Bellfield Infant School

Every child is a HERO

Here, Everyday, Ready and On Time

We are clear about our roles and responsibilities in ensuring your children's rights to their education.

We aim to uphold every child’s right to education, (Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) by:

• promoting excellent attendance
• reducing absence, including persistent absence
• ensuring children are at school on time and ready to learn and in doing so, ensure our schools aims can be met, our vision achieved and our ethos realised.

We will do this by:

• setting the culture for and expecting high standards of attendance and communicating these clearly.
• implementing strategies to promote excellent attendance and punctuality and reduce absence.
• rigorously monitoring attendance data in order to spot trends and identify patterns.
• building strong relationships with families, listening, understanding and empathising with identified barriers to attendance, but never tolerating them.
• facilitating support either from within school, from our team of professionals or by making referrals to outside agencies.
• enforcing attendance through statutory intervention or prosecution where all other avenues have been exhausted.

We have lots of incentives to support your child's attendance this includes;

• A nurturing environment
• An engaging curriculum
• Supporting your child's learning
• Positive relationships
• Rewards for attendance 

If you have any concerns that are preventing your child/ children attending school, please talk to us. We Can listen and help you.  Our school has specialist staff who may be able to help, and all schools work closely with lots of agencies who are able to offer advice and support.

Leave during term time

• Any requests for leave during term time must be made in writing to Mrs Burns, Acting Headteacher before any leave is booked.
• Requests can be made via email or in writing.
• The request must clearly detail the purpose and the dates for the leave requested.
• A meeting will be arranged to discuss the request further.
• Whilst always considering each individual request, it is only in the most exceptional circumstances that leave will be granted. For example, it is unlikely that leave would be granted for the purpose of a family holiday.
• For any leave, whether authorised or not, once the booking is made, school must have evidence of holiday details, showing children's names clearly.
• If parents choose to continue, despite it being unauthorised by school, they risk being issued a Penalty Notice under the Birmingham City Council Leave During Term Time procedure.
• School will publicise outcomes of Penalty Notices, promote the importance of regular attendance and the impact leave during term-time has.

Lateness 

Children who arrive after 9:00 will be marked in the register as late and have to come through the main office or late door. 

Poor punctuality can lead to your child;

• feeling embarrassed in front of friends
• missing the beginning of vital lessons
• missing important instructions for the rest of the school day
• learning bad habits which could affect employability in the future

Illness 

The following link gives advice about when you should keep your child off school, and for how long;

If you are unsure, please seek medical advice and stay in touch with school.

If you feel you need help with an ongoing health issue for your child, our School Nurse can help you. Please contact Beccy Brittle our Pastoral Lead on Class Dojo or ring the office and ask for her, who will make arrangements to offer support.

What do I do if my child is unwell?

Please phone school and provide a reason for absence by 9.30 on the day of their absence.

If your child has a medical condition you will need to inform the School Office.

If your child requires medicine during the school day please complete a medical form at the School Office.  All medicines must be clearly labelled with the child's name and instructions for administering.

We follow guidance from the Health Protection Agency regarding childhood illnesses. We will share relevant information and guidance with you when we need to.