by Mrs Sutton, Created - September 2022
Updated for 2024
A is for Appointment.
Medical (and other) appointments should be made for non-school days wherever possible. If not, try to arrange them for the afternoon and ensure your child attends school in the morning. Always let us know so that an M can be entered into the register.
B is for Breakfast.
Having something to eat improves a child's ability to focus and learn. If you've nothing in or don't have time, grab a bagel or cereal in the yard or book your child into the breakfast club.
C is for Certificate & Codes.
Your child's attendance certificate shows how many sessions/ days they have attended or been absent, alongside their percentage, over the school year. Different codes explain the reason and whether any absences are authorised or not. Here are the most common codes you may see,
/ = present
L = late (after 8:45 AM but before 9:15 AM)
U = late (after 9:15 AM). This counts as an absence for the whole session.
I = illness
M = medical appointment
N = no reason provided (Unauthorised)
O = unauthorised
D is for Data.
We are always monitoring attendance and looking for patterns in the data. This may be for an individual child or a group of children. If your child's attendance data gives us cause for concern, we will talk to you about it and try to help you improve things.
E is for Experiences.
Your child has many opportunities to experience all sorts of things through school. Visits and visitors, clubs and competitions, special projects and partnerships. If they are absent, they are missing out.
F is for Friendship.
Not attending school regularly will make friendships more strained and difficult to keep.
G is for Guidance.
There is a lot of guidance about attendance written by the government; it explains what they expect local authorities, schools, parents and others to do.
Working Together to Improve School Attendance is the latest guidance. You can look at it here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
H is for Healthy.
Staying as healthy as possible means less time away from school. We all became very good at hand washing and other aspects of hygiene because of the pandemic. Please ensure your child still knows how to wash their hands and when they should do so.
I is for Illness.
We can all feel unwell sometimes. If your child is too ill to come to school, please let us know as soon as possible. You will be given advice about how long they need to remain absent based on the symptoms you tell us.
J is for January.
Happy New Year! It is a great time to make a new commitment to attending school regularly.
K is for Knock.
If your child is absent from school for 3 days and we have not been able to speak to you, we will visit you at home. If you don't want this to happen, you need to ensure we know what is happening for you and your child and when we can expect them back in school.
L is for Learning.
If you're not in school, you miss lessons, learn and achieve less.
M is for Mental health.
Coming to school, being part of something bigger, and being involved and connected to others is positive for your mental health.
N is for a New Approach
Phillimore is adopting the Inclusive Attendance approach to improve attendance across the whole school. We are involving our whole school community so that everyone understands the part they play in attendance.
O is for Organised.
Being organised is a skill that we all struggle with sometimes. If children learn to organise themselves (from you), they are more likely to settle into a routine and be ready for school. My top organisation tip is to get everything ready the night before. Sometimes, I forget, making the morning much more rushed and stressful!
P is for Persistent Absence (PA) - and severe absence.
If your child misses 10% of the possible number of days they could attend, they are considered to be PA. If they miss 50%, they are considered severely absent. We will try to work with you in both cases to improve things. When attendance is this low, legal action is always possible.
10% of a whole school year is equivalent to 19 days absent.
Q is for Quality.
Being in school enables children to access quality lessons and experiences that, in turn, improve their quality of life.
R is for Right.
It is a child's right to receive an education, and parents must ensure they attend.
S is for Sleep.
Going to bed at a reasonable time and having a good night's sleep is essential for good attendance and a positive school experience.
T is for Term Time Leave.
Only in very exceptional circumstances will a leave of absence be authorised. A holiday will not usually be considered as an exceptional circumstance. Leave of 5 days or more will result in a penalty notice (fine), and leave of 20 days or more may mean your child loses their place at Phillimore.
All requests for leave must be made in person at least 2 weeks before or as soon as possible if it is an emergency. Each request will be considered based on individual circumstances.
U is for Unauthorised.
When a child is absent from school, it will either be authorised or unauthorised.
Days away from school for reasons such as a birthday, shopping or waking up late will be unauthorised.
Genuine illness or unforeseen events may be authorised.
If your child's attendance is already low - less than 93% we may not authorise an absence even if the reason given would usually be authorised.
In all cases of absence, you should contact the main school office on 01142494036 as soon as possible.
V is for Vision.
Our school attendance vision is;
At Phillimore, we know that regular attendance is crucial for academic success and personal growth. To support this, we aspire to create a school where every child feels valued, safe, and eager to learn.
Our vision is to foster a culture where:
* Every child's unique needs are understood and met. We will work closely with families to identify and address any barriers to attendance, ensuring that all children have the support they need to thrive.
* Positive relationships are at the heart of our school community. We will build strong bonds between staff, students, and families, creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere where everyone feels connected.
* Learning is engaging and meaningful. We will provide high-quality, inclusive education that inspires curiosity and a love of learning, making school a place children want to be.
* Wellbeing is prioritised. We will promote physical and mental health through various activities, ensuring our children feel happy, healthy, and ready to learn.
By working together, we can create a school where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
W is for Weather.
The school rarely closes because of the weather; if we do, we will tell you by text message and classdojo. You should always assume that school is open if you do not receive either. Always ensure your child is appropriately dressed for the weather.
X is for X code.
The X code records the part of the week children under 5 are not in school. It does not impact their percentage.
Y is for Youngest.
We apply the same approach to attendance to all children, including our youngest in FS1 (nursery). When you signed your FEL (Free Early Learning) agreement, you agreed to bring your child regularly. We do this because instilling good attendance habits as early as possible means better school attendance later.
Z is for Zealous.
To be zealous means being enthusiastic. We are enthusiastic about attendance at Phillimore because we know that regularly attending school benefits everyone now and in the future.