South Benfleet Primary School recognises that positive behaviour and good attendance are essential in order for pupils to get the most of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances.

Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is the responsibility of parents, pupils and all members of school staff.

To help us all to focus on this, we will:

• Submit a daily attendance return to the Department of Education, in line with the legal expectations placed on all schools;

• Build strong relationships and work jointly with families;

• Give parents/carers details on attendance in our newsletters;

• Promote the benefits of high attendance;

• Accurately complete admission and attendance registers and have effective day to day processes in place to follow-up absence as required by law;

• Celebrate excellent attendance by displaying and reporting individual and class achievements;

• Reward good or improving attendance;

• Report to parents/carers regularly on their child’s attendance and the impact on their progress;

• Contact parents/carers should their child’s attendance fall below the school’s target for attendance (97%)

For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. It is a rule of this school that pupils must attend every day, unless there are exceptional circumstances and it is the Headteacher, not the parent, who can authorise the absence.

A pupil is defined by the Government as a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more schooling across the school year for any reason; this can be authorised or unauthorised absence. Absence at this level will cause considerable damage to any pupil’s education and we need the full support and co-operation of parents to resolve this. All pupils who have attendance levels of 90% or below are considered to be a persistent absentee.

Please remember:

• There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time

• Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning.

• Any pupil’s absence or late arrival disrupts teaching routines and so may affect the learning of others in the same class.

• Ensuring a child’s regular attendance at school is a parental responsibility and allowing absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.

• Every request for exceptional leave of absence will be considered on its merits and must be for the minimum period possible

• In some circumstances the Headteacher may request further information or arrange a meeting to discuss the application.

• It is the Headteacher, not the parent who authorises absence from school.

Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no ‘leave’ has been granted. This type of absence can lead to the school referring to the Local Authority for penalty notices and/or legal proceedings. 

Unauthorised absence includes, (however this list is not exhaustive):

• parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily e.g. because they had a late night or for non-infectious illness or injury that would not affect their ability to learn

• absences which have never been properly explained

• children who arrive at school after the close of registration are marked using a ‘U’. This indicates that they are in school for safeguarding purposes, however is counted as an absence for the session

• shopping trips

• looking after other children or children accompanying siblings or parents to medical appointments

• their own or family birthdays

• holidays taken during term time, not deemed ‘for exceptional purposes’ by the headteacher, including any arranged by other family members or friends

• day trips

• other leave of absence in term time which has not been agreed

Please read our Attendance Policy for further information about pupil attendance.

Please speak to us if you need help or support with attendance.