---
title: "Attendance and absence procedures"
url: "https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/attendance-and-absence-procedures"
school: "Bolton Primary School"
---

# Attendance and absence procedures

## **Absence Procedures and Arriving Late**

**If your child is absent from school, it is important that the child's parents or carers contact us before 9am by telephone on 017683 61511. We ask that you contact us each day that your child is absent.**

**If the school has not been notified of the child's absence, the school office will contact you after the morning register to check that your child is safe.**

**School Attendance**

The staff at Bolton Primary School are committed, in partnership with the parents/carers, children, governors and the Local Authority, to building a school which serves the community and of which the community is proud. Bolton Primary School firmly believes that all children benefit from regular school attendance. Full and regular attendance at school is crucial for a child’s future life chances and establishes a positive work ethic early in life. To this end, we will do all we can to encourage parents/carers to ensure their children achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent full attendance are identified and acted on promptly. Pupils will be expected to achieve 100% attendance, but when absence is unavoidable, parents/carers will be required to inform the school at the earliest opportunity.
Bolton Primary School believes that in order to facilitate teaching and learning, good attendance is essential. Pupils cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school.
We understand that parents may have questions around term-time holidays and exceptional circumstances.
Starting in September 2024, the Local Authority are working hard to promote and improve attendance by working much more closely with schools. Our Attendance Officer is Victoria Stewardson contact email: Victoria.stewardson@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Please see documents below that explain the approach to attendance and clarify term time holidays and penalties.

**Punctuality and Registration**

At Bolton Primary School, the register is taken twice each day in line with statutory requirements. Morning registration takes place at **8:55am** and afternoon registration takes place at **1:15pm**.

To ensure a calm and positive start to the day, we ask that all children arrive at school between **8:45am and 8:50**, giving them time to settle and prepare for learning.

The morning register closes at **9am**. Children arriving after this time will be recorded as late. If a child arrives after **9:15am** and we have not received a valid reason for their absence, the session will be recorded as an unauthorised absence in line with Department for Education (DfE) guidance.

The afternoon register closes at **1:20pm**.

Attendance is recorded using the DfE's national attendance and absence codes, and the school follows current statutory guidance and regulations relating to pupil attendance.

**Every day counts**

Pupils cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school. We want every child to achieve their full potential and we know that parents share this goal. There is a clear link between good attendance and educational achievement. If your child is not in school, on time, as often as possible they will be missing out on many important parts of their education.

**Why is regular attendance at school important?**

Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day as:

- they learn better
- they make friends
- they are happier
- they have a brighter future.

The Government regard 95% as the minimum satisfactory attendance for a school pupil.
Days off school add up to lost learning. Please don’t let your children miss out on the education they deserve.

**How does your child compare?**

| Attendance during one school year | equals this number of days absent | which is approximately this many weeks absent | which means this number of lessons missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | 9 days | 2 weeks | 50 lessons |
| 90% | 19 days | 4 weeks | 100 lessons |
| 85% | 29 days | 6 weeks | 150 lessons |
| 80% | 38 days | 8 weeks | 200 lessons |

We monitor attendance closely and contact parents to inform them and offer support where attendance has dropped and causes concern.
Good attendance is promoted in school through assemblies and rewards. We are always happy to work with families to support and improve attendance.

**Absence reporting procedures**

If your child is absent from school due to illness, please telephone school and inform the office staff or leave a message ideally before 9am. If your child’s illness lasts for more than one day, you must phone school daily and inform us why your child is still absent. If your child’s illness lasts longer than 48hrs and you have not already done so, we advise you to seek medical attention.
Parental illness is NOT an excuse for children not attending school. Children must attend school every day unless they are ill.

**Feeling a Little Under the Weather?**

We understand that children do not always wake up feeling 100%, and it can be difficult to decide whether they should attend school. Please let us know that your child is feeling a little under the weather but is well enough to attend school. Our staff will be informed and will keep an eye on them throughout the day, providing reassurance and support where needed.

**Medical Appointments**

Try and make medical appointments outside of school hours. If your child has a medical appointment in school time, before the appointment takes place, please let the school office know.

**It is a parent/carer’s legal responsibility to ensure their children receive appropriate education. Failing to send your child to school regularly without good reason is a criminal offence. If your child's level of absence is a concern, school will offer advice and support to improve attendance. After this and if there is no improvement, any unauthorised absence may result in the school and the Local Authority taking legal action.**

**Leave in Term Time Leave of Absence from School**

Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Unauthorised absence of this nature will be subject to a fine. The local authority will determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted. Please observe these new regulations. They have been re-written with the education of your child at their heart. Should there be any exceptional circumstances, please make an appointment to discuss them with the Head Teacher before making any bookings or contact the attendance officer directly.  All requests for term time absence should be made using the form at the bottom of this page (also available from the school office).

**Lateness**

As you may be aware, the law treats some persistent lateness in the same way as irregular attendance and parents may be prosecuted by the local authority if late arrival is not resolved.

| Minutes late  per day during  the school year | Equals days worth of  teaching lost in a year |
|---|---|
| 5 mins | 3.4 days |
| 10 mins | 6.9 days |
| 15 mins | 10.3 days |
| 20 mins | 13.8 days |
| 30 mins | 20.7 days |

Poor punctuality can lead to your child…

- Feeling embarrassed in front of their friends
- Missing the beginning of vital lessons
- Missing important instructions for the rest of the school day
- Learning bad habits which could affect their employability in the future

If your child arrives at school after 8.55am when the gates/doors are closed, your child will be admitted by staff in the front office.

**Late Collection Policy**

Please inform school if you will be late collecting your child after 3.30pm. Children will be supervised in school.
Remember to let school know if your child is allowed to walk home alone after school.
Let school know if someone different is collecting your child e.g. grandparent.
Please ensure that you contact both Bolton School and Bolton Nursery regarding After School Club arrangements for wrap around care.

### Documentation relating to Attendance and Term-time Holidays from the Local Authority Commencing autumn 2024

 WF letter to parents re National Framework for penalty notices  123 KB  [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/bolton-primary-school-2/files/documents/WF_letter_to_parents_re_National_Framework_for_penalty_notices.pdf)

See link below to our attendance policy.

- [Policies](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/policies)

### Notification of a pupil’s leave of absence

 Notification of a pupil’s leave of absence  676 KB  [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/bolton-primary-school-2/files/documents/Notification_of_a_pupil%E2%80%99s_leave_of_absence.pdf)

### Key Information

- [Admissions](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/admissions)
- [Attendance and absence procedures](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/attendance-and-absence-procedures)
- [British Values](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/british-values)
- [Equality](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/equality)
- [Financial Information](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/financial-information)
- [GDPR](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/gdpr)
- [Governors](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/governors)
- [Policies](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/policies)
- [Local Offer](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/local-offer)
- [Ofsted and Performance Data](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/ofsted-and-performance-data)
- [Online Safety Information](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/online-safety-information)
- [PE and Sport Premium](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/pe-and-sport-premium)
- [Pupil Premium](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/pupil-premium)
- [Safeguarding Information](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/safeguarding-information)
- [School Improvement](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/school-improvement)
- [School Values](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/school-values)
- [SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/send-special-educational-needs-and-disabilities)

   ![Bolton Primary School](https://files.schudio.com/bolton-primary-school-2/images/logo/logo.png)

### Bolton Primary School

 Appleby-in-Westmorland
Cumbria CA16 6AW

 017683 61511

### Helpful Links

- [Prospectus](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/about-us/prospectus)
- [School Day](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/about-us/our-school-day)
- [Admissions](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/admissions)
- [Governors](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/governors)

### Useful Links

- [Policies](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/key-information/policies)
- [Term Dates](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/parents/term-dates)
- [Curriculum](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/bolton-primary-curriculum)
- [Newsletter](https://www.bolton.cumbria.sch.uk/newsletters)

### Translation

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