Our school target for attendance is 96.8%. We take action to improve children’s attendance should it fall below 95%. This includes monitoring attendance on a fortnightly basis, letters to parents, meetings with the Headteacher and visits from the BLP Attendance Officer.
Why is good attendance important?
- Having a good education will give pupils the best start in life
- If a pupil does not attend regularly, he or she will not be able to keep up with the work
- Employers want to recruit young people who are reliable
- Parents/carers know their child is safe
- It is the law
What should parents/carers do to help?
- Ensure their child attends school every day
- Ensure their child leaves for school with plenty of time to arrive on time
- Support their child by attending Parents’ Evenings
Some figures to think about
Imagine that a pupil has 90% attendance. Sounds good doesn’t it? But is it …?
- 90% attendance = ½ a day missed every week!
- 1 school year at 90% = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed!
Leave of absence requests
Please work with us to ensure that your child has good attendance
Regular attendance at school is vital for your child’s education and future success. However, there are limited circumstances in which a leave of absence may be granted. Schools must follow the Department for Education’s (DfE) guidance outlined in Working Together to Improve School Attendance (2025) when considering any requests for absence.
A leave of absence may only be approved in specific situations, such as:
- Participation in a regulated performance or employment abroad, where a licence has been issued by the appropriate authority.
- Attending an interview for entry into another educational institution or future employment.
- Study leave for public examinations (excluding internal assessments such as mock exams).
- A temporary, time-limited part-time timetable, agreed in advance between parents and the school for exceptional reasons.
- Exceptional circumstances, considered on a case-by-case basis by the school, taking into account the individual situation and relevant background information.
Schools determine the length of any approved absence.
Please note that family holidays, leisure activities, and protest participation during school hours are not considered exceptional circumstances and will not be authorised.
If you wish to request a leave of absence, please complete this form in advance, providing full details of the request. The school will carefully consider your application before making a decision.
Click here to complete a leave of absence request form.
Illness
If your child is not able to attend school, you should call or email school by 9.00am on the first day of absence so that we know your child is safe with you. You should inform us of any illness and a date to return to school. We will ring or text as soon as possible to locate a child who has not been registered or reported absent. All absences must be explained either by a phone call or in writing.
Key Documents
