Barnwell Academy

Attendance

At Barnwell Academy, we have high expectations of attendance from all pupils. We strive for every child to be in school every day. Regular attendance is essential to ensure children reach their potential both academically and socially.

Promoting excellent attendance is the responsibility of the whole school community including children, parents, staff and Governors.

Barnwell Academy will:

  • Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence
  • Ensure every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
  • Differentiate between authorised and unauthorised absence in order to act early to address patterns of absence
  • Keep parents fully informed of their child’s attendance/punctuality record providing 3 reports a year. Attendance can be viewed daily on Arbor (school information and payment system)
  • Contact parents on the first day, by 9:15am, when a student fails to attend school without providing good reason, via telephone or the school’s electronic messaging system
  • Follow up unexplained absences and declining punctuality by telephone calls, school’s electronic messaging service and letters as necessary
  • Take timely action on any attendance or punctuality problem notified to us and involve appropriate outside agencies in order to support children and their families. This may include a ‘home visit’ or a request to the police to undertake a ‘Safe and Well’ welfare visit

 

Children will:

  • Aim to achieve 100% attendance each academic year
  • Attend school daily
  • Arrive on time and be appropriately prepared for the day
  • Tell a member of staff about any problem or reason that may prevent them from attending school

 

Parents will:

    • Support the Academy and their child in aiming for 100% attendance each academic year
    • Ensure their child attends school daily and on time (by 8:55am each morning)
    • Ensure that their child attends school dressed in accordance with the school uniform policy, fully equipped with a positive attitude to learn
    • Notify the school before 9:15 am of any absence
    • Avoid taking their child out of school for non-urgent medical or dental appointments
    • Provide evidence of any absence due to clinical hospital, dental appointments.
    • Send a written note to confirm the reason for any absence.
    • Only request leave of absence if it is for an exceptional circumstance
    • Ensure the school has updated contact numbers
    • Will actively work with the school staff and relevant multi-agency staff, to solve any attendance issues as and when they occur.

 

Absence procedures

  • Parents are required to contact the school as soon as possible on the first day of their child’s absence and before 9:15am.
  • Alternatively, parents may call into school and report to the school office.
  • A text message will be made to the parent(s) of any child who has not reported their child’s absence on the first day that they do not attend school.
  • If there is no reponse to the text message a follow up telephone call will be made to the parent(s) of any child who has not reported their child’s absence.
  • If parent(s) fail to respond to the school then the school will make contact with any emergency contact provided.

 

Punctuality

  • The school gates are open from 8:45am. Children can arrive from 8:45am-9:00am.
  • The start of the school day is 9:00 a.m.
  • The school gate will be closed at 9:00am.
  • Children who arrive after 9:00am must enter through the main entrance of the building. They must be signed in by an adult. They will receive a late mark in the register ‘L’.
  • Where a parent has pre-signed a walk to school permission slip the child must sign in.
  • Arrival after the close of registration (9:30am, 1:30pm) without valid reason will be marked as an unauthorised absence.
  • Parents of a child who has patterns of lateness will receive a letter stating the concerns about the child’s punctuality or attendance.
  • If lateness persists parents will be invited to attend a formal meeting in school to discuss solutions the problem. 

 

If any attendance issues or lateness is not resolved a referral will be made to the Local Authority Attendance Service. Parents may be subject to sanctions such as fixed penalty fines.

 

For more information please read our full Attendance and Punctuality Policy.

 

Illness and Attendance

At Barnwell Academy we follow the NHS school attendance guidance. This will help when making a decision to send your child into school or not. Click on the link below for updated guidance.

NHS School Attendance Guidance

 

Class Attendance Weekly Winners 2020-2021:  Year 3

Class Attendance Weekly Winners  2021-2022: Year 2

Class Attendance Weekly Winners 2022-2023: Year 3

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