Attendance

At Benton Park School, we believe that strong attendance is essential to pupils’ achievement, personal development and future success. When a pupil is absent from school, they miss valuable learning and opportunities that cannot always be recovered.

We aim to make school a welcoming, engaging and purposeful place where pupils want to attend. Through high-quality teaching, strong pastoral support and a wide range of enrichment opportunities, we encourage every pupil to attend regularly. Where barriers affect attendance, we work with pupils and families to provide appropriate support alongside clear expectations.

Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance is also a shared responsibility across our school community, with all staff playing a part in promoting and supporting good attendance.

Our whole-school attendance target is 96%, with every pupil expected to aim for attendance of at least 97%.

Every Day Counts

Even a small number of days missed can have a significant impact on learning:

• 97% attendance: approximately 5 days or 25 lessons missed
• 95% attendance: approximately 9 days or 50 lessons missed
• 90% attendance: approximately 19 days or 100 lessons missed
• 80% attendance: approximately 38 days or 200 lessons missed
• 70% attendance: approximately 57 days or 288 lessons missed
• 60% attendance: approximately 80 days or 400 lessons missed

Over time, these absences accumulate and can create significant gaps in a pupil’s knowledge, confidence and progress.

Punctuality

Pupils should arrive at school every day on time, fully equipped and wearing the correct school uniform.

The first bell is at 8.20am. Pupils should be in school and ready to learn by this time. Pupils arriving after 8.20am will be recorded as late.

Pupils are also expected to arrive promptly for every lesson. Persistent lateness results in lost learning and disrupts the learning of others.

Reporting an Absence

Where there is a genuine and unavoidable reason for absence, parents and carers must contact the Attendance Office on 0113 250 2330 on the first day of absence.

If a date of return cannot be provided, parents and carers must contact the school on each subsequent day of absence until their child returns.

Wherever possible, medical and dental appointments should be arranged outside school hours. If an appointment must take place during the school day, pupils should attend school before and after the appointment where practical. Evidence of the appointment may be requested.

Leave of Absence During Term Time

Family holidays should be arranged during the school holidays. Benton Park School will not authorise holidays during term time.

The Headteacher may authorise a leave of absence only where exceptional circumstances have been demonstrated. Each request will be considered individually, taking account of the circumstances and the pupil’s educational needs.

Requests for unavoidable or exceptional absence must be submitted using the school’s Leave of Absence Form before any travel or other arrangements are made. Wherever possible, applications should be submitted at least three months before the proposed absence. Absence cannot be authorised retrospectively.

Leave is highly unlikely to be authorised where:

• the request is for a family holiday;
• the pupil’s attendance is below 95%;
• examinations or formal assessments are taking place;
• the absence falls immediately before, during or after public examinations or important deadlines;
• the pupil has gaps in learning resulting from previous absence or underachievement;
• the pupil is in a public examination year; or
• the requested absence falls immediately before or after a school holiday.

Where an absence is not authorised:

• it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence on the pupil’s attendance record; and
• the school will not ordinarily provide work to complete during the absence.

Where unauthorised leave is taken, the school may request that the local authority issues a Penalty Notice or takes further legal action in line with the relevant attendance guidance.

Pupils are responsible for making every reasonable effort to catch up on learning missed during any period of absence. However, missed classroom teaching cannot simply be replaced by completing work at a later date.

Regular attendance and punctuality give every pupil the best possible opportunity to belong, develop character and achieve excellence.