Why is it important to have good attendance?

Good attendance at school is very important; it allows children to have the best start in life and to be equipped for succeeding, both academically and socially, so that they can achieve in their exams and manage relationships. The more school children miss, the harder it is to catch up and statistics show that 90% of persistent absentees (those with attendance below 90%) fail to achieve 5 or more good GCSE grades or equivalent.

Punctuality and Timekeeping

The school day at Himbleton runs from 8.35am,when the gates open for a soft start, to 3.15pm when the day ends for Early Years and Key Stage 1, or 3.20pm Lower KS2 and Upper KS2.  Members of staff are always present in the morning and afternoon to supervise children's arrival and departure.

The school gates will close promptly at 8.50am for the start of the school day; parents and carers should ensure that children arrive at school in good time so that they enter their classroom by 8.50am.  Any children arriving after this time must come into school via the main entrance to the front of the school and will be registered as late.  Arriving late to school can be distressing for a child and is often disruptive to the whole class.

Unavoidable Absences

We recognise that some absences are unavoidable and that children are sometimes not well enough to come to school.  In such circumstances, we ask that parents and carers call the school office before the start of the school day on the first morning of illness and then keep us updated if the illness lasts for more than one day.  If a phone call is not possible, absence should be reported by email to office@himbleton.worcs.sch.uk 

Requests for Planned Absence

Where a child needs to take time out of school to attend an appointment (e.g. to visit a doctor or dentist), the class teacher should be notified in advance by completing the planned absence request for absence which is available to download below or in paper form available from the office. 

To avoid disruption to children's learning, parents and carers are encouraged to arrange appointments outside school hours wherever possible.

The school recognises that there may be some occasions when a child will need to be taken out of school for exceptional circumstances e.g. where there is a family bereavement or to attend a religious event.

However, parents and carers are not entitled to take any holidays during term time, not even for a single day, as any absence has a detrimental impact on the child’s education and is disruptive to the teacher and class.  Furthermore, pupil attendance is one of the indicators considered by Ofsted when inspecting schools.

Parents and carers who wish to take their child out of school must formally apply for permission at least 4 weeks before the proposed absence, using the form below.

Parents and carers are advised that where a request for absence is not granted and the child is then absent without permission, this period will be recorded as Unauthorised Absence and may be investigated by the Local Authority.