Attendance & Punctuality at Fleetville Junior School

Working in Partnership: Our Ethos

"Improving attendance is everyone’s business... The foundation of good attendance is that school is a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment where all pupils are keen and ready to learn."

Every Day Counts

At Fleetville Junior School, we believe that every day counts. Regular attendance and prompt punctuality are the essential foundations for academic success, social-emotional development and overall well-being.

Our approach to attendance is built on high expectations for all children combined with empathy, open communication and active partnership with our families. We recognise that barriers to attendance can be complex and our goal is always to support families to ensure every child thrives at school.

Our School Day

*Time / Event*	*Details*
*8:30am – Gates Open*	Parents must supervise children until doors open.
*8:45am – 9am* *Soft Start*	Doors open for a transition and purposeful learning activities in class before registration.
*9:00am – Morning Register*	Children must be in class by 9:00am.
*9:00am – 9:20am – Late (L Code)*	Arrival from 9am-9:20am is late for school. Children must be brought to the main office.
*After 9:20am – Severely Late (U Code)*	Arrival after 9:20am is an unauthorised absence. Children must be brought to the main office.
*1:20pm – Afternoon Register*	Children must be in class by 1:20pm.
*1:20pm – 1:30pm – Late (L Code)*	Arrival between 1:20-1:30 is late for PM session.
*After 1:30pm – Severe Late (U Code)*	Unauthorised absence for the PM session.

Fleetville's Attendance Team

Securing good attendance is a collective effort across our school community.

Parents/Carers: Parents have a legal duty to ensure their children attend regularly and on time, every day the school is open – all children are entitled to a full-time education.
Spiral Partnership Trust: The Senior Attendance Leads from each school work collaboratively with senior Spiral staff and the Local School Committee to implement effective strategies and ensure good practice is shared.
Senior Attendance Lead: Josh David (Deputy Headteacher) leads our strategic approach to monitoring and improving attendance across Fleetville Junior School.
Attendance Officers: Our dedicated office staff manage day-to-day reporting, tracking, and registers. They are your main point of contact for reporting absences or seeking advice on attendance matters.
Class teachers: Our teachers track the attendance and punctuality of every child in their class. They work with families to highlight the impact of poor attendance/punctuality, tackle concerns and offer support.

How We Support You

If you are experiencing challenges with getting your child to school regularly and on time, or if family circumstances are impacting your child's attendance, please reach out to us early.

Our attendance lead works closely with class teachers, to deliver effective and timely support for families to build confidence and partnership.

School Office Phone: [01727 519224]
Attendance Email: [admin@fleetvillejm.herts.sch.uk]
Senior Attendance Lead: Josh David - [admin@fleetvillejm.herts.sch.uk]
Attendance Support Team: Localised external support for parents - 0300 123 4043

Reporting Absence - Parents' Role

Parents/carers have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly and on time. When absence is unavoidable, parents must inform the school office promptly:

Unplanned Absence (e.g., Illness): Parents must contact the school office by phone on 01727 519224 (option 1) or email admin@fleetvillejm.herts.sch.uk before 9am on the day of absence, stating the reason for the absence and the expected date of return. Please state the reason for your child's absence. Please kindly notify us every day that your child is off.
Sickness or diarrhoea: After your child has experienced sickness or diarrhoea, it is mandatory for them to wait for a duration of 48 hours before returning to school as per NHS guidance.
Medical Appointments during school hours: Whilst we understand it is not always possible to get medical appointments before or after school we ask that, wherever possible, parents arrange medical appointments outside of school hours.

Exceptional Circumstances & Term-Time Leave

Any request for planned absence during term time must be submitted to the school office in advance using the official leave request form. This can be accessed via Arbor, in the links for parents below, or a printed copy can be obtained from the school office.

In accordance with Department for Education statutory guidance and Trust policy, Headteachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The Headteacher has the sole and final decision on whether an absence request meets the threshold of an ‘exceptional circumstance’ and how many days are authorised.

Leaves of absence taken without prior authorisation from the Headteacher will be marked as unauthorised and may be referred for legal intervention or penalty notices in line with local authority and Trust procedures.

Why Attendance Matters: The Sequential Curriculum

At Fleetville Junior School, our curriculum is carefully structured in a sequential, small-step model. Each lesson builds directly upon the concepts, skills, and vocabulary taught in the previous session.

When a child misses even a single day of school, the following are significantly impacted:

Gaps in Learning: They miss key instructional building blocks, making subsequent lessons harder to access and potentially leading to lost confidence and/or gaps in learning. Government research shows that children who attend school regularly (95–100% attendance) are around 30% more likely to reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of primary school than those with attendance between 90–95%. Every day in school matters, particularly in a carefully sequenced curriculum where new learning builds on previous lessons.
Social & Mental Well-being: Missing time at school interrupts peer friendships, daily routines and the sense of belonging that supports mental health.

Working Together To Improve School Attendance

We expect high standards of attendance and punctuality from all children and staff. However, when attendance or punctuality begins to slip, our first response is always rooted in empathy and support.

We listen to our families, seek to understand the underlying causes of absence, and work collaboratively to remove barriers. Whether through internal pastoral interventions, practical guidance, or signposting to external support agencies, a wealth of help is available. However, this support relies on honest communication and partnership between home and school.

Recent government research highlights just how critical attendance is to a child's short-term progress and long-term future:

Academic Attainment: The Department for Education’s research report, The link between attendance and attainment in an assessment year, demonstrates a direct relationship between attendance and Key Stage 2 outcomes. At Key Stage 2, pupils who do not meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths have significantly higher rates of overall absence.
Future Outcomes & Lifetime Earnings: Absence during school years has a cumulative impact. DfE analysis in The impact of school absence on lifetime earnings highlights how missing school directly correlates with reduced educational qualifications and lower future earning potential over a working lifetime.

Trust Policy & Rigorous Monitoring

Fleetville Junior School operates under the formal framework set out in the Spiral Partnership Trust Attendance and Absence Policy.

We have rigorous policies and processes in place to continuously monitor attendance and punctuality data. Where attendance drops below expected levels or patterns of late arrival emerge, our Senior Attendance Lead, attendance officer and class teachers step in early to target support and work with parents before issues become entrenched.

Spiral Attendance and Absence Policy

Supporting Mental Health & Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance

We recognise that for some children, difficulty attending school stems from social, emotional, or mental health needs, often referred to as Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA). In line with the Department for Education’s guidance, Summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance, we maintain high expectations for attendance while ensuring compassionate, early support is put in place. Prolonged absence can often heighten anxiety, whereas remaining safely connected to school provides routine and protective social support.

When emotional or mental health barriers arise, we work proactively with families to listen, understand specific triggers and agree on practical reasonable adjustments - such as designated quiet spaces, tailored pastoral check-ins with trusted adults, or gradual reintegration plans. Successfully supporting children with EBSNA relies on open communication and early partnership; by working together alongside external health and local authority partners, we can ensure every child feels safe, understood and supported to attend school regularly.