Attendance

Severne Primary School bases its Attendance Policy on guidelines set out by Birmingham City Council Local Authority. Whilst the legal responsibility for regular school attendance rests with parents/carers; Severne Primary School Governors and staff share with them and the Local Authority, the responsibility for encouraging good attendance and improving poor attendance.

Pupils should be at school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Permitting absence without a good reason is an offence by the parent/carer.

Pupils may sometimes be reluctant to attend school. Any problems with regular attendance can be sorted out quickly between the school, parents/carers and the pupil. If a pupil is reluctant to attend, please notify the school immediately. Please do not keep them off school, as attending school every day is important and a legal requirement.

Severne Primary School is required by law to maintain records and publish specified information on the attendance of pupils.

Reasons for Absence

Every half day absence from school has to be classified by the school either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of each absence is always required.

The authority has listed the following as authorised absence:

• Temporarily educated in another establishment
• Court appearances
• Bereavement
• Exclusion for medical or behavioural reasons
• Illness or medical treatment
• Day of religious observance

No other reasons are considered and a pupil should attend school if these conditions are not met.

All absences should be reported to school via a telephone call to the school office before 9:00am every day of absence.

NOTE: Where absence is prolonged or problematic, proof of a visit to G.P. e.g. appointment card or prescription will be required.

Medical appointments

Where possible it is advisable to make appointments outside of school hours.

Where this is unavoidable please bring your appointment letter/card to the school office to be copied for your child’s records, this will enable school to authorise this absence.

It is the responsibility of the parents/carers to contact school on the first day of absence to provide the reason for absence and on each subsequent day of absence.

When school has not been made aware of a reason for a pupil’s absence, a first day call will be made to establish the reason.

 Holidays during term time

Term time holidays and leave of absence are not allowed. Parents/carers are strongly discouraged from arranging holidays, here or abroad, or visits to their country of family origin, during term time.

The Local Authority reserves the right, in line with the Birmingham Code of Conduct, to issue Penalty Notices when parents/carers remove their pupils from school during term time without the authorisation of the Headteacher. 

Parents will receive a separate Penalty Notice for each child.  

Parents can still make requests for leave of absence during term time for exceptional circumstances only; for pupils in Reception to Year 6. These requests must be made in writing to the school office as soon as possible.

Unexpected absence

If a parent/carer fails to provide a reason for absence, a call will be made to update the situation. If there is no response. the Pastoral Manager, will contact home and our staged response to absence will be followed:-

• Arrange an urgent meeting / home visit: to meet with Parent/Carer to discuss absence where there has been a fall in attendance without explanation.
• Parents/Carers Agreements: If attendance becomes problematic, Parents/Carers will be required to sign an agreement with school to improve attendance with immediate effect.
• Failure to improve or respond after the next 5 academic days (10 sessions) could prompt a referral to outside agencies.
• There may also be a ‘Safe and Well’ check carried out at the current address by local Police (Safeguarding) if school is unable to meet with Parents/Carers.

• Please be advised that Local authorities are now issuing ‘Penalty Notice Fines’ for ‘Persistent Absence’.

• It may be necessary for us to request a written agreement in order for us to contact your GP for confirmation of health issues if school attendance becomes problematic for your child.
• Prolonged unexplained absence may result in the loss of a school place at Severne Primary School.

Any pupils that do not return to school after a 5-day period, or that have not returned on the expected date following extended leave (if there has been no contact / information received from parents/carers), a referral will be made to the Children Missing in Education Team.

If a pupil’s absence raises a significant concern with regards to safeguarding issues, there is involvement with other agencies and/or the pupil has significant needs; the school will conduct a home visit and information will be shared with all appropriate agencies.

FastTrack attendance programme

This is an initiative designed to raise individual and whole school attendance by the use of legal action and it challenges any notion that unauthorised absence is acceptable.

It raises parents/carers’, pupils’ and community awareness of the importance of school attendance, the negative impact of absence, and demonstrates that the Local Authority uses statutory powers to bring about change.

It utilises section 444 of the Education Act 1996 and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2007.

It aims to use legal action to ensure parents / carers fulfil their legal responsibilities.

The Pastoral Manager

The Pastoral Manager, Mrs Mahoney, is here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact her for advice or to raise a concern about your child’s absence.

By working closely with parents/carers, it enables all our pupils to remain safe and happy, giving them the best learning opportunity possible.

Please contact the Pastoral Manager via the school office or email enquiry@severne.bham.sch.uk.

Classes from Reception to Year 6 and parents are provided with regular feedback on attendance. Weekly recognition during whole school assembly will reward attendance and punctuality to the classes whom are doing the best or have improved from the previous week and this will be announced to parents/carers via email.

Severne Primary School is proudly recognised as an Inclusive Attendance school. Our unwavering commitment to attendance centres around child-centric actions, evidence-informed practices, and a shared understanding of everyone's roles and collective responsibilities to promote exceptional attendance.

Severne Primary School uses a three-tiered approach which outlines roles for teachers, the school, children, parents, and external agencies – including the Local Authority.  This approach is to support pupils and families to ensure attendance is a priority and reduce pupils who are at risk of persistent absence (absent for 10 days or more within an academic year).

Tier 1 - Universal Approach: Establishing a baseline universal attendance approach that benefits all children.

Tier 2 - Individualised Strategies and Early Help Support: Tailoring strategies to individual needs and providing early help support for persistent attendance challenges.

Tier 3 - Higher Needs Strategies Support: Furnishing specialised support for children, young people, and families with complex attendance requirements, including access to external agency support when necessary.

Recognition-Based Approach

Our attendance philosophy is rooted in a recognition-based approach that recognises both personal and collective achievements. This approach serves to stop isolation, prevent victimisation, create positive environments, nurture relationships, foster inclusivity, and ensure that pupils are motivated and engaged whilst at school.

Good class attendance is celebrated weekly.  The class with the best or improved attendance for the previous week will receive recognition in whole school assembly.

The Importance of School Attendance

School attendance is not just a legal requirement but is important to allow pupils to access a good education.  Good attendance promotes academic success and personal growth, which in turn will help them to achieve future prospects.

• Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly impacts on academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.
• Knowledge Acquisition: School is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.
• Social Development: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.
• Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.
• Teacher Interaction: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacherchild interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.
• Preventing Knowledge Gaps: Frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in longterm academic struggles.
• School Engagement: Children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.
• Legal and Parental Responsibility: Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child's regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.

Community Well-being: High levels of school attendance contribute to the overall well-being of communities.