Attendance

Why are attendance and punctuality so important?

At Heybrook, we strongly believe that excellent attendance and punctuality are at the heart of our school’s overall vision to nurture children that are happy, healthy, successful and learn together.

We always prioritise attendance and punctuality because we are committed to every single one of our children having the best start in life and benefitting from everything our school has to offer.

If our children are in school, they thrive. If they aren’t, they miss out.

Attendance and punctuality are directly linked to:

• Academic performance: Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Missing school, even for a few days, can lead to students falling behind their peers and struggling to catch up.
• Social and emotional development: School is a place where students learn important social skills, build friendships and develop a sense of belonging. Consistently good attendance makes this possible.
• Long-term success: Good attendance habits established in school often lead to success in higher education and future careers. It teaches responsibility and commitment.

Policy

Our attendance policy can be found here:

Attendance Policy

Support

We are always happy to support our children and families to maintain good attendance and punctuality. If you would like help with any attendance or punctuality concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office or speak to a member of the attendance team so that we can work together to support your child.

The attendance team consists of:

• Mr Hughes (senior leader responsible for attendance)
• Mrs Sheridan (attendance officer)
• Mrs Ahmad (pastoral manager)
• Mr Hussain (attendance support)

The attendance team can be contacted on 01706 647201 or at office@heybrook.org

Alternatively, you are welcome to speak to any member of the senior leadership team who will be more than happy to help.

Reporting an absence

Parents/carers must notify the school of any unplanned absence by 9:00am on the first day of absence. They can do this via telephone or in person. Parents will be asked to provide a reason for their child's absence.

If school has not been notified of the reason for a child's absence, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and the school will look to make contact and follow up with the parent/carer. This may take the form of a phone call, text message and/or home visit.

What is good attendance?

It is expected that all children will have an attendance record of at least 96%. This equates to just 7 days absence over the whole school year. If your child's attendance falls to 90% or lower (19 or more days absence over the school year), they will be classed as 'persistently absent'. At this point, their attendance becomes a concern and they will be referred to the Education Welfare Service.

What is good punctuality?

Good punctuality is getting to school on time, every day. Every minute counts so don't be late!

We have a staggered start to our school day:

• 8:30am / 12:15pm – Nursery
• 8:45am - Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
• 9:00am - Year 3, 4, 5, and 6

Holidays and leave during term-time

It is the school’s policy, in line with local authority and government guidance, that leave in term time will not be authorised. A request for a term-time holiday or leave of absence is not a parental right. Arrangements should not be made without informing the school in advance.

Unauthorised leave for 10 sessions (5 school days) or more will qualify for a penalty notice. No warning will be issued from the local authority. School holiday dates are available on the school’s website at the start of the school year, with a reminder that trips abroad should be planned for school holiday times.

Extended absence, of 20 days or more, may result in the child being removed from the school’s roll and being reported as a child who is missing in education. Parents will need to re-apply for their child’s school place in line with the local authority admissions process. We will work with the Rochdale Education Welfare Service if we are concerned about where the child is or when they will return to the country / school.