Attendance
At Bourton Meadow we nurture every child to fulfil their whole potential.
Attendance Matters
Attending school regularly is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing and their wider development. It is therefore our expectation that children will arrive at school on time and ready to learn, every day that school is open.
We are proud of our exceptionally high attendance rates and we work closely with our families to ensure that these are maintained, so that
all children can fulfil their whole potential.
The school day starts at 8:40am and finishes at 3:30pm.
This amounts to just over 34 hours each week.
Morning registration starts at 8:40am.
Learning takes place as soon as children enter the classroom, through the early work and intervention sessions that take place.
The school gates close at 8:50am.
Children arriving after 8:50am will be marked as late.
Children arriving after 9:10am will be marked as having an unauthorised absence for the morning session, which will affect their attendance record.
Arrival and Registration
The school gates open at 8:30am, once the children who are attending Breakfast Club are safely in the school hall; you and your children are welcome to enter the school at this time and wait by your child’s classroom door, which will open at 8:40am.
A member of the senior leadership team is positioned at each gate, to welcome children as they arrive.
The gates are locked promptly at 8:50am so that registers can be completed and the site is secure, before the first lesson commences.
Teachers set ‘morning work’ which children complete during registration time. This is a valuable opportunity to practise skills, consolidate learning and prepare for the day ahead. Adults also use this time to run intervention sessions providing individuals and/or groups of children with additional support to help them keep up with their peers and access the learning within lessons more effectively.
Unplanned Absence
If your child is too ill to attend school, please ensure that you inform the school office before 8:50am. You can do this by leaving a message on the telephone (01280 823374 – option 1) or by email: office@bourtonmeadow.co.uk
If your child is not in school and we have not received any communication from a parent/carer the child usually lives with, we will follow the procedures in our Attendance Policy. This involves texting/phoning the parents and – where necessary - carrying out a house visit, if no contact has been made by.
Leave of Absence for
Exceptional
Circumstances
Parents are required to gain permission from the Head of School if they wish to take their child(ren) out of school during term time.
They can only do this if:
- they make an application to the Head of School in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)
- there are exceptional circumstances for the absence (Please note: family holidays / birthday celebrations will not be authorised.)
All requests MUST be submitted on the 'Leave of Absence' form, so that the necessary details are provided, enabling the Head of School to determine whether or not the absence can be authorised. Verbal requests, either in person or over the telephone, and those made via email will not be considered.
The school considers each application for term-time absence individually, taking into account the specific facts, circumstances and relevant context behind the request.
Following a request, the school will provide written confirmation as to whether or not leave has been granted.
It is up to the Head of School how many days will be authorised if leave is granted.
The school will make a referral to Buckinghamshire County Council if a child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absences in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Parents will be fined for taking their child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.
If you wish to apply for a leave of absence ,please complete the ‘Leave of Absence Form’ (below) and return it to attendance@bourtonmeadow.co.uk, along with evidence to support the exceptional circumstances behind the request.
Please refer to our Attendance Policy for further details.
Promoting Consistently High Attendance
We encourage high attendance by:
- Building respectful relationships with staff, pupils, families and other stakeholders in order to secure their trust and engagement
- Fostering a welcoming and positive culture across the school
- Liaising with outside professionals to provide extra support when needed, alongside internal pastoral support.
- Celebrating 100% attendance each term, with an award at the end of the year
- Publishing attendance figures within the weekly newsletter and also in the school entrance
Persistent Absence
At Bourton Meadow we consider attendance below 95% to be a cause for concern and attendance below 90% as persistent absenteeism.
We work closely with families to understand the reasons behind this absence so that, together, we can overcome barriers and ensure that all pupils are given the opportunity to attend school each day.
