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 runs an affordable before school “Breakfast club”.
• A free Bagel Bar in the playground before school.
• A weekly celebration assembly includes a focus on attendance.
• The local authority Education Welfare Officer attends school every 3 weeks to monitor attendance.
• We use positive signage and posters to promote the message that attendance is important.

• Class attendance is shared on the school newsletter

• Weekly attendance data for every class is displayed on our website.

• All classroom doors have an Attendance poster called ‘the Scores on the Doors’ which is updated weekly 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 Pastoral manager who will monitor and support their attendance to help improve.

To reward and celebrate good attendance and punctuality:

• Every week we hold a celebration assembly to award the Attendance trophy and certificate to the class with the best attendance.
• At the end of each term, the class with the best attendance choose a reward.
• Children who are missing will be visited by the pastoral manger and head teach who will chose a time weekly to go and discover why children are not in school. They will door knock.

‘Reach for the stars’

Bridge Hall Primary School encourages all pupils to achieve 100% attendance.

Our whole school attendance target is 96%

Weekly Attendance Figures

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 Learning Mentors to carry out a home visit.

For more information, please refer to the link below

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

Attendance - Exceptional Leave

The 2013 amendments made it clear that 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.

Guidelines for Exceptional Leave

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 and we believe in rewarding good attendance and punctuality to engage and motivate our children. We have many initiatives to support and celebrate attendance and punctuality so that it remains a high profile in school and with our families.

Some of the ways in which we promote and celebrate good attendance and punctuality:

• Celebration assembly weekly to award the class with the best attendance a trophy and certificate.

• All classroom doors have an Attendance poster called ‘the Scores on the Doors’ which is updated weekly with the class’ attendance.

• At the end of the year, the class with the best attendance for the year wins a prize.  A prize will be drawn out of the attendance cup.

• Individual Class attendance is shared on the half termly school newsletter.

• For those children who require support on an individual basis, a bespoke reward system is in place.

Attendance – Punctuality

It is very important that all children arrive to school at 8.40am every day. If your child arrives after 9am they are late and will not be able to come into school via their usual morning entrance. You should make your way to the main school entrance with your child where a staff member will greet you and mark your child’s attendance.

Please note that if your child arrives to school later than 9.30am, we are required to mark them as ‘absent late’ (which is not an authorised absence) for that half day session.

If your child is regularly late, you will be asked to accompany your child to the classroom along with the pastoral manager, and to attend a meeting to discuss how punctuality can be improved.

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 Bridge Hall Primary School 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