Attendance at The Flying Bull Academy

At the Flying Bull Academy we believe in creating our very own superstars of the future! We can only achieve this with the support of parents/carers, pupils and the dedicated team at The Flying Bull Academy. Ensuring that your child attends school every day plays a massive part in helping them become the very best that they can be.

Regular school attendance is an important part of giving your child the best possible start in life. Talking to your child and their teachers could help to solve any difficulties you may have in getting your child to go to school – and there are other forms of support available if you still have problems, please see Mrs Reeves who will be more than willing to help.

The Law  

By law, all children of compulsory school age (starting from the term after they are 5) must receive a suitable full-time education.  As a parent, you have a legal responsibility to make sure this happens.

Once your child is registered at a school, you are legally responsible for making sure they attend punctually and regularly. If your child fails to do so, you risk getting a penalty notice or being prosecuted.

Section 23 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 introduced additional powers under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 authorising local authorities to issue penalty notices in cases of unauthorised absence from school.

Percentage attendance explained  

These tables show the impact of absence on a child’s education across a school year

Overall attendance level	Number of days lost each year	Impact on child’s education
97% or more	5 days or less	These children have every chance to make really strong progress at school.
95%	10 days	These children benefit from strong overall attendance and are well placed to make good progress at school. We aim for every child to have at least 96% attendance overall.
90%	19 days	Children in this group are missing a month of school per year; it will be difficult for them to achieve their best.
85%	29 days	Children in this group are missing six weeks of school per year; there is a real risk that this lower attendance will hinder a child’s progress. Absence below 90% is considered to be persistent absenteeism.
80%	38 days	Children in this group are missing a full year of school over five years of education. They are not benefitting from their right to be educated. Parents / carers of young people in this group could be issued with a penalty notice.

 

Minutes late per day =	Days of learning lost per year
5	3.2
10	6.5
15	9.5
20	12.5
30	19

 

Is attendance important?  

Yes is the simple answer. Firstly it is a legal requirement for children of school age to regularly attend school.

Poor attendance in early years can have a significant impact on education and results at GCSE level. Primary education provides the important building blocks and foundations for all future education.  For your children to achieve their best in GCSEs and further education, they need to achieve well in primary. This can only be done if they are in school every day.

Holidays

The Headteacher can only authorise leaves of absence during term-time in the most exceptional circumstances and will look at each request individually. 

Illness

We know that you cannot stop your child from being ill. 

We do not want them to come into school if they very unwell. However, please ensure that you only keep your child away from school for genuine reasons.

We still have a large number of children who are absent on a regular basis due to headaches, coughs, colds, runny noses, tummy aches, sore throats, conjunctivitis, headlice, glandular fever, hand foot and mouth, ringworm, scabies, threadworm and mild tonsillitis (not requiring antibiotics). All of these minor conditions can generally be dealt with by speaking to your pharmacist or by treating your child with Paracetamol and sending them to school.  The school can administer medication with parental consent. ANY MEDICATION TO BE ADMINISTERED ON BEHALF OF THE PARENT MUST BE HANDED INTO THE ACADEMY OFFICE AND IT MUST BE ENTERED INTO THE MEDICATION FILE LOCATED IN THE OFFICE.

Reporting your child’s absence

In the event that your child is ill and will be absent from school, please ensure that you notify us by telephoning the school on 02392 694313 (Option 1 for Attendance) or reporting the absence through the StudyBugs App. Parents can sign up for the free App and use it to notify the school of their childs absence and the reasons for their absence. This can be done searching for studybugs.com on the internet. 

Please inform us of why your child is absent and when you expect them to return. 

What can I do to increase my child’s attendance?

• Contact the school to report absence; sometimes having the school number stored in your mobile can save you time
• Only grant days off for genuine illness - Would you miss a day at work for the same illness?
• Never book holidays during term time
• Be ready. Ensuring that you are aware of your child’s school routine and knowing what day your child needs a P.E or swimming kit will help you to avoid any issues.
• Keep in contact. Our Attendance and Data Officer is always willing to offer support and advice on ensuring that your child maintains an attendance rate that exceeds The Flying Bull Academy target.