Attendance

Regular attendance at school is vital to a child’s academic success and overall development. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to achieve well, feel confident, and develop positive learning habits.

Our Attendance Expectation

At Bassett Green Primary School, we expect all children to aim for 96% attendance or above. This means missing no more than just over one week of school between September and July.

We carefully monitor attendance for all pupils and will contact parents if a child’s attendance becomes a concern. Our aim is always to work in partnership with families to support good attendance.

If attendance remains low and school-based support has not been successful, we may make a referral to the Education Welfare Service (EWS). This is a last resort and will only happen after all other support options have been explored.

Reporting Absence

If your child is absent for any reason, please inform the school office by 9:15am on the first day of absence, either:

• by telephone, email or

• in person.

Please provide as much detail as possible. We are unable to authorise absences if the reason given is unclear (for example, “unwell”).

Absences are recorded using the following codes:

• I – Illness

• C – Authorised absence

• O – Unauthorised absence

Punctuality

The school day begins at 8:30am. It is important that children arrive on time so they can start their learning calmly and confidently.

• After 8:40am – marked as Late (L code)

• After 9:00am – marked as Late After Registers Close (U code)

  • This counts as an unauthorised absence, unless medical evidence is provided.

Please note:
Children arriving after 9:30am will need to bring a packed lunch unless a school meal has been ordered in advance.

Medical Appointments

We ask that medical appointments (doctors, dentists, opticians or hospital visits) are arranged outside of school hours wherever possible.

If an appointment must take place during the school day:

• the register will be marked with an M code (Authorised Absence)

• this does affect attendance

• appointment letters or evidence must be provided to authorise the absence

Leaving school during lessons can be disruptive to learning, so we appreciate your support in minimising this where possible.

When Is My Child Too Ill for School?

We understand that it can sometimes be difficult to decide whether your child is well enough to attend school.

We use guidance from the NHS website to support our decisions. Parents are encouraged to use this resource to help decide when children should stay at home or return to school.

👉 Click here to visit the NHS site

Please be aware at Bassett Green Primary School we follow a 24 hour recovery period following diarrhea and vomiting.