Dear Brockley Families

I am asking for your support in improving whole school attendance and punctuality here at Brockley Primary School.

The impact upon children’s education through lost learning is huge. After the time we've had when so much education was disrupted it is vital that we make every school minute count.  I urge you to ensure that your child is in school and on time every day to prevent them falling behind with their learning. 

Government departments track school attendance figures, and it is our statutory duty to ensure children attend school. When Ofsted visit and carry out an inspection, they will analyse the data and use this to inform their judgement of the school. 

It is considered that attendance of 90% or below is persistent absence which will be closely monitored by school staff.  Failing to improve on this 90% can lead to prosecution, which school want to help families avoid. 

Brockley Primary School have a whole school attendance target which is 96.5%. We share this information on our school website every week. Home - Brockley Primary School

There are things you can do to improve your child’s attendance and avoid falling into the persistent absence category:

• If your child is unwell and you are unsure whether to send them to school, contact the office to seek advice on 01246-823344
•  Please avoid taking any holidays during term times
• Keep up to date with what % attendance your child has so that you know if they are at risk of persistent absence (office staff will provide this for you, please just ask)
• Speak to school staff with any concerns
• Talk to your child about the importance of them being in school and let them know how important you feel it is.

The table below provides an example of the impact of lost learning through pupil absence:

So, a child who has an absence % of 80% has missed 38 days of school and has missed 190 lessons.

Punctuality is also highly important. Pupils who arrive late to school are not only losing learning but also disrupting the learning of others as they arrive late for lessons.  Pupils do not like being late into school and we witness how upsetting and embarrassing it can be for them.  We want to prevent this.

The table below provides an example of the impact of lost learning through pupil lateness.

At Brockley Primary School we send out lost learning letters to parents each half term informing them of the number of minutes of lost learning for their child due to poor punctuality. If your child's attendance or lateness falls into any of the categories mentioned above, you may receive a letter. As a school don't like sending the letters and we know they can be upsetting but as I mentioned earlier schools have a statutory duty to ensure children attend school.

If you are struggling to get your child to school, we are always willing to help, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

We want to help families get their child to school on time.  Here are some things you can try:

• Have everything you/your child needs for school prepared the night before
• Ensure that your child goes to bed reasonably, so they are not too tired to get up in the morning
• Ensure your child has a good night’s sleep by minimising their use of devices at bedtime.
• Have a consistent bedtime routine for your child
• Set an alarm to allow plenty of time for your morning routine in getting to school on time
• Bring your child to breakfast club (8am – 8.30am)
• Contact school if you need support - we can drop off and collect in cases where adults can't 

 I know you're all incredibly supportive of our school and can work together to continue to make improvements to attendance and punctuality at Brockley.