At Dunchurch Boughton Junior Academy, we know that good attendance is one of the most important factors in helping children achieve their full potential. Every day in school provides valuable opportunities for learning, social development and wellbeing and even small amounts of lost learning time can have a significant impact over the course of a year. As outlined in our Attendance Policy, we are committed to working in partnership with families to promote excellent attendance and punctuality.

We would therefore like to draw your attention to some key points within the policy.

Leave of Absence Requests: Any request for a leave of absence must be made in advance using the appropriate form. Requests made on the day of the absence, or after the absence has taken place, cannot be authorised under current legislation and will be recorded as unauthorised. Families should not assume that a request has been approved until confirmation has been received from the school. 

Punctuality: The school day begins at 8.50am, and registers are taken at this time. Children arriving after 8.50am will be marked as late. We will be carefully monitoring punctuality and will contact families if we have concerns about repeated lateness. Arriving on time helps children settle quickly and ensures they are ready to learn from the start of the day. 

Changes to Collective Worship: Our daily collective worship now takes place at 9.55am, Monday to Thursday. This means that children who arrive late are increasingly likely to miss important learning in English or mathematics before worship begins. We ask all families to make every effort to ensure children arrive on time each day so they can access their full entitlement to the curriculum.

Medical Appointments: Where possible, medical and dental appointments should be arranged outside school hours. If an appointment during the school day is unavoidable, parents must inform the school office in advance and provide a copy of the appointment letter or confirmation. In most cases, children should attend school before or after an appointment rather than miss the entire day. 

Religious Observance: We recognise and respect the diverse faiths within our community. Parents are encouraged to read the section of the policy relating to religious observance which explains how requests for absence linked to faith observance should be made and considered. 

Reporting Absence: If your child is unable to attend school due to illness or another valid reason, please contact the school office on the first day of absence and on each subsequent day of absence. The full absence reporting procedure is detailed within the policy. If we are unable to establish why a child is absent, we will follow our safeguarding procedures, which may include telephone calls, emails, contacting emergency contacts and, where necessary, a home visit. This is an important part of our duty to ensure all children are safe and accounted for. 

Thank you for your continued support. By working together, we can ensure that every child benefits from excellent attendance, arrives ready to learn and is able to make the most of every opportunity available to them.