and given a 'late after registers closed' code (U).  This code is classed as an unauthorised absence which will affect the child's overall attendance level.

In addition to entering the ‘L’ and ‘U’ codes, office staff record the number of minutes late for each pupil, on each occasion.  This facility allows school staff to monitor and manage developing patterns of lateness more effectively and make a clear link between lateness and missed learning time; and share such information with parents.

Bidston Village CE Primary School values all pupils and we are committed to working with families to identify the reasons for poor attendance and try to resolve any difficulties.