Attendance & Progress

At Briar Hill Primary School we aim to achieve and then maintain an attendance rate of a minimum of 95%, in line with national expectations. 

School Attendance Lead - Miss Cameron-Leslie 

School phone number: 01604 768392

If your child is going to be absent from school, please call the number above, select the absence option and leave an answer phone message.

As a parent you can help us by:

 Ringing on the first morning of all absences with the reason and saying when the child will return

 Arranging dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school breaks

 Sending in a note explaining the reason for absence on your child’s return to school after an illness

 Keeping us updated by telephone or letter if your child has an extended period of absence due to illness

At Briar Hill Primary School we will:

 Follow up unexplained absences by phone calls and letters as soon as possible

 Remind parents of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in newsletters, the school brochure and the Home-School agreement

 Acknowledge and reward good attendance

 Publish your child’s attendance rate on her/his annual school report

 Let you know if we have concerns regarding your child’s attendance

 If we continue to have concerns make a referral to the School Attendance Lead (Miss Cameron-Leslie) who will review attendance and arrange a meeting where necessary. 

There are times when children are absent for reasons, which are not permitted by law. These are known as “unauthorised absences”. Examples of unauthorised absence are:

 Waiting on a delivery

 Going shopping or for a hair cut

 Going for a family day out

 Because it is your child’s birthday

 Sleeping in after a late night

 Unapproved Holidays*

 Where there is no explanation for the absence or where the explanation or reason for the absence is considered unsatisfactory.

 If we continue to have concerns, the School Attendance Lead (Miss Cameron-Leslie) will regularly review and support attendance matters, contacting parents and arranging meetings where necessary. 

Punctuality

 Morning registration is at 8.55am. Your child must be ready to enter the school building before this time, so you need to ensure your child is coming through the school gate by 8.45am.

 It is important to be on time as the first few minutes of the school day are often used to give out instructions or organise schoolwork for the rest of the day.

 If your child misses this short but vital session, their work for the whole day may be affected. Late arrivals are disruptive to the whole class and often embarrassing for your child. We take the view there are no late children, only late parents.

 Arrival after the close of registration may be marked as unauthorised absence in line with the DfE guidance.

 We will let you know if we have concerns about your child’s punctuality.

 Children who remain uncollected at the end of the school day will be referred to a place of safety.

Term Time Leave of Absence/Holidays

We are always concerned about the amount of school time pupils’ miss as a result of family holidays. There is no entitlement to time off during term time.

It is our policy that;

Requests for term holidays will not be authorised once children reach statutory school age. Unauthorised absence could be liable for a Fixed Penalty fine.

You can find more information on term time holidays at http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk

 Please remember that the more time your child misses from school, the more difficult it is for them to catch up with their work. Valuable learning time is lost. A good understanding of the work can only take place when the pupil is in the classroom.

If you feel unsure about whether or not your child is well enough for school - please read the attached document for additional guidance and support. 

Attendance Rewards

As a school we promote good attendance as it supports the children's learning and gives them the best opportunity to succeed. With this in mind, we offer a range of rewards to children with good attendance.

We give:

• weekly certificates for 100% attenders
• weekly certificate and trophy for the class with the best attendance
• certificates each half term for children with 100% attendance
• a trip to the park or a cinema experience for the class with the best attendance each half term