Attendance
Attendance
As a school, we have a legal duty and obligation to promote good attendance at school. We do this because we know that attending school regularly has a positive impact on future achievements for children.
Attendance levels at Blackthorns are positive because we know that our parents and carers, children and staff value the importance of coming to school every day and the effect that this can have on the life chances for children. We consistently end up with overall annual attendance figures in excess of 96% due to our work with families in understanding the importance of regular attendance and punctuality.
What do I do if my child is unwell?
Parents and carers must notify the school of the reason for any absence on each day of an unplanned absence by 9am, or as soon as practically possible, by calling the academy office team members. Parents and carers should telephone 01444 454866 and either leave a message or speak to someone in the academy office. Emails can be sent to the following address: office@blackthornsprimaryacademy.org.uk
Messages should include the name and year group of the child who is absent and the reason for their absence from school. We will mark absence due to illness as authorised unless the academy has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness.
Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours).
What do I do if my child needs to be absent from school for reasons other than illness?
Absence during term-time will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Parents/carers are requested to make routine medical appointments, including routine dental appointments, out of school time wherever possible. Holidays during term-time cannot be authorised and, where these unauthorised absences meet the criteria, parents/carers will be referred for a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Attendance above 95% is regarded as “good” and equals 10 or less days of absence over the academic year. Our school target for each pupil is 96%.
An attendance figure below 90% is ”worrying attendance”. This means that at least 19 school days have been missed and equates to a day of absence every fortnight. This can impact on pupil well-being as well as progress and attainment. Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence may seriously impact their learning. The Department for Education (DfE) defines a pupil as a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more schooling across the school year, for whatever reason.
The Academy will work with families to provide support measures to help improve attendance and put in place plans for this where appropriate.
Medical Appointments
Where possible, medical or dentist's appointments should be made outside of the academy day. Please notify the academy office in advance of any scheduled medical absence.
Withdrawal From Learning
We need your support in ensuring that planned leave is not taken in school time so that your child has the very best opportunity to succeed. Guidance was issued by the Department for Education (DfE) that applies to all requested absences in term-time. The DfE only allows a principal the discretion to authorise an absence if they believe that there are exceptional or unavoidable circumstances.
Taking a pupil on leave during term time interrupts teaching and learning and can disrupt educational progress. Before completing the withdrawal from learning form parent/carers are asked to consider the effect on their child’s continuity of education.
If you require a hard-copy of the 'withdrawal from learning' form, please contact our reception team at: office@blackthornsprimaryacademy.org.uk. We will then print this for you and send home with your child.