Attendance Information
The Governoring Body is firm in the belief that all pupils have the right to an excellent education, delivered in an environment that values each of them as an individual and creates aspirational opportunities for them. Also part of our aims is to ensure that all pupils within the schools achieve highly, so we recognise the importance of good attendance. The Governing Body also seeks to work to ensure that our schools become centres of excellence, leading to high achievement for all pupils with no significant gaps in attainment or progress between different groups.
New Guidelines from September 2024
At Bramfield we believe we offer a supportive approach to attendance and encourage our families to contact us should there be any barriers to your child arriving at school on time every day. In preparation for September 2024 and the new rules around attendance please ensure you read the following and review any holiday plans during term-time you may have as a family.
New Attendance Rules Parents Need to Know for September 2024
You will know that if a child misses just one day of school, that is one day’s worth of education lost. If it’s more than one day, those losses will be cumulative and the effect on long-term prospects could not be more damaging. Prior to Covid, absenteeism had been on the decline, but since the lockdowns, it appears attitudes towards attendance have changed and we are now seeing a steep increase in absenteeism once again - around 380,000 fewer pupils were persistently off school last year than the year before. This does not take into account the number of children not attending school due to SEND/SEMH.
Ministers have now published guidance on managing school attendance that will become mandatory from September 2024. Here's what you need to know.
£80 fines and Improvement Notices
Absence fines charged to parents will rise from £60 to £80, or £160 if not paid within 21 days. From Autumn term 2024, only two fines can be issued to the same parent for the same child within a three-year rolling period. Any notice thereafter will automatically be charged at £160. Parents will also receive "improvement notices", where they are are informed that this is their last opportunity to engage with education and improve their child's attendance before a fine is issued.
National fine thresholds
From September, schools will have to consider a fine if a pupil misses 10 sessions (half days) of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. They should “not have a blanket position of issuing or not issuing penalty notices”. The threshold can be met with “any combination of unauthorised absence”. For example, four sessions in term time plus six instances of arriving late.
Long-Term Sickness to be Flagged with Local Authorities
Schools will have to give councils the name and address of sick pupils who they believe will miss 15 consecutive or cumulative days. Schools will also be “expected to inform a pupil’s social worker and/or youth offending team worker if there are unexplained absences from school”.
Mental Health Awareness
All schools should now be particularly mindful of pupils absent from school due to mental or physical ill health or their special educational needs and/or disabilities and provide them with additional support. The guidance acknowledges “many children will experience normal but difficult emotions that make them nervous about attending school, such as worries about friendships, schoolwork, examinations or variable moods”. But it is “important to note that these pupils are still expected to attend school regularly”.
Working together to improve school attendance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If your child is ever absent from school, we ask you to phone us or talk to us before 9am to let us know why your child is absent.
The number to phone is: 01986 784205
Where there is an unexplained absence at school, we will always follow this up with a phone call to find out why your child is absent and when we can expect them to return.
It is essential we know why your children are not in school in order to work together to keep them safe and well.
Mr Jeal and Ms Ashford are available to help with any attendance support. You can make an appointment and we will do all we can to help.
Please find below our attendance policy. Because we take attendance very seriously here at Bramfield, we will only authorise absence for reasons other than medical in the most extraordinary of circumstances.