Attendance

The children at BCPA enjoy learning and want to be in school. Good attendance is key to learning and development and we expect you to make sure that your child attends school regularly and on time.

Children in our school are rewarded for good attendance every year in a special assembly. Our attendance target is 97%. Attendance is recorded at morning registration at 8.50am and again at afternoon registration at 1.30pm.

Our school gates are opened at 8.40am and children are allowed to go to their classrooms straight away. The gates will then be locked at 8.50am when the school day officially starts. Any children arriving at school after 8.50am will need to enter the school via the main entrance where their reason for lateness will be recorded and requests for hot dinners will be taken.

If you are late, please do not come into school via the side gate without informing a member of the office staff because we need to know that your child is in school and whether or not they require a hot lunch.

Any child arriving at school after 9.10am will be marked in the register with an unauthorised code (U), unless the school office have been informed of a medical appointment. If your child has 10 unauthorised codes in a 10 week period you will be issued with a warning letter/penalty notice which could lead to a fine.

If you experience any difficulty in getting your child to school on time it is really important that you speak to Mrs Breen in the School Office as soon as possible.

Leave of absence will not be authorised in term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. In this instance you must request authorised leave from the Head Teacher, Miss Lewis.

If you intend taking your child out of school it is essential that you complete a Leave of Absence Form at least two weeks before the intended absence so that we know that your child is absent from school and in your care. This is required irrespective of whether the absence will be authorised or unauthorised.

REPORTING ABSENCE

We do understand that sometimes children are ill or have to attend medical appointments.

If your child is ill, we ask that you telephone school absence line by 8.45am on the first day of absence (01242 673814) and leave your child's name, class and reason for absence. If your child is likely to absent from school for a longer period of time we ask that you keep us updated with the likely date of return but it is not necessary to phone each day.

Please remember that children with vomiting and/or diarrhoea should be kept off school for 48 hours after the last incidence of vomiting/diarrhoea. Please see the link below for further information about when to keep a sick child off school.

If your child has a medical appointment please could you inform the school office in writing. The office staff will make sure that your child's absence is correctly recorded in the register and that the class teacher is made aware. You may want to remind the teacher on the day of the appointment so that your child is ready to be collected at the right time.

Please click here for our Attendance Policy

Please click here for our Attendance Handbook

Please click here for NHS advice about when to keep a sick child off school.