Attendance
We know there is a clear link between regular attendance at school and how much progress children make with their learning and the levels they achieve in assessments. Here at Westwood Farm, we want to work with our families to ensure all children at this school have full and equal access to educational opportunities. This can only be achieved when a child has good attendance.
Our school attendance target is 96% and we aspire for every child to get as close to 100% attendance as possible, every year.
Our Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) inspects the school registers and holds regular meetings with the school to discuss the attendance of individual children who have a record of persistent or severe absence.
To achieve the best outcomes for all of our children, we will:-
- Work with families to overcome any barriers to a child achieving good attendance
- Analyse attendance data to identify trends and monitor areas of concern
- Write to families to let them know when their child’s attendance falls below 90% and they become persistent absentees
- Work with the local authority to identify where a child’s failure to regularly attend school will require further intervention.
Please note, when a child’s attendance is considered to be persistent, absences will only be authorised with proof of medical evidence.
Parents and carers are expected to:
- Ensure their child attends every day that the school is open except when a statutory reason applies
- Notify the school as soon as possible when their child has to be unexpectedly absent (e.g. sickness).
- Only request leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and do so in advance.
- Book any medical appointments around the school day where possible
If you need to request leave of absence, please do so in writing using the school form: Request a leave of absence, which can be obtained at the school office. Once completed please hand this back in to the school office.
Please find below a link to the government guidance on attendance:
