Attendance & Absence

Winterbourne Academy and the Olympus Academy Trust are passionate about attendance because being in school regularly really does matter! Making connections everyday with other children and staff builds belonging, which we believe is an essential component of a healthy, happy child.

You can see our Attendance Policy here: Winterbourne Academy Attendance Policy

New guidance about attendance has been published by the government, effective from 18th August 2024, and can be found here.

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Why is good attendance important?

Building habits of regular attendance ensures that your child enjoys the many benefits that school brings, such as opportunities for learning and making progress as well as wider personal development, and enjoying different enrichment clubs, sports or creative activities.  

 Emotional Wellbeing

• Routine helps children and young people feel secure and less anxious.
• Attending regularly helps children and young people feel part of our school communities.
• Regular attendance can contribute to better mental health and overall

Social Benefits

• Develop and improve essential interpersonal skills
• Being in school helps children and young people develop meaningful friendships.
• Engaging in opportunities like enjoying different enrichment clubs.
• Working with classmates in lessons and activities builds essential teamwork skills.

 Academic Benefits

• Being in school every day provides the best opportunity for learning and making progress.
• Regular attendance helps children and young people keep up with learning and understanding their lessons.
• Attending school every day means students don’t fall behind and can stay on track.
• Being in school regularly gives children and young people the best chance to make expected or better academic progress.
• Children and young people who attend regularly have the best access to teachers and extra support when needed.
• Being present supports children and young people to form meaningful and lasting friendships.

What should I do if my child is ill or needs to attend a medical appointment?

If your child is ill, it can help to read this NHS advice to help you decide whether they can go to school: www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school

If you decide your child is too ill to attend school (or any other reason including appointments during the school day), it is important that you contact us before 8.30am or as soon as practically possible on the day of absence (and each subsequent day of absence). You can do this by phone or email:

When reporting illness-related absence, please provide as much information as possible, e.g. D&V (diarrhoea and vomiting); flu-like symptoms; high temperature, etc. Where possible, try to avoid using reasons such as ‘ill’ and ‘unwell’. Please contact the school on each day of absence. On the day your child returns to school they must bring a note from their parent/carer explaining the reason for absence.

To avoid disruption to your child’s attendance, medical and dental appointments should not be booked during the school day whenever possible. When they are, you should ask the school in advance for a leave of absence and collect them as close to the time of the appointment as possible and return them to school for the rest of the school day.

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 What should I do if my child is late to school?

Punctuality to all lessons is key. Lessons start at 8.30am and therefore students need to be in the school grounds by 8.25am to ensure that they are in class for an orderly and prompt start where no learning is lost.

For students arriving to school late:

• If arriving after 8.25am, they should go to the back gate where they will be signed in as late.
• If arriving after 8.45am, they should enter through the front entrance.

To protect our more vulnerable students and the health and safety of all students, staff and visitors to school, the front entrance should only be used by students before 8.45am if they have a pass provided to them by the school.

If a student arrives after 8.25am without a legitimate reason being provided by a parent/carer, they will receive an after-school detention the next day. Please email studentabsence@winterbourneacademy.org.uk before the end of the school day to avoid a sanction being set. If a bus has arrived late, we will of course be aware of this and there will be no need to contact us and no detention will be set.

 What should I do if I have concerns about my child's attendance?

Where a parent or carer has concerns about their child’s attendance, we really want to hear from you so that we can work together to reduce absence from school. You should still do everything you can to help your child attend as much as possible whilst waiting for help and support to be put into place.

We know that for some children, attending school and the routine of learning is more difficult - please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Your first point of contact should be your child’s Tutor, Head of Year or Pastoral Lead who will work with you and your child to overcome the issues. We will agree a set of joint actions to support your child and will arrange times to review these actions and your child’s progress. Depending on the reasons for your child’s absence, this may take the form of an action plan, medical support plan, individual health care plan, an early help plan, or a parenting contract.

Key Stage Leads

Heads of Year

 You can also get further support through the Further Resources links below. 

What does 'good' attendance look like?

Every moment is school counts and missed days can add up quickly. The table below outlines what good attendance is. Given every day missed will create gaps in learning and lost experience with friends we encourage families and pupils to aim for 100% attendance.

 

Excellent	100%	0 days missed
Very good	97.5%	5 days missed
Good	95%	10 days missed
Concerning	93%	14 days missed
Serious concern	Below 93%	More than 14 days missed

 

How can parents/carers help?

• Telling your child how important school is.  
• Praising your child’s achievements and celebrating their success.
• Organising non-urgent medical appointments after school.  
• Helping your child get into a routine at breakfast and bedtime. 
• Encouraging healthy eating and exercise.

 How to I request an absence from school?

DfE regulations regarding leave in term time state that no student may take leave during term time, unless this fits the criteria of an exceptional circumstance (see our Attendance Policy for details). The Headteacher will make the final decision as to what constitutes exceptional circumstances. If leave is granted, the Headteacher will determine the number of Academy days a child can be away.

• Requested absence will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.
• Holiday requests will not be granted.

If a student’s family requests a leave of absence due to exceptional circumstances, a Request for Absence During Term Time form will need to be completed before the absence begins (please contact the school office if you would like a paper copy):

Any absence taken without authorisation may lead to the involvement of the Education Welfare Officer. Parents/carers may be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice for taking their child on holiday during term time without the consent of the Academy. Early intervention and student support sits at the heart of our approach to raising levels of student attendance.

The Olympus Academy Trust prioritises the monitoring, support and robust action needed to secure high levels of attendance and works in close partnership with the Local Authority to place matters before the court in circumstances where parents/carers do not ensure that their child attends school regularly and punctually.

 

Unauthorised Absences

In cases where no valid reason for absence has been provided or where your child arrives after the register has closed at 8.40am, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. 

Where no reason has been provided, we will contact you either by text, email or telephone to check if your child is safe and why they are absent. In some cases, it may be necessary to carry out a home visit.

The Headteacher may issue a fine (known as a Fixed Penalty Notice) for unauthorised absence. This can include:

• Holidays
• Not providing a reason for absence
• Unauthorised lateness to school (after the registers are closed)

The decision whether to issue a fine will take into account whether the national threshold has been met – namely 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks – as well as other factors. Note that 10 sessions are 5 full days.

Before a fine is issued, you may receive a notice to improve to give you a chance to engage with support.

The new penalty rates are:

• £160 per parent per child, £80 if paid within 21 days.
• Second offence within 3 years: £160 with no discount.

There is a maximum of 2 penalties in 3 years per child. Further offences may lead to prosecution.

Click here for more information on penalties enforced by South Gloucestershire Local Authority.

Where can I access further resources?

• How to improve your child’s school attendance and where to get support   – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)
• Mental health resources for children, students, parents, carers and school/college staff – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)
• Guidance for parents on school attendance (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)
• Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• How can I support myself and my child through their school anxiety and avoidance? - BBC Bitesize
• School anxiety and refusal: How parents can help their child get through tough times - BBC Bitesize
• Young Minds - www.youngminds.org.uk
• www.otrbristol.org.uk 

attendance leaflet 2024 25.pdf