Attendance

To report your child absent:

Contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence by telephone or email to:

office@bartonparkprimary.org 

Alternatively, fill in the ‘Report Child Absence’ google form, above.

We may ask for an explanation of the absence in writing if your child’s absence is close to or below 90% 

If we do not hear from you:

• Registers are taken at 8:45am and 1pm.
• If a child is not in school by 9am, a primary guardian will be contacted by telephone by a member of the school office team, seeking the reason for absence. 
• If we are unable to contact you by telephone after 2 days, the attendance lead, or delegated person(s), will make a home visit to check on your child’s wellbeing and health.  
• If your child is persistently absent, all communication will be via the attendance lead.

The Importance of attendance

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance at school is vital to help children achieve and get the best possible start in life.

Children who frequently miss school often fall behind. There is a strong link between good school attendance and achieving good results. For example, only 12% of pupils with below 80% school attendance achieve five or more GCSEs at grades 4-9 including English and Maths, compared to 68% for pupils with attendance greater than 95%.

Young people who are frequently absent from school are more likely to become involved in, or be a victim of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Your responsibility as a parent

All children aged between 5 and 16 are required by law to receive an education, and it is the duty of parents and carers to ensure that they are supported to do so.

Children sometimes have to miss school because of illness or if they have long term medical issues. If this is the case, parents should contact school the same day to let them know the reason that their child is not in school.

If your child is poorly, please call the school office before 8am to let us know.

We expect parents to respect our 48 hour policy – if your child(ren) has had sickness and diarrhoea we ask you not to bring them back to school until they have been 48 hours clear of any symptoms

Request for Absence

As a school we cannot authorise requests for children to be taken out of school for a holiday during term time.

Requests for leave can only be granted if there are exceptional circumstances, and holidays are not considered exceptional.

Requests for leave must also be made to the school in advance, as the Department for Education has told schools that they cannot authorise any absences after they have been taken.

We follow the Oxfordshire County Council guidance on attendance. This page contains useful information and advice for parents struggling with their child’s attendance. As per county council guidance, we will issue a penalty notice to parents or carers if they fail to ensure that their child/children attend school regularly.

There will be contact between school and the family in relation to attendance ahead of a penalty notice being issued.