Attendance

EVERY SECOND COUNTS! 

Daven Primary School seeks to ensure that all of our pupils receive an education which enables them to reach their full potential. There is a strong link between good attendance and increased attainment. Pupils who regularly attend school make much better progress socially and academically. Regular attendance enables pupils to adapt better to routines, schoolwork, and friendship groups.  

Daven Primary School aims to work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure that every child can get the best out of the educational opportunities provided. By working in partnership with parents and other agencies, we ensure that we have clear and robust strategies in place to manage and promote regular attendance for all students.

We are committed to a whole-school approach to attendance and a partnership relationship with parents and carers. 

This attendance overview is supported by our Attendance Policy and is part of broader suite of safeguarding policies meaning it should not be viewed in isolation. Safeguarding policies include the Child Protection Policy, Anti-bullying Policy and Relationships and Behaviour Policy.  

 

Attendance Matters 

Attending school regularly is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing and wider development. Being in school every day will help your child to: develop social skills and confidence by making friends and socialising; prepare them for adult life by getting used to a routine and ensure that they get better results, which will improve his or her chances in life.  

By law, all children of compulsory school age must receive a suitable full-time education. Once your child is registered at Daven Primary School, you as the parent or carer, are legally responsible for making sure they attend on a regular basis. If your child does not attend school on a regular basis, you may be fined or prosecuted in court. 

There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:  

• your child is too ill to attend; 
• you have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances;  
• your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event;  
• your child does not have a permanent address and you are required to travel for work. This exception only applies if your child attends their usual school or another school where you are staying as often as possible. This must be 200 half days or more a year if they are aged 6 or older.   

These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.  

Understanding types of absence 

Every ½ day of absence from school, by law, has to be classified as either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of absence is always asked for. 

Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason such as illness, medical appointments and emergencies. 

An absence is classified as Unauthorised, if the reason was not recognised as acceptable. The Department for Education (DfE) and Local Education Authorities provide information for schools as what is acceptable and what is not. 

Examples of reasons that would not be accepted: 

• a birthday; 
• a trip; 
• shopping; 
• a holiday. 

What Should I do if my child is absent from school? 

Contact the school office on the first morning and notify us of the absence and provide a reason. 

If contact is not made with school by the parent or carer, for reception to year 6, we will call you and attempt to make contact. For our preschool children, we will monitor and track attendance - making contact after a prolonged period of absence. 

 

How to prevent your child missing school. 

You can help prevent your child missing school by:  

• making sure they understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality; 
• taking an interest in their education – ask about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities; 
• discussing any problems they may have at school and letting their teacher know about anything serious; 
• not letting them take time off school for minor ailments – particularly those which would not prevent you from going to work. 

To avoid disrupting your child’s education, you should arrange appointments and outings: 

• after school hours; 
• at weekends; 
• during school holidays.  

Support with school attendance 

A child’s school attendance can be affected if there are problems with: 

• bullying; 
• housing or care arrangements; 
• transport to and from school; 
• work and money. 

Promoting attendance and support 

At Daven Primary School, we believe that working together with parents is the best way to result in positive attendance outcomes for our children. We have lots of high-profile rewards and systems in school to promote good attendance and punctuality with the children.  

Every week Caroline Short, our safeguarding and learning mentor, provides class teachers with attendance data for the previous week for their class. This information is shared with the children and rewards are given out to the children, if they have had a full week’s attendance. Attendance posters can be found on every classroom door, so attendance can be closely monitored by all staff. All classes with above 96% roll a dice for a different prize each week eg. 5 mins extra play, hot choc, game of dodgeball, popcorn Fridays with TV show.

On a weekly basis, the class with the best attendance is awarded with the attendance bear and 10 minutes extra playtime. They will also be given 3 points for their league table. Each half term, classes play against each other in our Daven Premier League. The class, with the highest attendance percentage for that week in the game, receives 3 points on the league table. At the end of each half term, the class with the most points gets to go on a local trip as a prize.

Attendance certificates and prizes are given out termly in recognition of good and improved attendance. These include: Excellent Attendance awards (96%); Improved Attendance awards and Attendance Warrior (at end of the year - 100%)