School officially starts at 8:45 and finishes at 3:15 each week day. This is the equivalent of 32.5 hours a week.

Arriving at school on time every day is important for parents/carers and children.

Being punctual and ready to work are important life skills that we try to develop in school to equip children for working life.
When your child is late, they are rushing and get off to a bad start, and may miss some of their early morning work, including the beginnings of lessons.

It also disrupts the teacher and the class, who have often started working when children arrive late. Your child could also miss important information or instructions so they may not be confident during the rest of the day.

What is late?
The doors close at 8.50am in both KS1 and KS2, and we expect children to be in school by this time. The playground entrances are open from 8.40am.

The register is taken electronically.
If your child is not here and ready to work by these times then they are classed as late.

Attendance

Good attendance is essential. Your child will not make the progress they are capable of if they are away from school on a regular basis. We aim for 96% attendance over the year for every child – which is also the Government target for Primary School. As a school, we have a target of 97% as we know that with your support, our children can achieve this!

If your child loses on average a day a week, they would have an attendance rate of 80%. This would be unacceptable and could lead to legal action being taken by the school.

Check out the attendance ladder here.

Did you know?

**One day a week off school adds up to the equivalent of 8 weeks over a school year!**

**Think about this – over 4 years in KS2, your child would miss nearly a whole year of teaching time!**

You can see why we are trying constantly to improve attendance – we must make sure that your child makes the best progress they possibly can, and they can only do that by being in school.

What should I do if my child needs to be away from school?

If your child is poorly, please telephone the school on the first day of absence, giving the reason for absence. You need to do this for every school day your child misses. If your child’s attendance is poor, then you will be required to provide prove of illness.

Please see updated guidance regarding the Penalty Notice Framework updated in July 2024 from Birmingham City Council:

BCC letter to parents – new PN framework July 2024

New National Penalty Notice framework FAQs July 2024

Kind regards,

Attendance Lead – Mrs Sally Clements