Share This Page

Attendance

Attendance and Punctuality

Letters and information in relation to attendance

Support First - Attendance Letter - 2026-27 - PLEASE READ Good Attendace Matters - Leaflet - Important information

Attendance Policy

Our Strategic approach to Attendance

National Framework for Penalty Notice for School Absence - please read

Our Attendance Promise

At Washwood Heath Academy, we believe every day matters. Being in school helps children feel included, build friendships and make the best possible progress in their learning. We work in partnership with families to make sure attendance is good, barriers are understood early and help is offered quickly.

Why Good Attendance Is So Important

Missing school can quickly affect a child’s learning, confidence and wellbeing.

Did you know?

90% attendance = half a day missed every week
85% attendance = nearly a full day missed every week
Over a school year, this can mean weeks of lost learning

Chart image

When a child's attendance is 90% or below, they are considered Persistently Absent (PA), when their attendance drops to 50%, they are considered to be severely absent.

✅ Good attendance helps children:

Feel secure and part of the school community
Keep up with learning, especially reading and maths
Build strong routines and friendships

Our School Day & Being On Time

	PRIMARY	SECONDARY
Gates open	8:40am	8:30am
Registers open	8:50am	8:40am
Late mark recorded if arrival is after	8:50am	8:40am
U code is recorded if arrival is after	9:20am	9:10am

A U code is an unauthorised absence for the whole morning or afternoon session which negatively impacts a child’s attendance.

We know mornings can be tricky — if punctuality is a challenge, please talk to us. We can help.

What to Do If Your Child Is Absent

If your child cannot attend school:

Contact school as soon as possible on the first morning of absence. Email attendance@washwood.academy or call 0121 675 7272 option 1
Let us know the specific reason (e.g. type of illness, appointment)
Keep us updated if the absence continues

If we don’t hear from you, we will:

Phone home on the first day of absence
Send messages if we cannot reach you
Carry out a home visit if we are worried about a child’s safety

This isn’t about pressure — it’s about safeguarding and care.

If your child is well enough, they should be in school. We want the best for your child and will be sure to contact home if they are deemed too unwell to be here.

Consider, 'Is my child too ill for school?'

Please give your child medicine if they have a mild illness and send them into school.

Is my child too ill

How We Support Good Attendance

We follow the WHMAT Attendance Policy, DfE guidance and Birmingham City Council’s Support First approach.

Universal Support (All Children)

Clear expectations shared with families
Attendance rewards, certificates and house points
Assemblies and celebrations

Targeted Support and our Tiered Approach

If attendance falls below 95% or patterns appear, we may:

Talk with your child to understand worries
Meet with parents/carers
Offer breakfast club, meet-and-greet or wellbeing support
Create an Attendance Support Plan together

Formal Support (If Attendance Does Not Improve)

Attendance contracts
Involvement of additional professionals (Early Help, School Nurse, etc.)

Legal Action (Last Resort)

Only when support has not worked, unauthorised absence or term-time holidays taken may lead to a Penalty Notice issued by the Local Authority, in line with national regulations.

Holidays During Term Time

The government expects children to attend school every day. Term-time holidays are not authorised except in very exceptional circumstances and can only be authorised by the Headteacher.

Taking holidays in term time can:

Disrupt learning
Affect friendships and routines
Lead to penalty notices issued by the Local Authority

Please speak to us before making any arrangements.

Catching Up on Missed Learning

When a child has missed learning due to lateness or absence, we:

Carefully assess what has been missed and identify key learning gaps
Prioritise core areas, particularly English and Maths, so children can fully access their lessons
Provide short, focused catch‑up support, such as small‑group or one‑to‑one sessions, where appropriate
Adapt classroom teaching to revisit or reinforce key concepts

During times when children are required to remain at home, we provide online learning opportunities and/or work packs to help them continue learning and stay connected to school.