Regular school attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental pillar of education. It plays a pivotal role in shaping academic success, personal growth, and prospects. Compass Primary Academy and Brooke Weston Trust are committed to transforming educational achievement and to giving students the best start in life academically and as citizens. We promote the importance of pupils attending school on every day possible and recognise that daily attendance is crucial to success.

It is the responsibility of all stakeholders across our academy community – parents/carers, staff, governors, and pupils – to work together to ensure that every pupil and their family has the support and strategies required to attend school daily. Further information can be found on this webpage of our support offer here at Gretton Primary, along with all relevant attendance and punctuality practice and legislation.

Punctuality

Pupils are expected to arrive at school for 8:40am to be in class and ready to learn from 8:50am.

Please note that corridor doors close at 8:50am and if pupils arrive after this time, they will be marked as late. They must also sign in via the main office if arriving after 8:50am.

We offer a free breakfast which all pupils from Reception to Year 6 are warmly invited to attend (no booking required). Breakfast is available from 8:35am and closes promptly at 8:40am.

Pupils arriving after 8:50am will be marked as late. All registers close at 9:20am. The late sign-in code used after 9:20am will constitute as an absence and negatively impact a pupil’s attendance record.

Arriving at school late is disruptive to a pupil’s daily routine and also means that they may miss a considerable amount of valuable learning time.

Minutes late per day	Equivalent of missing
5 Minutes	3.4 school days per year
10 Minutes	6.9 school days per year
15 Minutes	10.3 school days per year
20 Minutes	13.8 school days per year
30 Minutes	20.7 school days per year

Reporting Absence

Parents and carers are expected to communicate with school promptly to inform if their child is going to be absent due to illness or other reasons and maintain daily contact during the period of absence. Absences must be reported by contacting the school office on 01536 770366 by 8.30am.

Safeguarding Children

Home visits are conducted to families to follow-up on pupil absences and provide support to pupils and parents/carers where appropriate.

The school has a duty to safeguard the welfare of all students. Any concerns about a child's attendance will be investigated promptly to ensure support for their wellbeing.

If there are unexplained/prolonged periods of absence or an identified safeguarding concern, this may require school to contact external agencies.

Leave During Term Time

Parents and carers must request any planned leave of absence for exceptional circumstances in writing prior to the intended absence of their child. Requests will be reviewed, and a decision made as to whether the absence will be authorised or unauthorised.

In line with Department for Education (2024) regulations, holidays or absences for leisure and recreation would not constitute as exceptional circumstances.

As per the National Framework for Penalty Notices (2024), parents and carers may be issued with a fixed penalty notice or legal sanction if a pupil is absent due to unauthorised leave during term time.

Further information about the National Framework for Penalty Notices can be found in the attached documents below.

Attendance Support

Parents and carers are invited to contact school if they wish to discuss their child’s attendance further or seek additional support. 

Our school Attendance Lead is Mrs Paula Crawford.

Multi-Tiered System of Support

Our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) ensures comprehensive attendance intervention for all children. The system incorporates staff, children, parents and carers, and external agencies. This comprises of three Tiers:

Tier 1 provides a universal offering to all children.

Tier 2 involves early internal support and intervention.

Tier 3 is higher levels of support for children, young people and families who require access to external agency support.

The process is completely aligned with Department for Education (DFE) guidelines. Further information can be found within the attached documents below.

Recognising and Celebrating Attendance

Our approach promotes recognition of personal and collective achievements, fostering positive environments and developing intrinsic motivation. Recognition may be in the form of verbal conversations, celebrations, or end of year attendance medals.

Through our rich curriculum offer, we strive to instil values within our pupils which support them to become successful citizens of the future and promote that school attendance is a key component to this success.