Attendance – Greenholm Primary School

Attendance Matters

At Greenholm, we recognise that good attendance is essential for helping children succeed both academically and in life. Regular school attendance allows children to build friendships, develop routines, and fully engage with their learning. While we understand that life can present challenges—such as illness—we are here to work with families to provide the support and guidance needed to maintain positive attendance.

Absences

Why Attendance is Important

Good attendance is defined as attending school 95% or more of the time. This ensures that children do not miss out on important lessons and activities.

Attendance below 90% is categorised as persistent absence, which can significantly impact a child’s education and overall well-being.

We are here to assist families in addressing any challenges that may affect attendance. Whether through direct support or by connecting families with other helpful services, we are here to help.

What Happens with Persistent and Severe Absence

95% or above: Excellent attendance!
Below 90%: Persistent absence. We will reach out to discuss the situation and may issue fines if necessary.
Below 75%: This level of absence is treated as a safeguarding concern and is taken very seriously.
Below 50%: Severe absence. Outside agencies may become involved to ensure the child receives the support they need.

Rewards for Great Attendance

We celebrate good attendance and reward both individual children and classes for their commitment:

For Individual Children:

Perfect attendance for the week earns a sticker and entry into a termly prize draw.
Termly prizes include a £50 Smyths Toy Voucher for each phase: EYFS, Year 1-2, Year 3-4, and Year 5-6.
Children with 100% attendance each term will earn colourful badges, progressing through the rainbow.
Parents of children with 95% or better attendance will receive a thank-you letter at the end of each half-term.

For Classes:

Weekly trophies and 5 minutes additional break time are awarded to the class in each phase with:
- The best attendance.
- The most improved attendance.
- The fewest late arrivals.

Keeping You Informed

We aim to keep parents informed about their child’s attendance. To do this, we:

Use clear language, referring to days missed instead of percentages where possible.
Share your child’s attendance record with you at the start of each term.

How We Act on Attendance Bands:

95%-100% (Band 1): Excellent attendance. A thank-you letter will be sent at the end of the half-term.
90%-95% (Band 2): At risk of persistent absence. We will contact parents if attendance falls below 95%.
85%-90% (Band 3): Persistently absent. We will contact parents and follow up with a letter if attendance drops below 90%.
Below 85% (Band 4): Serious concerns. We will invite you to meet with our attendance leaders to discuss how we can offer support.

Leave of Absence Requests

The law does not grant parents an automatic right to take their child out of school during term time. Only exceptional circumstances—such as unavoidable emergencies—will be considered for authorised leave. Holidays or leisure trips during term time are not authorised.

If you need to request time off, please inform the school as early as possible, ideally at least 15 days in advance. Even if the absence is unauthorised, it is important that we know where your child is for their safety. If we do not hear from you, it may lead to safeguarding concerns.

Where children are not receiving a full-time education and there is not a good reason why, parents may face a penalty notice for irregular attendance, or even be referred to court where they could receive both a fine and a criminal record.

Home Visits and Absence Procedures

Absences

If your child is absent from school, it is essential that you notify the school as soon as possible by leaving a voice message on the absence line at 0121 464 6321 for each day of absence. This ensures we can monitor attendance and verify the child’s safety.

If we have not received notification, we will call parents to confirm that the child is ill and ensure their safety. This process helps us confirm that children have not become lost on the way to school or are otherwise unaccounted for.

Appointments

If your child needs to leave school for an appointment, please ensure they are signed out at the school office. This allows us to track where your child is going and who they will be with during their absence. In some cases, we may ask for proof of the appointment, which can include an appointment letter or confirmation from the medical provider.

Home Visits

If we are unable to contact you or if we have concerns about a child’s welfare, the school’s attendance team may arrange a home visit. The purpose of this visit is to ensure that the child is safe and to offer any additional support as needed. If a child’s absence continues to be a concern, further actions may be taken to ensure that the child receives appropriate assistance.