Attendance Information

Attendance Matters

Bowness Primary School wants to ensure that every child gets the very best education, maximising opportunities for each pupil to achieve their full potential. This can only be accomplished if children attend school every day.

All children have the right to an education. Parents and carers have the responsibility of ensuring their children are on time and attending regularly

At Bowness Primary School, we know that children achieve their best when they attend school regularly.

Good attendance helps children to:

Make strong academic progress.
Develop confidence and independence.
Build friendships.
Access the full curriculum.
Take part in enrichment opportunities.
Feel connected to school and their community.

Every day in school provides opportunities to learn, grow and thrive.

Good Attendance

At Bowness Primary School, we promote the message that Every Day Matters.

Attendance	Description
98-100%	Excellent attendance
96-97.9%	Good attendance
95.9% and below	Attendance causing concern
Below 90%	Persistent absence
Below 50%	Severe absence

Regular attendance helps children:

Make good academic progress.
Build confidence and friendships.
Develop positive routines and habits.
Access the full life of the school.
Feel connected, supported and successful.

Our Attendance Team

The school's Attendance Team is led by Miss Wright and Mrs Charlton. The team monitors attendance, works closely with families and provides support where attendance concerns arise.

Celebrating Attendance

At Bowness Primary School, we believe attendance should be recognised and celebrated. We regularly share attendance information with children and families and celebrate positive attendance habits, excellent attendance and improvements in attendance over time.

Attendance is recognised through class celebrations, assemblies, newsletters and end-of-year awards. Our aim is to encourage positive attendance habits and reinforce the message that every day in school matters.

Monitoring Attendance and Punctuality

The school target for attendance is 96% or above.

Attendance is monitored daily, weekly and termly. Where attendance begins to decline, parents and carers may receive a telephone call, email, text message or letter so that support can be offered at the earliest opportunity.

Our graduated approach includes:

Attendance below 95% - attendance concerns discussed and support offered.
Attendance below 90% - pupils are classified as persistently absent and parents may be invited to attend a meeting.
Attendance below 85% - formal attendance plans and regular reviews may be implemented.
Attendance below 50% - intensive support may be required involving Bolton Local Authority and other agencies.

We recognise that some children face additional barriers to attendance and will work closely with families and partner agencies to identify and remove these wherever possible.

Patterns of lateness are also monitored regularly. Parents and carers may be contacted where punctuality becomes a concern as arriving on time is an important part of good attendance.

Attendance Support and Legal Intervention & Working Together to Improve Attendance

At Bowness Primary School, we are committed to the principles set out in the Department for Education's Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance.

We believe that improving attendance is most effective when schools, families, pupils, the Local Authority and other agencies work together to understand and remove any barriers to attendance.

Where attendance concerns arise, we will always seek to work in partnership with families through:

Early communication and support.
Attendance meetings.
Attendance Action Plans.
Attendance mentoring and pupil support.
Referrals to appropriate services where required.
Joint working with Bolton Local Authority Attendance Services.

Where attendance concerns continue despite support and intervention, a formal Attendance Improvement Plan may be agreed. In some cases, Bolton Local Authority may issue a Notice to Improve, setting out the support available, the improvements required and the consequences if attendance does not improve.

If attendance remains a significant concern and legal thresholds are met, Bolton Local Authority may consider issuing a Penalty Notice or pursuing other legal interventions in line with current legislation and statutory guidance.

Our aim will always be to work positively with children and families so that every child attends school regularly and achieves their full potential.

At Bowness Primary School, we believe that the best attendance outcomes are achieved when children, families and school work together.

If attendance becomes a concern, our first priority is always to understand the reasons for absence and offer support. We know that children and families can face a range of challenges, and we are committed to working alongside parents and carers to remove barriers to regular attendance wherever possible.

Support may include:

Early discussions with parents and carers.
Attendance meetings with school leaders.
Attendance Action Plans.
Help from external services and agencies where appropriate.
Regular reviews to celebrate progress and identify any further support needed.

We encourage parents and carers to contact us at the earliest opportunity if there are difficulties affecting their child's attendance.

Where attendance does not improve despite support and intervention, Bolton Local Authority may become involved. This may include formal attendance procedures such as a Notice to Improve, Penalty Notice or other legal intervention in line with current legislation and statutory guidance.

Our shared goal is to ensure that every child attends school regularly, feels part of our community and has every opportunity to learn, succeed and thrive.

Bowness Primary School