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Attendance
At Pyrcroft Grange Primary School, attendance is of paramount importance. We are driven by an unwavering commitment to making school attendance a top priority, fully integrated with every aspect of school improvement. We believe that children need to attend school regularly to make excellent progress and become successful learners, fully prepared for the next stage in their educational journey.
Our inclusive culture, rooted in a strong sense of belonging for all members of our school community, ensures that attending school in welcoming, engaging learning environments is embedded into our daily practice. This aligns with our school vision: "A centre of excellence for teaching and learning which unlocks the potential of every child through an inclusive, value-based curriculum."
We understand that each child is an individual, with unique strengths and barriers that may affect their attendance. Our approach is compassionate and personalised, ensuring that support is tailored to meet the needs of every pupil. We use evidence-based interventions, including those recommended by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), to guide our strategies and ensure they are impactful and research-informed.
At Pyrcroft Grange, attendance is everyone’s responsibility. We work in close partnership with families, staff, and external agencies to find supportive routes to securing excellent attendance for all pupils. Our whole school attendance target is 96% and above. Children across the school understand the importance of regular attendance, and we promote this through a range of incentives and strategies:
- A positive school culture in which the profile of attendance is visible
- An exciting, ambitious curriculum which engages children through high-quality teaching, pupil involvement, and enriching opportunities
- Strong, trusted relationships with pupils and families
- An excellent pastoral offer
- Recognition of improved attendance
- Celebration of half-termly and termly 100% attendance
- Letters sent home to parents celebrating improved and outstanding attendance
- Use of evidence-based approaches to identify and address barriers to attendance
Together, we foster a learning environment where every child feels valued, supported, and inspired to attend every day.
Key staff linked to attendance.
- Mrs S Nardoni (Head and DSL overseeing attendance)
- Mrs S Davis (Attendance Officer)
- Miss C Smith (Governor linked to promoting positive attendance)
- Miss N Colley (Head of COIN/School SENCo)
- Miss C Ross (School SENCo)
- Class teachers (Open door policy)
- Surrey Attendance Support Team
As outlined in our attendance policy the school office must be notified on the first day your child is absent
- Call the school (01932 564094) to report their child’s absence (before 8.40am on the day of the absence and each subsequent day of absence) and advise when they are expected to return. If you are unsure whether your child can attend school with an illness, please follow this link Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- In line with the guidance from Public Health, if your child is sick or has an episode of diarrhoea it is recommended that they stay away from school for 48 hours from last episode of diarrhoea or sickness.
Failure to notify us of a reason for absence may result in a home visit being conducted to ensure you and your child's safety. If the whereabouts of a child cannot be determined, they will be reported as 'missing/absent' from education to the local authority.
If you wish to apply for a leave of absence for your child(ren), please collect a form from the school office.
Holiday requests during term time will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Procedures to address low attendance at Pyrcroft Grange Primary School
If your child misses 10% or more schooling across the school year, for whatever reason, they are defined as persistent absentees. Please see below the system we follow when supporting a child and their family when attendance is dropping and heading towards 90%
Stage 1
- A letter will be sent home advising that your child’s attendance has dropped or below 90%. It will advise you on how we can support with getting your child into school and how we can manage any medical conditions during the school day
- If a pupil’s attendance has improved since receiving a Stage 1 letter this will be acknowledged through communication with parents.
Stage 2
- If attendance declines further, you will be invited to attend an attendance meeting with the Designated Senior Leader responsible for attendance or most beneficial adult. In this meeting we will discuss possible barriers to attending school regularly, actions, a possible attendance contract, that can be taken to improve attendance, pastoral interventions and decide a date to review improvement or decline in attendance.
Stage 3
- If attendance continues to decline, you will be invited for a meeting with the Designated Senior Leader responsible for attendance and the Attendance Advice Officer. At this stage there is the possibility that school will no longer be able to authorise illness without medical evidence, or that a penalty notice may be issued.
