Attendance

At Bryn Offa CE Primary School, we believe that regular attendance and good punctuality are essential for every child’s success. When children miss school, even for short periods, they risk falling behind with their learning, routines, and friendships.

Children who attend school consistently:

• Make strong academic and social progress
• Build confidence with routines and classroom expectations
• Engage better with learning and enjoy school life
• Are better prepared for the transition to secondary education
• Have improved long-term outcomes in education and employment
• Remain safer, as they are supervised in a secure environment

We are deeply committed to ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education. We recognise that regular attendance is a key factor in raising aspirations and enabling children to thrive—academically, socially, and emotionally.

Working Together to Support Attendance

We know that good attendance is a team effort. Parents and carers play a vital role in ensuring their children arrive at school every day, on time, and ready to learn. We are here to support families with any challenges that may impact attendance, and we believe that open, honest communication is key to working through barriers together.

We also have a dedicated Attendance Governor, Lisa Humphreys, who helps monitor attendance trends and supports the school’s strategic approach. Lisa regularly reviews data and procedures and visits school on behalf of the Governing

The Role of Parents and Carers

At Bryn Offa CE Primary School, we firmly believe that parents and carers play a vital role in ensuring children attend school regularly and arrive on time, ready to learn. Your commitment to this makes a significant difference to your child’s progress, wellbeing, and future opportunities.

Ensuring good attendance is most successful when we work in partnership together -  families, school staff, and external agencies all working together to meet the individual needs of every child and ensure they receive the education they deserve.

Our Attendance Vision at Bryn Offa CE Primary

We are dedicated to:

• Supporting the welfare and safeguarding of all our pupils
• Ensuring every child has full access to the education they are entitled to
• Helping all pupils achieve their full potential during their time with us
• Opening up a wide range of learning and life opportunities for every child

Supporting Strong Attendance and Punctuality

• Prevention

One of the best ways to support good attendance is by helping your child understand why it matters. Talk to them about their day, show interest in their learning, and encourage them to take part in school activities.

If your child has any difficulties at school, academic, social or emotional, please let us know as soon as possible. Together, we can help resolve concerns before they affect attendance.

Avoid keeping your child off school for mild or short-term illnesses that don’t require rest or medical treatment. If in doubt, feel free to contact the office for advice.

• Punctuality

The school day starts at 8:50 AM for all classes:

• Class One – 8:50 AM
• Class Two – 8:50 AM
• Class Three – 8:50 AM
• Class Four – 8:50 AM
• Class Five – 8:50 AM

Being on time matters. Arriving late can disrupt not only your child’s learning but also the flow of the lesson for others. Even a few minutes late each day adds up and can lead to lost learning time and increased anxiety for some children.

• PROMOTION

Promote an education to your child; let them know that they must make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.

Irregular school attendance seriously disrupts continuity of learning, undermines progress and leads to underachievement and low attainment.

Give your child the education they are entitles to and deserve. We want them to succeed just as much as you!

Tackling Attendance

Bryn Offa CE Primary tackle attendance using their own Attendance Strategy Grid which can be requested from the office or Headteacher.

Bryn Offa CE Primary School have defined how it views levels of attendance (below) using a Red, Amber, Green (RAG) system. 

Classopoly – Celebrating Attendance at Bryn Offa

At Bryn Offa CE Primary School, we believe in celebrating great attendance in a fun and engaging way. Classopoly is our very own attendance-themed board game, proudly displayed in the school hall. Each class has its own game piece, and every week that they achieve 96% attendance or more, they get to roll the dice and move forward on the board.

But there’s a twist—instead of streets and houses, each space on our board represents a reward! Classes can earn special treats like:

• Extra playtime
• Creative art sessions
• Juice and biscuits
• Baking activities
• Or even choosing a special lesson!

It’s a great way to motivate and celebrate as a team while reinforcing the importance of coming to school every day.

How We Support Attendance at Bryn Offa

We understand that there are times when getting to school can be challenging. At Bryn Offa, we are committed to working in partnership with families to help children attend regularly and on time.

If you're having difficulty with school attendance, whether it’s a one-off issue or an ongoing challenge, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call the school office on 01691 830 621, and we’ll do our best to offer practical support where possible.

If you feel a more in-depth conversation is needed, you’re very welcome to arrange a meeting with the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher. We’re here to listen and help.

Reporting Absence – What You Need to Know

If your child is unwell and unable to attend school:

• Call us on 01691 830 621 or email admin@brynoffa.shropshire.sch.uk on the morning of their absence.
• Please let us know how long your child is likely to be off and give a brief explanation.
• If you're not sure how long they’ll be away, we ask that you contact school each morning until they return. Otherwise, their absence may be recorded as unauthorised.

Important Health Guidance:

• For cases of sickness or diarrhoea, children should only return to school 48 hours after the last episode to prevent the spread of illness.
• For any COVID-19 related illness, please follow the most up-to-date NHS advice.

If you’re ever unsure about whether your child should attend, please speak with the school office or refer to the NHS  ‘Should I keep my child off school checklist poster?’ guide.

Thank You

Thank you for your continued support in promoting excellent attendance at Bryn Offa. Together, we can help every child flourish and let their light shine.