We are committed to providing a quality education for all our children. We will do everything we can to ensure that all pupils achieve the maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent this from happening are identified and acted upon as soon as possible.

We consider good attendance to be 96% or better. This is no more than nine days of absence (including illness) in a year. There is a clear link between good attendance and good results, and teachers will celebrate excellent attendance just as they celebrate other positive aspects of school life.

Our Attendance Policy

Absence requests during term time can be made here. Please note that requests to take holiday during term-time will not be approved.

At our school, staff and pupils know how important good attendance is for children’s wellbeing and progress. In recent years, much research has been carried out on the effect that poor attendance can have on children’s progress at school and how well they achieve in life.

For example, 90% attendance might sound quite good but what it really means is:

• Your child is absent for lessons for the equivalent of one half day every week.
• In one year, four whole weeks of lessons are missed.
• If your child continues to attend for only 90% of the time, in five years they will miss half of a school year.

Children who do not attend school regularly often have the following problems:

• They are not able to keep up with their work.
• They find it harder to form, and maintain, strong friendships.
• They are less active as they miss playtime and PE activities.
• Children who arrive late miss important parts of the lesson and disrupt the learning of other children in the class.

This is why De Bohun is making good attendance a school priority. By improving our attendance rates, we will improve the standards that our children achieve and provide them with better chances in life. We can only do this with your full support.

Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually in order to optimise their learning, achieve the best they can and get the most out of their school experience. Failure to do so is an offence under section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996.

We expect the following from all parents:

• To ensure their child attends each day.
• To ensure they contact the school immediately (in confidence, if necessary) whenever their child is unable to attend school.
• Daily contact should be maintained unless there is a covering medical certificate stating that the child is unfit for school for a specified period.
• To ensure their child arrives on time, well prepared for the day having had enough sleep and had breakfast.

Children can enter the classroom at 8.45am and registration begins at 8.50am.

Any child entering the school after 8.50am will be deemed as late (unless they are involved in other school duties). Registers will be monitored for lateness and a letter sent to parents if there is a pattern of repeated lateness.

Arriving at school after 9.15am is recorded as unauthorised absence on our records and may affect your attendance percentage. We monitor pupils who arrive late for school and work with parents and carers to improve punctuality. If lateness persists, the Education Welfare Officer will be informed.

• When a child is absent from school, it is expected that parents will inform the school of the reason for that absence on the first day.
• Most pupils will occasionally be absent from school with good reason.
• Let us know! Telephone or email on the first day of absence to explain the reason why your child will be off school.
• If your child is absent for more than one day, please keep the school informed during your child’s absence.
• If your child has a medical or dental appointment please try to make it out of school hours, or at the end or beginning of the school day, whenever possible.
• The Attendance Officer will record the reason for absence in the register.

Authorised Absence

This is defined as any absence which is unavoidable and will be considered once a reason has been provided.

Reasons that may be authorised include:

• Absence due to illness - Specific reasons for illnesses are recorded on the register once provided by parents. We will make referrals to our school health nurse when deemed appropriate.
• Medical or dental appointments - Routine appointments should be, where possible, made outside of school hours. School should be informed before 8:50am if appointments are going to make a pupil late for school. Pupils are expected to attend school before and after routine appointments and ensure that they sign in and out at Reception.
• Religious observance - Parents / carers should provide the school with written notification in advance.

Unauthorised Absence

This is defined as absence which is avoidable and where the child would be able to attend school if the parent /carer had not deemed otherwise.

Examples of types of absence that are not considered reasonable and which will not be authorised under any circumstances are:

• Going shopping with parents – even to get new shoes or uniform.
• Birthdays.
• Taking care of other children in the family.
• Staying at home because other members of the family are unwell.
• Day trips and holidays in term time.
• Arriving at school too late to get a present mark without an acceptable reason.

Persistent Absence

A pupil becomes a persistent absentee when they miss 10% or more schooling across the school year. Absence at this level is doing considerable damage to any child’s education and we need parents’ fullest support and cooperation to tackle this.

We monitor all absence and the reasons given thoroughly. Any case that is seen to have reached the persistent absence mark or is at risk of moving towards that mark is given priority and we will inform the parents / carers immediately.

Term Time Leave of Absence

Absence request forms must be completed at least one week before absence occurs. Leave will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.

If a pupil is absent due to a period of unauthorised leave, the school will apply to the local authority to issue a Penalty Notice.

Regrettably, each year we are informed by parents that relatives living overseas are unwell and they need to travel urgently. The school will always ask for original evidence that travel arrangements have been made at the last minute. Based on this evidence the school will consider whether any of the absence can be authorised. Such absences are not authorised without evidence, and may be subject to a Penalty Notice.

From time to time, the school has also become aware that although a pupil has been reported as unwell they are, in fact, on holiday. Parents will be expected to produce all medical evidence where an absence directly precedes or follows a school holiday. Medical evidence from abroad will only be accepted if it is translated into English.

The school will actively pursue a Penalty Notice fine in situations where
they have not been correctly informed of the reason for absence.

Term Time Holidays

The Headteacher does not authorise absence for family holidays during the school term. Parents and carers who choose to take their child out of school for holidays should be aware that such absences will be recorded as unauthorised and penalty notices will be issued.

Early Years Expectations

As attendance for children under five is not statutory, there is not the same recourse to legal sanctions. However, the early years are a critical time to establish good habits and routines needed throughout life. Regular attendance has a positive impact on all aspects of a young child’s learning and development. A regular routine supports them to feel settled and secure. Unsettled children have higher stress levels which prevent them from being able to benefit fully from the learning opportunities available.

Families should know that good attendance and being punctual are expected when their child takes up a place. As attendance is an issue that affects all age groups, there needs to be as much consistency as possible between early years and school settings. This includes expectations around holidays, which for school-aged children are not permissible in term time.

Please feel free to contact the school’s Attendance Officer, Lisa Younger, to discuss any issues concerning your child’s attendance or punctuality.