Attendance

Attendance at Thornaby CE Primary

At Thornaby Church of England Primary School, we believe that regular attendance is vital for academic success and personal growth. Securing it must therefore be the highest priority for the whole school community – staff, governors, Local Authority, parents and the pupils themselves. We’re committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn and thrive in a supportive environment. 

 Our dedicated Attendance team work closely with families to address any barriers to attendance and provide the necessary support. Through regular communication and incentives, we encourage students to attend school every day, ready to learn and participate. 

 We believe that every absence matters; each day in school is an opportunity for growth and achievement. Together, we strive to foster a culture of attendance excellence, where every student feels valued, supported, and motivated to reach their full potential. 

Promoting Good Attendance: 

• Supporting Pupils – Pastoral support to help with home to school transition, reintegration support after a period absence, personalised support (e.g. sensory, calm areas, drawing and talking, 1:1 pastoral/Nurture input), regular check ins from Class Teacher and if needed the school’s Learning Mentor during the school day. 

• Relationships with parents – regular discussions, support from SLT/Attendance Team at drop off time, messages home, attendance techniques shared with parents, emotional support at times of stress, home visits to support parents when applicable. 

• Celebrating success – Phase weekly attendance percentages shared and celebrated in Collective Worship, weekly 100% attendance raffle for Hot Chocolate with SLT, half termly raffle for those 96% plus as well as 100% and termly prizes for 100%. 

Reporting an absence: 

The school day begins at 8.45am (gates open from 8.35am and closing at 8.50am). If your child is absent from school, please contact the school office before 9.20am as well as each day that they are absent.  

Types of absence: 

Every half-day absence from school by law must be recorded as either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of absence is always asked for. 

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Authorised Absences: 

These are mornings or afternoons away from school for a valid reason such as illness, emergency medical or dental appointments (routine appointments should always be made out of school hours) and emergencies.

Unauthorised Absences: 

An absence is classified as unauthorised if the reason was not recognised as acceptable. The Department for Education (DfE) and Local Education Authorities provide information for schools as to what is acceptable and what is not. 

​Examples of reasons that would not be accepted: 

• A birthday 

• A shopping trip 

• Day trips 

• Holidays – unless have been agreed as exceptional circumstance 

Holidays in Term Time 

A family holiday in term time is not an exceptional circumstance and will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Some exceptional circumstances may be authorised, but this is at the discretion of the Headteacher. Requests for leave of absence should be made on a Leave of Absence Form which can be obtained from the school office PRIOR to any holiday being taken.  

 Attendance Team: 

Our dedicated attendance team is made up of Mrs Anderson (Parent Support Advisor), Mr Perks (Pastoral Lead) and Mrs Smith (Deputy Headteacher). The team meet regularly to discuss attendance that is below 96% and are here to help and support families. If you have any questions about attendance or feel you would like to pop in for a chat to discuss support options, please feel welcome to contact the team via the main school office. 

The School Governors have decided that, should a child be ill or absent for any reason. THE PARENT SHOULD RING SCHOOL BETWEEN 8.30 A.M. AND 9.30 A.M. ON THE FIRST DAY OF ABSENCE. In order to safeguard and ensure the welfare of our pupils, if school has no explanation for a child’s absence, we will telephone the contact numbers provided to locate the whereabouts of the child.  If no answer is received our PSA  will make a home visit to ensure that the child is safe from harm.