Your child’s attendance is very important to us and will be monitored closely. We expect all of our children to attend everyday so that we can support them in achieving their very best potential. The Beacon Primary Academy, in line with government directives, expects pupils to attend school for at least 97% of the time. This equates to half a day’s absence every two weeks. If a pupil is absent for a whole day their attendance for that week drops to 80%.

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 have removed the reference to holidays during term time and now provide that a leave of absence during term time will only be granted where an application is made in advance to the school and the school considers that a leave of absence should be granted due to exceptional circumstances relating to that application. What amounts to ‘exceptional circumstances’ is a matter of discretion for the Headteacher/Principal and should be judged on a case by case basis but it is unlikely to amount to an exceptional circumstance if it is merely claimed that a holiday abroad can only be afforded in term time or that a parent is unable to take leave during school holidays.

If your leave of absence has not been authorised by the Academy you may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice by the Local Authority. This could result in a fine of up to £60 per parent per child.

Any parent of a child who achieves less than the expected level of attendance (97%) will be contacted and the necessary discussions and support will be provided. Actions will be agreed and monitored. Our Education Welfare Officers and the Attendance Officer work closely with families to ensure that the children attend regularly and therefore achieve their full potential. Awards and incentives will be shared with the children on a weekly basis to make them aware of the importance of attending every day.

Learning opportunities will be varied and exciting to engage all children and ensure that they are motivated to attend our Academy. When children are unwell, parents/carers should notify the Academy before 8:45am. A Family Support Worker is available to support families with any difficulties that they may face. Our current Family Support Workers have fantastic relationships with parents/carers who have children at the other five Academies on the East Coast which are also sponsored by the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust. They arrange family days out and other social events that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Parents have a responsibility for ensuring their child attends the Academy regularly and punctually. The Academy expects that all parents communicate with them, either in writing or by telephone, giving a reason:

1. In advance of any planned absence.
2. Immediately following any unplanned absence.
3. During any absence expected to last more than three days.

 

It is easy to inform the office of an absence!

You can either visit the office directly or:

Telephone: 01754 879211

Email: lcrow@beaconprimaryacademy.org

Please include your child’s name, class and reason for absence in your email.