Attendance and Punctuality

Attendance at school

At Sarah Bonnell School we have excellent attendance that soars well above the national level for girls. Notwithstanding, we constantly work to ensure that our attendance figures continue to improve over time – an aim which is clearly communicated to all members of the school community. Attendance targets are agreed annually with the Local Governing Body, with the process then managed by the School Leadership Team. Regular school attendance is essential for all of our students to make good progress, achieve their academic potential and consequently have better chances in life.

There is a direct link between attendance and achievement. Absence is proven to have a significantly negative impact upon a child’s educational attainment; research also shows that the better a student’s attendance, the better their academic results will be. Regular attendance matters!

We don’t want your daughter to fall behind in school and get discouraged so please ensure that she attends school every day and arrives on time. Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

Talk to your daughter about the importance of attending school regularly.
Avoid scheduling family trips or doctor appointments during school hours.
Make sure your daughter stays healthy by eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep and exercise.
Don’t accept excuses for why your daughter “must” miss or be late for school.
Discuss with your daughter what happened at school each day.
Lead by example: if your daughter sees parents taking time off from work for no real reason, they may expect to be able to behave in the same way.

We hope that you appreciate how crucial good school attendance is to your daughter’s progress, achievement and chances in life and we look forward to working with you to ensure that your daughter’s attendance is the very best it can be.

The Sarah Bonnell Way helps set clear expectations around attendance and behaviour at school; our Home School Partnership provides further details as to how students, parents/carers and school work together to ensure that our girls are able to excel in all areas of school life.

Absence should be reported to our Attendance Officer – Ms Paulette Green – who can be reached on [email protected].

Supporting good attendance

Students with excellent attendance and punctuality, receive recognition for excellence via the award of certificates, positive postcards home and are entered into the weekly SB Club 100 prize draw.

The Sarah Bonnell Way and the Home School Partnership ensure that we all work together to ensure that our students’ attendance at school is good. Close monitoring ensures that should additional intervention be deemed helpful, referrals can be made.

Referrals can be made both internally and to external agencies to address any issues that may be affecting a student’s attendance, e.g. Newham Attendance Service, the school’s Counselling Service, Child and Family Consultation Service (CFCS), Newham Asian Women’s Project (NAWP), and Newham Young Carers Project. Referrals are managed by the relevant staff who support the student and involve parents/carers as appropriate.

Why good school attendance is important

School progress is closely linked to attendance because regular attendance is essential for maintaining continuity in learning and academic performance. Here’s how attendance impacts school progress:

Consistent Learning: Regular attendance ensures that students don’t miss important lessons, assignments, or assessments, which are vital for their academic growth. Missing school days can cause gaps in understanding, making it harder for students to keep up with the curriculum.
Engagement and Participation: When students attend school regularly, they are more likely to engage in class discussions, group activities, and hands-on learning experiences. These opportunities are important for deepening their understanding of subjects and developing critical thinking skills.
Higher Achievement: Studies show that students with better attendance tend to achieve higher grades and perform better on exams. Consistent attendance provides them with the structure and repetition needed to master key concepts.
Social and Emotional Development: School attendance also supports social and emotional growth by allowing students to build relationships with peers and teachers, which can foster a positive learning environment and support mental well-being.
Preparation for Future Success: Developing a habit of regular attendance teaches responsibility and time management, skills that are important for success beyond school, whether in higher education or the workplace.

Absence from school

If a student is absent from school, parents must inform the school either by telephone on the first morning of the absence and on each subsequent day of absence. On her return, your daughter should show her tutor any proof of absence, even if you have left a message. Supporting evidence can be medical letters, GP appointment cards, prescription or a prescribed medication. If you do not inform the school of your daughter’s absence you will be sent a notification via the GO4schools app which identifies any student who have not registered that day.

Our dedicated absence line is 020 8534 6791 and select option 1 to leave a message with their daughter’s full name, tutor group and detailed reason for absence (reasons such as “sick” or “unwell” are not considered a detailed reason, parents should state the exact nature of the illness, such as tonsillitis, chicken pox, asthma attack etc.). Absences reported without a clear reason will not be authorised.

Absences reported after 5 days will not also be authorised.

Reporting a planned absence

Appointments such as a visit to the dentist should be made outside of school time whenever possible, on the occasion where this is not possible medical evidence e.g. appointment card/letter should be provided in advance to reception or student services.

Application for exceptional/term time leave

If you believe there are exceptional circumstances to take your daughter out of school during term time, you may apply for ‘exceptional leave’ by completing this form. The granting of any such leave is at the sole discretion of the Headteacher, who will review the form. We endeavour to respond to all requests within two school days.

Change of Contact Details

To ensure that we work together to safeguard our students, parents/carers are asked to let the school know immediately (and in writing – which may be via email to info account – [email protected]) of any change of home address, telephone number, places of work and emergency contact information.

Attendance regulations – Newham

Here are some facts you need to know if you live in Newham and have children of compulsory school age. Newham Council wants to support you to ensure that your children gain the maximum benefit from their education. A good education leads to better life chances, better employment opportunities and higher earning power. It helps children learn to socialise, to be confident and to be good citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

Further information is available on the School Attendance Page of the Newham website. The points below outline the key regulations around school attendance.

ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS - for all residents of Newham - click this title for additional information

Full-time education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 – 18 years
Newham Council’s policy is for all children to start school in September of the year in which they turn five years old.
If you apply for a school place but do not accept it, you will be asked what arrangements you are making to ensure your child receives full-time education, suitable to his/her age, ability and any special educational needs he/she may have.
If you home educate your child, the Newham Council will check that the education you are providing is suitable.
If you enrol your child at an independent or faith school, please notify the Attendance
Service (contact details below), otherwise your child may be notified as a ‘Child Missing from Education’ (CME). This would involve checks being conducted to ensure your child is receiving an education.
Once you have accepted a school place, it is your responsibility to make sure your child attends every day, on time, with no unnecessary days off. Parents can be prosecuted if they do not fulfil this responsibility.
Term time leave is not authorised.
Penalty Notice fines can be issued for taking your child out of school in term time, or for reasons related to non-attendance or poor punctuality.
A Penalty Notice incurs a fine of £60 to each parent for each child, if paid within 21 days. If not paid within 21 days but paid within 28 days it rises to £120. If not paid at all, prosecution is automatic.

If you are new to the country we welcome you. If you want to learn or improve your English, enquire at your child’s school and you will be given information about local classes.

Punctuality

We expect all students to arrive to school at 8:25am. Students arriving late must sign in at Student Services.

Further information

For further information please contact the Attendance Management Service on Telephone: 020 3373 0390 or Email: [email protected].

Please note that Newham is also able to provide information in a number of languages – please check the Newham website.