Our Approach to Attendance, Welfare and Safeguarding
Regular school attendance is vital for every pupil’s learning, wellbeing, and future opportunities. We want to share an overview of how we support attendance and how we work in partnership with families throughout the year.
Our expectation is that all pupils attend school every day and on time. However, we understand that difficulties with attendance often arise from wider challenges, and we take a supportive, solution-focused approach.
How We Support Pupils and Families
If your child is absent due to illness, SEND needs, mental health difficulties, family circumstances, or other barriers, we will work closely with you to understand what is happening and explore the right support. This may include:
- A named member of staff to coordinate communication
- Pastoral, wellbeing or academic support
- Reasonable adjustments or a phased return
- Liaison with external agencies if needed
Where a pupil has an EHC plan, we will also inform the local authority if attendance becomes a concern.
Telephone Calls and Home Visits
To keep pupils safe, it is essential that we know the reason for any absence.
- If your child is absent and we have not heard from you, you will receive a same-day telephone call.
- If absence continues without explanation, we will phone you each day to check your child’s safety and wellbeing.
- If a pupil has two consecutive days of unauthorised absence, a member of the pastoral team will call home.
- If there are three consecutive days of unauthorised absence, a home visit will be carried out. This is part of our safeguarding duty to ensure that all pupils are safe.
We appreciate your understanding - these steps are not punitive; they are in place to protect children.
Working Together
Strong attendance relies on a positive partnership between school and home. We ask parents/carers to:
- Ensure your child attends school daily and arrives on time
- Contact school before 8:45am on each day of absence
- Avoid term-time holidays except in exceptional circumstances
- Work with us if we identify attendance concerns
Our aim is always to provide timely, appropriate support that helps every pupil feel confident, safe and ready to learn.
If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or wellbeing, please contact us - we are here to help.
Thank you for your continued support.
