Attendance and leave of absence form
Good attendance and punctuality are vital for success at the school, and to establish positive life habits that are necessary for future success. Attendance for your child is available remotely through eSchools. We kindly ask all parents and carers to promote good attendance for their child and work in partnership with the school. Please find below key information for parents in relation to attendance. Parents are also issued a ‘What parents need to know’ leaflet during the T1 Parents Evening.
Persistent absenteeism:
The government definition of persistent absenteeism is any pupil whose attendance falls below 90%. The school has a duty of care to take appropriate action when a child’s attendance falls below 90% in order to work with the parents and help to improve attendance. Although we acknowledge there are times when pupils are generally ill, there are a rising number of cases where pupil absence is unauthorised (no reason given or no supporting evidence) and a subsequent rise in the number of cases of pupil attendance falling below 90%. The school monitors attendance monthly and attendance panels are held termly with parents whose child’s attendance is 90% or below and has shown no signs of improvement. The school will also work closely with Bristol Education Welfare Services.
Leave of absence:
A leave of absence form must be completed for any leave of absence and it is only authorised in exceptional circumstance. The form can be downloaded from the website, which further explains the process.
Attendance 2021-22:
The national average attendance for Primary Schools in England was 96.0% (2019). The attendance rate for Bridge Farm Primary School for 2019 was 96.1%. There is no attendance data for 2019-2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021 – 2022 the attendance rate at Bridge Farm Primary was 95.65% This year our aim is to continue to reduce the % of persistent absentees to below the national average.
Leave of absence form:
All parents requesting any form of leave of absence for their child/children must complete a leave of absence form, returning the completed form to Meadow or Orchard office.
- Penalty notices
- School attendance leaflet (Bristol City Council)
