Every Day Matters

At Brierley Hill Primary School, we believe that excellent attendance is essential for children to succeed. Pupils who attend school regularly make stronger progress, build positive friendships and develop the habits that help them succeed in later life.

Even the best teaching cannot make an impact if children are not in school. Our expectation is simple:

Every child, every day, on time.

We encourage families to support children in attending school every day unless they are genuinely unwell.

Why Attendance Matters

National data clearly shows the link between attendance and achievement.

• Only 40% of pupils who are persistently absent reach the expected standard by the end of Key Stage 2.

• 84% of pupils with regular attendance reach the expected standard.

The pattern continues into secondary school:

• Only 36% of persistently absent pupils achieve five good GCSEs.

• 84% of regular attenders achieve five good GCSEs.

Good attendance helps children build confidence, develop resilience and reach their potential.

Our Attendance Expectations

We expect all pupils to achieve at least 97% attendance across the school year.

Pupils whose attendance falls below 90% are classed as Persistently Absent (PA). This means they are missing a significant amount of learning.

If attendance falls below expected levels, the school will work closely with families to understand the reasons and provide support where needed.

Celebrating Excellent Attendance

We believe that recognising and celebrating good attendance motivates children and builds positive habits.

Termly Bike Prize Draw
Pupils who attend school every day for the whole term are entered into a prize draw to win a bike.

Attendance Celebration Event
Children who achieve 97% attendance or higher attend a celebration event with games and music.

Two Week Prize Draw
Attend school every day for two weeks and be entered into a prize draw.

Class Rewards
Classes that achieve 10 consecutive days of perfect attendance enjoy a Popcorn Party.

End of Term Winners' Wheel
Children with 100% attendance are entered into the Big Winners' Spinning Wheel prize draw on the final day of term.

Being On Time

Arriving at school on time helps children begin the day calmly and ready to learn.

School doors open at 8:40am.

If pupils arrive after this time they must enter through the school office and will receive a late mark.

Persistent lateness can disrupt learning and affect attendance records, so we encourage families to establish strong morning routines.

Reporting Absence

If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, please contact the school on the first day of absence.

Prolonged or unexplained absence may trigger safeguarding procedures as we must ensure all pupils are safe and accounted for.

Where possible, we ask parents to provide medical evidence for ongoing illness or medical appointments.

Working in Partnership with Families

Good attendance is achieved through a strong partnership between school and families.

Parents and carers can support good attendance by:

• Ensuring children attend school every day unless they are genuinely unwell
• Contacting the school on the first day of absence
• Providing medical evidence where appropriate
• Informing the school of any changes to contact details
• Ensuring the school has two emergency contact numbers
• Speaking to school staff if there are any concerns affecting attendance

If attendance becomes a concern, the school will work with families to identify barriers and provide support to improve attendance.

Supporting Pupils and Families

If a child is struggling to attend school regularly, we will meet with parents and carers to discuss any barriers and explore how we can help.

Our aim is always to work positively with families to support every child to attend school and succeed.

Where necessary, the school may also work with external agencies to support attendance.

Together We Can Do This

Strong attendance builds strong futures.

By working together we can ensure every child benefits from the opportunities school provides and is able to achieve their very best.