Attendance

At Bourton Meadow we nurture every child to fulfil their whole potential.

Attendance Matters


Attending school regularly is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing and their wider development.  It is therefore our expectation that children will arrive at school on time and ready to learn, every day that school is open. 


We are proud of our exceptionally high attendance rates and we work closely with our families to ensure that these are maintained, so that all children can fulfil their whole potential.

Attendance Policy

The school day starts at 8:40am and finishes at 3:30pm.

This amounts to just over 34 hours each week.


Morning registration starts at 8:40am.

Learning takes place as soon as children enter the classroom, through the early work and intervention sessions that take place.


The school gates close at 8:50am.


Children arriving after 8:50am will be marked as late.

Children arriving after 9:10am will be marked as having an unauthorised absence for the morning session, which will affect their attendance record.

Arrival and Registration


The school gates open at 8:30am, once the children who are attending Breakfast Club are safely in the school hall; you and your children are welcome to enter the school at this time and wait by your child’s classroom door, which will open at 8:40am. 


 A member of the senior leadership team is positioned at each gate, to welcome children as they arrive. 


The gates are locked promptly at 8:50am so that registers can be completed and the site is secure, before the first lesson commences. 


Teachers set ‘morning work’ which children complete during registration time. This is a valuable opportunity to practise skills, consolidate learning and prepare for the day ahead.  Adults also use this time to run intervention sessions providing individuals and/or groups of children with additional support to help them keep up with their peers and access the learning within lessons more effectively.


Unplanned Absence


If your child is too ill to attend school, please ensure that you inform the school office before 8:50am. You can do this by leaving a message on the telephone (01280 823374 – option 1) or by email: office@bourtonmeadow.co.uk 


If your child is not in school and we have not received any communication from a parent/carer the child usually lives with, we will follow the procedures in our Attendance Policy.  This involves texting/phoning the parents and – where necessary - carrying out a house visit, if no contact has been made by.


Leave of Absence for Exceptional Circumstances


Parents are required to gain permission form the headteacher if you wish to take your child out of school during term time.


You can only do this if:

  • you make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)
  • there are exceptional circumstances for the absence


It is up to the headteacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.


You can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.


If you wish to apply for a leave of absence please complete the ‘Leave of Absence Form’ (below) and return it to the main office. 


Please refer to our Attendance Policy for further details.


Leave of Absence Form

Promoting Consistently High Attendance

We encourage high attendance by:

  • Celebrating 100% attendance each term, with an award at the end of the year
  • Publishing attendance figures within the weekly newsletter and also in the school entrance


Persistent Absence

At Bourton Meadow we consider attendance below 95% to be a cause for concern and attendance below 90% as persistent absenteeism.

We work closely with families to understand the reasons behind this absence so that, together, we can overcome barriers and ensure that all pupils are given the opportunity to attend school each day.

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