Arbourthorne Community Primary School

Attendance and Times of the School Day

Times of the School Day

Classrooms informally open at 8.30am and all staff are ready to offer children, parents/ carers a warm welcome! The senior and pastoral team, including SENCos are here to meet and greet from 8.30am at the front of school and in the playground and you can talk with them if you need any help. Teachers may have time to speak with you at drop off, and longer discussions can be arranged for a different time. Adults can drop children off at their classroom door.

School officially starts at 8.45am and finishes at 3.15pm. Children attend school for 32.5 hours per week.

Be here by 8.40am for a prompt start to the school day!

Phase/Year Group	Morning	Lunch	Afternoon
Nursery	8:30 - 11:30	11:30 - 12:10	12:10 - 3:10
Reception	8:45 - 11:30	11:30 - 12:30	12:30 - 3:15
Key Stage 1	8:45 - 11:50	11:50 - 12:50	12:50 - 3:15
Key Stage 2	8:45 - 12:15	12:15 - 1:15	1:15 - 3:15
The Hive (IRU)	8:45 - 12:10	12:10 - 1:10	1:10 - 3:15

Breakfast Clubs

Free Breakfast

Breakfast Club provides a free breakfast option for all children from FS to Y6. Children can be dropped off at Magic Breakfast from 8:15am and enjoy a free healthy breakfast to prepare for a fantastic day of learning before joining the class at the start of the day.

If you would like more information about your child joining Magic Breakfast Club please ask at the school office.

Team Bagel Breakfast

We serve free bagels and fruit in the yard to all children on arrival at school.

Why is attendance and punctuality important?

Regular attendance and good punctuality are vital to the educational achievement and personal development of your child. Pupils who attend regularly can fully benefit from the academic, personal and social opportunities offered to them at Arbourthorne Community Primary School.

Improving attendance is everyone’s business here!

We have high expectations for all pupils' attendance and expect your child to be here on time, ready to learn each day. We recognise and celebrate both attendance success and improvements.

What do I need to know about school attendance?

A group of Year 6 pupils have contributed to the writing of a useful guide to help you with everything you need to know about school attendance. You can read the booklet here online or download it for later. Click here to download.

How should I notify school my child will be absent?

Contact the school on the first day your child is absent, either by telephone (0114 2398163 and press 1) or in person. When leaving a message for the attendance team please state:
- Your child name
- Class
- The reason for absence
- The expected date of return.
If we do not have a reason for non attendance, expect a phone call or home visit.
If an absence continues, you must contact the school again each day your child is unable to attend.

If your child’s absence has already been highlighted as a cause for concern you may be asked to provide evidence to support the absence. This will be in the form of an appointment card for a medical appointment, an appointment text sent to a parent or prescribed medication or the tear off part of the prescription slip is also acceptable. This should be taken to the office in order for the absence to be authorised. We will never ask you to get a doctors note for your child.

We work closely with Sheffield City Council to secure your child's good attendance and you may be asked to speak with an attendance officer if we have concerns about your child's attendance.

Absence will only be authorised when a satisfactory reason has been provided.

How will school help me and my family if we are finding attending school difficult?

Our Multi-Tiered System of support shows you how we help everyone achieve strong attendance. The strategies we use to support everyone are shown in Tier 1. If you and your family need more support with the attendance of your child we will help you achieve this within Tier 2 or 3.

Tier 1 - Universal Support

The role of teachers and school:

Meet and Greet children.
Create positive classroom environments.
Build positive relationships with all children and adults.
Recognise individual and collective achievements.
Implement evidence-based teaching strategies.
Monitor daily attendance and punctuality
Share termly updates about each child’s current attendance and days missed with all parents.

The role of parents/ carers:

Ensure children attend school regularly and on time.
Understand and support any concerns your child may have.
Communicate with the school regarding absence.
Recognise personal achievements.
Communicate with the class teacher about any concerns.

The role of children:

Attend school regularly and be punctual.
Engage actively in classroom activities.
Support other children.
Recognise the achievements of other children.
Share concerns or worries with trusted adults.

Tier 2 - Targeted Support

The role of teachers and school:

Proactively use data information to identify children who are PA and at risk of PA.
Work with each identified child and families to understand and address the reasons for absence, including any in-school or out of school barriers to attendance. This may include reminder letters, targeted phone calls, face-to-face meetings and the creation of an Attendance Support Plan
Implement agreed strategies in daily practice.
Monitor progress.
Recognise achievements.

The role of parents/ carers:

Work with the school to help understand their child’s barriers to attendance.
Proactively engage with the support offered to prevent the need for more formal support (including attending meetings).
Continue to communicate effectively with the school regarding absence.
Communicate regularly with the class teacher, members of the pastoral and attendance team.

The role of children:

Continue to engage in school life.
Co-create and take part in any targeted interventions offered.
Recognise personal achievements.
Share concerns with trusted adults in school.

The role of external agencies:

Signpost or provide access to services.
Where there are out of school barriers, provide each identified child and their family with access to services they need.
Provide professional development and early intervention support to the school.

Tier 3 - Specialist Support

The role of teachers and school:

Take an active part in the multi-agency effort with the local authority and other external partners.
Use data driven information to identify children at risk of severe absence.
Implement an Attendance Contract in order to continuously assess and adapt strategies.
Monitor progress.
Recognise achievements.

The role of parents/ carers:

Collaborate closely with the school on creating and implementing highly specialised interventions
Actively work to achieve targets set in an attendance contract.
Continue to communicate regularly with school.
Take an active role in the multi-agency effort, attending all meetings offered.

The role of children:

Continue to engage in school life.
Actively engage in intensive interventions offered.
Recognise personal achievements.
Share concerns with trusted adults in school.

The role of external agencies:

Offer specialised assessments and services for pupils with complex needs.
Provide intensive training and consultation.
Take an active part in the multi-agency effort with the school and other external partners - including attending multi-agency meetings.

For full information about how we will work with you to support your child's attendance please read our policy: Attendance Policy - click here

What should I do if I want to request Term Time Leave for my child? (including holidays in term time)

It is unlikely Term Time Leave will be authorised, unless in exceptional circumstances. The school follows the DfE Guidance for Term Time Leave which states ‘…the DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance.’ Unauthorised term time leave of 5 days or more usually results in a penalty notice, carried out by Sheffield City Council. The school follows the Sheffield City Council Term Time Leave Policy (click here to view SCC Term Time Leave Policy)

What do I need to do if I plan to take my child out of school in Term Time?

If you want to take your child out of school you need to complete a Term Time Leave Form.

Ask for a Term Time Leave Form from the School Office
If you believe there are exceptional circumstances for the leave, you need to add information about this to the form or write a letter to attach to the form giving as much detail as possible about the reason.
Return the form to the School Office at least 20 days before the days being requested.
Ms Langley, Mrs Pediani and the attendance team will discuss the request.
Three outcomes are possible:
- Unauthorised - holiday - G code in the register
- Unauthorised - other unacceptable reason - O code in the register
- Authorised - exceptional circumstances (not a holiday) - C code in the register
You will receive a phone call to discuss the outcome and to let you know if the leave has been authorised or not.
School will also send you a letter in the post confirming the decision.
If the absence is unauthorised and is 5 days or more a Penalty Notice Fine is usually issued by Sheffield Local Authority (City Council).