We would like to thank our school community for their support with maintaining high levels of school attendance. Over the last two years, we have been one of the schools in Brighton and Hove with the highest attendance, consistently higher than the national average. This is something to be proud of, and we thank you all for your continued support.
Policy Updates
The Attendance and Punctuality Policy is always available on the Attendance page of the school website. Please read and familiarise yourself with the processes in place to support good, or better levels of school attendance.
Punctuality
Registers are taken as follows throughout the school day:
- Registers are marked by 8.40am. Pupils will receive a late mark ('L' code - late) if they are not in their classroom by this time.
- The register closes at 9.00am. Pupils will receive a mark of absence ('U' code - unauthorised absence) if they do not attend school before this time.
- After lunch, registers are marked within 5 minutes of returning to class from lunch. Pupils will receive a late mark ('L') if they are not in their classroom by this time, or an absence mark if they are late ('U').
Any children arriving late must enter the school via the front office with their parent/carer, and the check process must be completed.
| Doors Open | Doors Close | Register Taken | End of School Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.30am | 8.40am | 8.40am | 3.10pm |
Home Visits
Part of our attendance policy, as stipulated to us by the Local Authority, states that if children have been absent from school for 3 days without contact, staff may make a home visit to check in with the child. This visit is part of the school's duty of care to your child.
During the visit, we will discuss when the child will be returning to school as well as anything we, as a school, can do to help in this process. If for whatever reason no one is home, we will leave a note as well as a follow-up email to alert you to our visit.
Sickness
Children do get ill, which means they may need to have a few days off school. The traffic light guidance below may help you decide if your child is well enough to come into school.
If your child is having a regular, reoccurring medical issue, please let us know. We could get the school nurse involved to address your child's medical needs and improve their attendance. Individual Healthcare Plans will need to be devised with contributions from medical professionals.
RED - STAY AT HOME
Sickness & Diarrhoea
48 hours must have elapsed before a child can return to school from the last episode.
AMBER - SEEK ADVICE
Headache, Feeling Sick, Tummy Ache, Menstrual pains
Children often feel unwell if they are feeling worried; if in doubt, contact the school for advice.
GREEN - COME TO SCHOOL
Mild cough, Cold, Sore Throat, Feeling Tired
We will always contact you if your child is ill during the school day.
Please use the NHS guidance for further support: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
| Present Days | Attendance % | Category / Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 190 DAYS | 100% | Very best chance of success |
| 183 DAYS | 96% | Off to a flying start |
| 179 DAYS | 94% | Less chance of success |
| 175 DAYS | 92% | Harder to make progress |
| More than 18 days absence | Less than 90% | Persistent Absentee (Not fair on your child) |
Attendance Definitions
-
Exceptional Attendance is 99% or higher. Always in school on time.
-
Good Attendance is 96% or higher. Very rarely late to school.
-
Room for Improvement attendance falls below 96%, or the pupil is occasionally late to school.
-
Cause for Concern attendance is below 90%, or the pupil is frequently late to school.
Term Time Holidays
We fully understand that it is cheaper to go on holiday during term time, but as a school, we can only authorise an absence during term time in exceptional circumstances. A better deal, being unable to take leave in holiday periods, or work commitments are not deemed exceptional circumstances.
The DfE statutory guidance states that, "Generally, the DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance." It also states that, "A school cannot grant leave of absence retrospectively."
The fundamental principles for defining 'exceptional' are requests that are rare, significant, unavoidable, and short.
For term-time absence to be granted:
- Permission must be requested at least two weeks before the absence begins.
- Permission must be requested by the parent/carer with whom the pupil normally lives.
- A parent/carer must explain, by completing a Leave of Absence request form, why they believe the circumstances to be exceptional and provide all necessary evidence to the school at the time the request is made.
It is the parent/carer's responsibility to provide evidence when making the request. If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the school to determine the length of time the pupil can be away from school. The school follows Local Authority guidance on this.
A term-time absence taken without the school's written permission may trigger a Fixed Penalty Notice, which is issued by the Local Authority.
School Calendar 2025
Your future starts at school
Attend • Aim High • Achieve
Being at school is about much more than academic success. It's a way of...
We're here to help all pupils enjoy their time at school.
If you need support getting your child back into attending school, speak to school staff or visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/school-attendance
Medical Appointments
We request that, where possible, routine medical and dentist appointments are arranged outside school hours, as these appointments may affect your child's percentage attendance.
We do understand that some appointments, such as hospital consultations, are not always possible to arrange outside of school hours. However, if your appointment time allows your child to come to school for registration and then leave later, this will have a positive impact on their attendance. Likewise, if children are able to be back in school after their appointment, this will also have a positive impact.
All requests for appointments need to be put in writing, using the school form. We request this two weeks in advance. If the appointment is an emergency, we will accept the request closer to the date.
Attendance Letters
Every half term, we look at whole school attendance, including all the reasons for absence. We will contact, by letter, those parents whose child has an attendance level below 90%. The letters are written by the Local Authority and are standardised letters. Please bear this in mind if you do receive a letter and know that we, as a school, are here to support. However, we have a duty to follow Local Authority policy on attendance.
Some families will receive a call, alongside meetings with parents and possible pupil interviews.
We aim to work with parents/carers to help improve a child's attendance so that all children can benefit from being in school regularly and achieve their full potential.
We recognise that in the first term of school this could only mean one or two days off school and may be for a legitimate reason. However, we continue to do this as the process can also highlight children who are struggling to transition into their new class or children who have emerging emotional needs.
If you would like any support or advice on attendance or punctuality, please speak to Mrs Anna Mullans.
Fixed Penalty Notices
The national threshold for triggering a Fixed Penalty Notice is met when a pupil has been recorded as having had unauthorised absence for 10 or more sessions (5 or more school days) in a period of 10 school weeks.
One or a combination of the following codes count as unauthorised absence: G, N, O, or U.
| Penalty Notice Issued | £80 per parent per child |
| Not paid by 21st day of receipt | £160 per parent per child |
| Not paid by 28th day of receipt | Parents potentially prosecuted in court |
The first fine is £160 per parent/carer per child if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
If a second fine is issued to that parent/carer within a period of 3 school years, the fine is £160 per parent/carer per child to be paid within 28 days, and there is no reduction if paid within 21 days.
A third penalty notice cannot be issued to the same parent/carer in respect of the same child within 3 years of the first fine being issued. In a case where the national threshold is met for a third time (or subsequent times) within those 3 years, alternative action could be taken, such as prosecution.
There is no right of appeal once a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued, so disputes over how an absence is classified must be settled with the school before the absence is taken. Full details can be found in the Code of Conduct on the Brighton & Hove City Council website.
School is the key to future success!
Missing 2 Days
Of school each month
Missing nearly 3 weeks during a school year
15 minutes
late every day
two weeks of learning lost each school year
Data shows pupils with more than
95%
attendance
Achieve better GCSE results! At least one grade higher!
Even 90% attendance
is still 19 days of education lost in a school year
Does your child struggle to go to school?
Regular drop-in sessions for parents and carers
Hosted by the Family Support team, the sessions are a friendly space to access information and support and meet other parents/carers facing the same challenges.
Online sessions
24 February 7–8.30pm
19 May 7–8.30pm
Face-to-face sessions
Modelo Lounge (145 Church Road, Hove BN3 2AE)
17 March 10–11.30am
Alcampo Lounge (84 London Road, Brighton BN1 4JF)
21 April 10–11.30am
23 June 10–11.30am
If you need support getting your child back into attending school, speak to school staff or visit: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/school-attendance
To find out more or book onto the online sessions, please email: schoolsmentalhealthservice@brighton-hove.gov.uk or Jo Roeg: jo.roeg@brighton-hove.gov.uk