Attendance

Belmont Junior School opens at 8.55am for all classes ends at 3.30pm.  Children are at school for 32.5 hours a week.

 Children who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve at school and reach their full potential. Missing school disrupts school routines and learning. 

The most common reason given for children to miss school is illness, however most of the time childhood ailments can be managed in school. 

Reducing absence is a key priority for the school. We work closely with families to ensure children are  in school when they can be and that holidays are not taken in term time as this can not be an authorised absence.

We aim that all children are at school for at least 95% of the time.

Medical 

On occasion children have accidents and incidents but are well enough to be in school and we always complete a health care plan with a parent to support a child being in school.

In order to speed up the process, please complete the attached form and e-mail it to the office at office@belmontjnr.haringey.sch.uk assoon as possible. A member of staff will be in contact with you to discuss the health care plan form prior to your child being able to attend.

Health Care Plan

Absence

By law, parents and carers must ensure that their child attends school regularly and on time. Once a child is registered at a school, parents have a legal duty to make sure they attend every day unless they are genuinely unable to do so, for example due to illness.

Only the school can authorise an absence.

This responsibility is set out in the Education Act 1996, which requires parents to make sure their child receives a full‑time education.

If attendance is irregular or unauthorised, the local authority may take action, which can include meetings, support plans, penalty notices or, in more serious cases, legal proceedings.

Regular attendance is essential for children’s learning, wellbeing and future success, and we work closely with families to support good habits and remove any barriers to coming to school.

Parents can apply for a term-time absence in writing to the Headteacher for truly exceptional circumstances, which we will considered on an individual basis. 

Unauthorised Absence

Parent should not take children on holiday during term time - it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Holidays are not an "exceptional circumstance" that a school will approve, nor is visiting family abroad - approximately 50% of staff and families have family overseas! 

If a child has 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence (5 days), the local authority can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), a fine. The fine is currently £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days, and can lead to prosecution if not paid. 

Attendance in numbers

It is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. The pupils with the highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment.

At KS2, pupils not meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths had an overall absence rate of 4.7%, compared to 3.5% among those meeting the expected standard. Moreover, the overall absence rate of pupils not meeting the expected standard was higher than among those meeting the higher standard (4.7% compared to 2.7%)