At Bridge Hall Primary we know the impact good attendance and punctuality has on our children’s learning, and we have many initiatives to support and celebrate attendance and punctuality to ensure it remains a high profile in school with our staff, children and their families.

Our attendance figures are continually improving over time when compared to the same period last year for both the whole school and for individual classes. This is as a result of consistently high expectations and rigour in monitoring and promoting good attendance right across school, and through swift and effective action to support and challenge poor attendance.

Attendance - Rewards

Promoting and Celebrating Good Attendance and Punctuality

At Bridge Hall Primary we understand the impact good attendance and punctuality has on our children’s learning.

We don’t believe in overly rewarding 100% attendance, as it is our expectation that children attend school every day.

We believe firmly in our school message “Every child matters and every day counts”

This is how our school is led and the ethos we want our children to become part of.

We have many initiatives to support and celebrate attendance and punctuality so that it remains a high profile in school and with our families.

To support good attendance and punctuality:

• The school offers a free breakfast in class to any child who needs it.
• School opens at 8.30 am to allow children to enjoy breakfast as a social time with their friends and their teacher.
• A celebration assembly each half term to focus on attendance.
• The Senior Leadership Team monitors attendance each month.
• We use positive signage and posters to promote the message that attendance is important.
• All classroom doors have an Attendance poster called ‘the Scores on the Doors’ which is updated each half term with the class’s attendance.

• For those children who require support on an individual basis, a bespoke reward system is in place.  Including 121 work with the Welfare Assistant, who will monitor and support their attendance to help improve.
• If any child is not in school and no reason for their absence has been received, the school office will contact the parents by phone.
• If School are concerned about a child missing from school, their home will be visited by the Welfare Assistant and Headteacher to establish why the child is not in school and begin the process support for the family.

Attendance - Illness

If your child has a medical appointment or is considered too ill to attend school due to a minor illness you must contact the school first thing in the morning, before 9:30am, informing them of the reason for the absence and how long you expect them to be absent. We would require proof of medical appointments i.e. medical appointment card, medical note from the doctor or proof of prescription.

If your child's attendance is below 90% then it would be routine for our Senior Leadership Team to send out an attendance concern letter.

 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Attendance - Exceptional Leave

Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term-time unless ‘exceptional circumstances’ prevail. The regulations also state that head teachers should determine the number of school days a pupil can be away from school in the event that leave is granted for ‘exceptional circumstances’.

If you require Exceptional Leave:

Please visit the School Office to collect an Exceptional Leave Request form which must be completed in full.  Please DO NOT book flight tickets/arrange travel until the Headteacher has reviewed your Exceptional Leave form.

Should your Exceptional Leave request be unauthorised and you still decide to go, you will be invited into school to discuss this further. We will ask that you bring proof of travel, medical information etc. Unauthorised Exceptional Leave could result in a Fixed Penalty Fine, and your child could lose their school place.

Attendance - Admissions

Parents considering applying to the school are welcome to come and look around. Please contact the school to make an appointment.

By law, a child does not have to start full-time education until the beginning of the school term following his or her fifth birthday.

At our nursery, we offer 3 intakes a year and we offer place for the free 30 hours entitlement, these can be used flexibly over the week. More can be bought if wanted.

IMPORTANT!

Children who attend our Nursery are not automatically allocated a place within this school. 

Our school does not deal with transfer to High Schools but we are happy to support you with the process

For more information about applying for a school place, please see the Stockport.gov website