As a Pathfinder school, we believe that excellent attendance is the foundation of pupil achievement, wellbeing and future success. Our Universal Attendance Offer sets out our shared commitment to promoting and supporting good attendance across all of our schools. We place relationships at the heart of our approach, working in partnership with pupils and families to identify and overcome barriers, so that every child and young person can attend school and achieve their full potential.

What does good attendance look like?

Small amounts of absence can quickly add up. The chart below shows how days away from school can affect attendance over the course of a school year. Our aim is for every child to achieve attendance of at least 96%, while recognising that good attendance is about much more than a percentage.

DID YOU KNOW? A two week holiday taken during term time would mean the highest attendance a child could achieve is 94.7%.

What if my child is unwell or has an appointment?

Good attendance is important, but we understand that children do become unwell and, sometimes, cannot attend school. If your child is too ill to come to school you must contact the office on 01904 806480 or email office@badgerhill.pmat.academy.

We know it can be difficult to decide whether or not to keep your child off school if they’re unwell. The NHS has produced some useful guidance to help you decide when to keep your child at home and when it’s safe to send them in: www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school.

Where possible, routine appointments such as dentist and GP appointments should be arranged outside of school hours. However, we recognise that this is not always possible, particularly for hospital appointments or specialist treatment. Where an appointment cannot reasonably be arranged outside school hours, please let the office know and provide as much notice as possible.

DID YOU KNOW? Having only 90% attendance over five school years would result in a child losing more than half a year of learning.

How we monitor attendance

We monitor attendance closely at both school and Trust level, looking at individual attendance, patterns of absence and changes over time. This helps us identify concerns early and understand whether there are any barriers preventing a child from attending regularly.

Where attendance begins to cause concern, we will work with the child and their family to understand what is happening, provide appropriate support and agree practical steps to improve attendance. We also recognise and encourage good attendance and positive improvements.

DID YOU KNOW? There are 175 non-school days each year for holidays, appointments, trips and other activities outside of school time.

Our commitment to supporting good attendance

  • Attendance is championed as ‘everyone’s responsibility’—from trustees and governors to teachers, support staff and families
  • Foster a culture of belonging where pupils feel safe, valued, and eager to learn
  • Ensure relationships are at the centre of our partnership with families
  • Every pupil receives a warm, positive welcome every day
  • Promote the value of attendance and regularly celebrate positives
  • Maintain clear, transparent, and consistent daily routines
  • Compliance with DfE guidelines including regular staff updates and CPD
  • A joined-up approach to attendance linking safeguarding and pastoral teams
  • Regularly monitoring absence: A proactive approach to identifying and removing barriers to attendance
  • Analysing missed learning days regularly
  • Whole school analysis on half termly basis
  • Coordinating a community response by bridging, actively signposting and connecting families to external support services and multi-agency care
  • Ask the difficult questions regarding holidays, leave of absences and illness
  • Coordinate interventions and support for those with poor attendance

  • Share the school’s expectations annually
  • Access to the school’s attendance team
  • Clear and regular communication about your child’s attendance
  • A clear reporting absence process
  • First day contact
  • Disseminating news and national or local updates
  • A two-way communication feed between home and school
  • Regular and/or positive communication and a named member of staff for contact
  • Monitoring reviews and collaborative attendance plans for those needing support
  • Open and honest communication, discussions and challenges to absence

  • Every child counts
  • First day check ins
  • Education about the benefits of being in school
  • Supportive adults
  • Collect pupil voice
  • Share information about attendance regularly
  • Provide support before sanctions
  • Understand an individual’s barriers to attendance
  • Mitigate an individual’s barriers to attendance

What if my child is struggling to attend?

If your child is finding it difficult to come to school regularly, please talk to us as early as possible. There may be a number of reasons why attendance is becoming difficult, and understanding what is behind the absence is the first step towards finding the right support.

This might include difficulties with friendships, learning, anxiety, routines, family circumstances, health or other worries. Whatever the reason, we want to work with you and your child to find a way forward.