Attendance & Punctuality
Please note:
- On the rare occasion a student becomes unwell at school, the school nurse may contact parents/carers and families to discuss our concerns. If, after assessment, it is decided the student can return home, arrangements must be made for safe collection from school. We will not be able to release students during the school day, to make their own way home if they report they are unwell or injured.
- If there is a hospital/medical appointment that a student is required to attend within the school day, arrangements must be made for safe collection from school or written confirmation of your agreed travel arrangements for your child. For safeguarding reasons, we cannot release students without their parent/carer present or written confirmation of your child's transport arrangements and destination. Please use Classcharts to communicate your requests.
- We must continue to ensure the safeguarding of our students remains central in all our decisions and we thank you for your support in this matter.
Why are attendance and punctuality so important?
Missing out on or being late to lessons leaves students vulnerable to falling behind. Beckfoot School seeks to ensure that every student receives a full-time education to maximise their opportunities and to realise their true potential both socially and academically.
Over a period of five school years, a student with 90% attendance will have missed half of a whole year of schooling. Similarly, students with poor punctuality miss valuable lesson time - which will jeopardise progress if it happens regularly.
Beckfoot definitions of attendance
The table below sets out our school definitions of attendance. We aim for excellent attendance (100%) for all, however we do recognise that there are times when students will be absent from school. If attendance drops below 95% the school will contact parents or carers immediately to put a plan in place to make improvements. As a school we work relentlessly to support students and families.
School and future success starts with good attendance & punctuality
As part of the Beckfoot Six Ps - being PUNCTUAL is the first P of our Positive Learning Strategy. Staff regularly communicate our Positive Learning Strategy to students to ensure the profile of attendance and punctuality is high throughout school.
Visual displays across the school also reinforce the importance of attendance and punctuality. Infographic examples above and below.
Achieving excellent attendance is essential to achieving success and as such, we work closely with parents or carers, students and staff to ensure this can be realised.
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What can I do to help?
As a parent or carer
you can help by:
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As a student,
you can improve your attendance by:
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What do I do if my child is not well enough to come to school?
If you feel that your child isn’t well enough to come to school, you need to leave a message for us via Class Charts, or phone and leave a message
Medical appointments should be made for after school wherever possible. We may ask to see evidence of medical appointments, if your child’s attendance is poor.
According to NHS guidance, children do not require time off for the following: Cold; Cold sores; Conjunctivitis; Cough; Hand, foot and mouth; Headache; Head lice; Sore throat; Threadworms; Tonsillitis; Warts and/or Verrucae. If you would like more information on NHS guidelines please click here.
What does authorised and unauthorised absence mean?
We must follow national legal guidelines which means that holiday requests during term-time cannot be authorised. Because of this, unauthorised absences will likely incur a fixed penalty notice. These are issued by school and processed by the local authority.
We will not authorise a student’s leave of absence during term time, as this is only done in extremely exceptional circumstances. If you don’t get permission from the school, the absence is classed as ‘unauthorised’ and this includes lateness. If you want to see if an absence can be authorised, you must contact school in advance and get permission from the Headteacher via the attendance office.
What will happen if my child misses school?
We keep parents up to date with their child’s attendance and confirm absences with them; this makes sure students are supported in their progress at school.
Our Attendance Team work really hard to support students and often identify patterns of non-attendance. They will always work with parents and carers to understand these patterns and see how they can be improved.
If you are concerned about your child’s school attendance, it is always best to talk to us first. We have a dedicated Attendance Team who are here to help students and families. Students with attendance of less than 95% are monitored closely. Each year group also has the specialist support of a Support and Challenge Team who will be able to offer intensive support and guidance to students and families to help improve attendance.
Contact the Attendance Team
| absence@beckfoot.org |
