School Attendance
At Birkby Junior School we regard regular attendance as essential to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for all children and believe that regular attendance at school is necessary to promote better life chances. The school’s ethos encourages children to feel that their presence in school is important and that they are missed when they are absent or late.
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any pupil’s absence disrupts teaching routines and may also affect the learning of others in the same class. Ensuring every child’s regular attendance at school is the parent’s/carer’s responsibility and permitting absence from school without good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.
For more information regarding persistant absence, holidays and sickness please see the documents below.
At Birkby Junior School we have high expectations of attendance and expect your child to attend school every day, on time. Staff in school monitor attendance every day and track the attendance of every pupil in school in order to ensure that all pupils are safe; have access to the full time education they deserve and avoid becoming persistant absentees. We expect all parents and carers to support us in ensuring their child attends school regularly and has good attendance. Our school attendance policy contains more information on how you can do this alongside the government document 'Guidance for parents on school attendance - Office of the Children's Commissioner'. Please click below for a copy of this guidance.
What should I do if my child is ill?
Please call the school to report your child’s absence before 8.40am (Year 3 & Year 5) or 8.50am (Year 4 & Year 6) on the day of the first day of absence. After the first day, it is important that you contact school to report each day of absence; this is so that staff know when your child is expected to return. Staff may choose to carry out a home visit if we are unable to determine the reason for each day of absence. This is to safeguard your child's well being as all unexplained absences must be accounted for to ensure none of our pupils are unsafe or vulnerable.
Attendance Ladder
Our attendance ladder helps to explain attendance percentages so that parents/carers and pupils understand what what good and outstanding attendance is. Our attendance ladder also explains the point at which your child's attendance needs to improve and will become a concern; leading to extra intervention and support being offered to your family. Please read our school attendance policy for more information on how we will help families overcome barriers to attending school.
