Northview Primary School

Attendance

Why Attendance is so important?

Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Evidence shows that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best results.

The higher a pupil’s attendance, the more they are likely to learn, and the better they are likely to perform in exams and formal assessments.

What if my child needs to miss school? 

Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure your child gets a full time-education. Usually, that means going into school from the age of 5 to 16.

There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless: 

• Your child is too ill to attend. 
• You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances. 
• Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event. 
• Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it’s not available or has not been provided yet. 
• Your child does not have a permanent address and you are required to travel for work. This exception only applies if your child attends their usual school or another school where you are staying as often as possible. This must be 200 half days or more a year if they are aged 6 or older.  

These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.

How to Report Your Child's Absence:

If your child is too unwell to attend school you must call the school office as early as possible on the morning of absence, to tell us the nature of your child's illness and how long they will be absent from school. You may be required to provide medical evidence to school. 

Phone: 020 8450 7982 

You can also email the school to report absences. 

Email: absence@northview.brent.sch.uk

If you do not contact us to report your child's absence then school staff will call you to check why your child is absent.

Any child/family who are persistently absent will be invited to a meeting with our headteacher and Education Welfare Officer, to discuss the reasons for poor attendance. During this meeting, we will explore how the school can support you and your child to improve their attendance and receive the best education possible. 

Being punctual for school and lessons is essential for pupils to achieve their potential and maximise their learning time. It is also vital for children to form good time keeping habits for later life.

Good time keeping helps to demonstrate respect for class teachers, develops resilience and helps to drive success. Punctuality Matters!

If Your Child is Late to School:

Pupils must arrive by 8:55am.

Any late child must be accompanied by parents/carers to our reception to be signed in.