Barden Primary School is committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all pupils and recognises this can only be achieved by supporting and promoting excellent school attendance for all.  This is based on the belief that only by attending school regularly and punctually will children be able to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. High attainment depends on good attendance. We expect children to arrive at school on time, every single day! 

Classroom doors open at 8:35am. Pupils are expected to be in school no later than 8:45am. Pupils who arrive after this time will be marked as late. The registers will close at 9.10am. Any pupil who arrives after the closing of the register will count as absent.

What should I do if my child is too ill to come to school? 

If you know your child is going to be late or absent, please ensure you report this on the Study Bugs App. Please see link in the top right of the website page or use this link Studybugs – Parents.  Please see parents and careers guide at the bottom of the page for support in setting this up. 

This should be done at the earliest possible opportunity but no later than 9:10am (the time that registration closes). 

If you feel it is an emergency, please contact Mrs Rawcliffe Attendance Manager (option 1) or the Office Team on 01282 226777 as soon as possible to inform them. Parents will be contacted should their child not be present at registration and where no reason has been given for their absence.

What should I do if I arrive late at school? 

Where a pupil arrives late for school, parents/careers are asked to sign the pupil in and the main school office with reasons for the lateness.  Persistent lateness and/or absences will be followed up by a letter/meeting with those concerns and strategies suggested to improve the matter.  For health and safety reasons, it is important that the school knows who is in the building.  Pupils arriving late should always report to the office. It is important that all pupils arriving late follow this procedure.

Why is attendance important?

At Barden Primary School, we expect children to attend school every day, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to do so. We feel that the most important way to promote good attendance is to ensure that both pupils and parents have a positive relationship with school.

Research shows that pupils who attend school regularly are more likely to do well in the future. Regular attendance helps children to develop their confidence and to make and keep lasting friendships.

The Department for Education has determined that from September 2015 a pupil becomes a persistent absentee when their attendance falls below 90%. When attendance nears this level, children have already missed significant amounts of schooling; meaning that their educational progress is at risk. We need parents' full support in ensuring that attendance does not reach this level. Parents may be asked to attend an Attendance Panel meeting to discuss their child’s attendance.

This table shows the possible impact of regular absences:

Leave in Term Time & Unauthorised Absences

Leave in term time is not a ‘right’. Absence from school can have a serious impact on your child’s education. All requests for leave in term time must be made in advance of confirming any arrangements and may be granted at the Headteacher's discretion dependant on the circumstances. Changes to the Regulations mean that schools can only authorise leave in term time if the circumstances surrounding the request are considered to be exceptional. 

Under new regulations, the local authority will review all leave that exceeds 15 days. They may choose not to issue a penalty notice and instead prosecute the parents. Where unauthorised leave is taken for less than 15 school days, a penalty notice will be issued to offer a chance to avoid prosecution. 

If pupils accumulate a number of unauthorised absence's, school may have to consider referral to external agencies, such as the Local Authority Pupil Attendance Support Team. The use of Penalty Notices may also be considered under certain circumstances, including where leave is taken without agreement.

A Message from Mrs Holgate

Firstly, I would like to thank all the parents/carers that do not request leave in term time. Your support and respect for the school and your child’s education is greatly appreciated. However, I am becoming increasingly concerned and disappointed about the number of requests for leave in term that have been made. 17 penalty notices already have been issued in the first THREE WEEKS of term alone. This is having a significant negative impact upon our school.

When parents take their children out of school in term time, ALL children in school suffer as a result as our staff are required to help these children catch up the education they have missed upon their return to school. This takes teachers and support staff away from other children. Children that take leave in term time miss vital learning, their friends, trips and visits, social and emotional learning along with sporting opportunities. Additionally both myself and the office staff lose valuable time undertaking meetings/paper work associated with this process. This time could be better spent improving the quality of your child’s education. I am shocked, saddened and disappointed that some parents seem to think that this is a risk worth taking – especially when the staff at Barden work so hard to provide the very best for your children. Our whole school attendance data is now on a decline again. This was an area highlighted by Ofsted and will be monitored. I respectfully urge you to prioritise your child’s education, which Barden Primary School works so hard to provide and not request leave in term time.

Again, I thank the many parents that do not take leave in term time.

Mrs Holgate

Headteacher