The importance of punctuality:

Our school day begins at:

• 8:45am for EYFS and Key Stage 1 (Nursery to Year 2)
• 8:50am for Key Stage 2 (Year 3 to 6)

The first few minutes of the school day are designed to be a vital learning opportunity. Teachers use this time to revisit key skills in reading, writing and maths, and to provide extra practice or support with any misconceptions or gaps in learning. When a child arrives late, they miss this targeted input, which can have a negative impact on their confidence and progress over time.

We fully understand that mornings can be challenging, and sometimes unexpected things happen. If you are experiencing any difficulties or barriers in getting your child to school on time, please speak to your child’s class teacher. We are here to help and will be able to offer support as a school.

Telling us your child will be absent:

If your child is absent, please contact our Attendance Officer, Mrs Hayes, through any of the below methods:

• School Number: 0115 7453385 Option 1 (please leave a voice message if no answer)
• Mobile Number: 07736194791 (you can call, text or Whatsapp this number

Parents have a responsibility for ensuring their child attends the Academy regularly and punctually. The Academy expects that all parents communicate with them, either in writing or by telephone, giving a reason:

1. In advance of any planned absence.
2. Immediately following any unplanned absence.
3. During any absence expected to last more than three days.

Failure to comply with this requirement will mean that your child will have unauthorised absences on their attendance record and this could lead to a referral to the Education Entitlement Team.

The importance of attending school everyday

High attendance is vital if children are to make good progress and achieve their potential in school.  Regular attendance also supports children’s social and emotional development by helping them build friendships, develop confidence, establish routines that promote wellbeing and good habits for life in the future workplace. When children miss school, they can quickly fall behind, making it harder for them to keep up academically and socially.

At Nottingham Academy Primary, we closely monitor attendance, and when a child’s attendance falls below 93%, this becomes a concern. Parents and carers will receive a letter explaining our concerns and outlining the support available. At this stage, your child will be given an attendance streak card, encouraging them to complete 10 consecutive days of full attendance to earn a small prize. This is monitored by the class teacher and members of our leadership team, and the process continues until your child’s attendance rises back above 93%.

If a child’s attendance drops to 90% or below, they are classed by the Government as a ‘persistent absentee’, and clear actions must be taken to prevent ongoing absence. At this point, parents may receive a letter inviting them for a meeting to create an attendance action plan. Within this, a Parent Voice Attendance Questionnaire, alongside a Pupil Voice questionnaire in school will help to identify any barriers that may be affecting attendance. Based on the outcomes, we will offer appropriate support or intervention to ensure your child can attend school regularly.

School will communicate regularly through informal conversations and the formal application of the attendance policy (formal letters). Where there are persistent issues, we may have to refer the matter to School Health or Education Welfare for further action, which may include the issue of a Penalty Notice.

Incentives and rewards:

At Nottingham Academy, we use rewards and incentives to motivate pupils to attend regularly and to help them build positive daily habits. Celebrating good attendance encourages children to feel proud of coming to school every day, and recognising improvements supports all pupils, especially those who may find attendance more challenging to stay engaged and committed to their learning.

Our rewards and incentives include:

• 100% attenders treat at the end of term and end of academic year
• Diamond attenders (93% or above) weekly prize draw in assembly 
• Interclass attendance race competition (chance to win prizes as a class) 
• Free drumming session for excellent or most improved attendance 
• Attendance streak card prizes 

School support and interventions:

We recognise that some children may find it difficult to attend school regularly for a variety of reasons, including personal, emotional or family challenges. As a school, we are committed to understanding each child’s individual circumstances and offering the right support to help them feel safe, confident and ready to learn. We work closely with families to identify any barriers to attendance and to put appropriate support in place, ensuring that every child has the best possible opportunity to succeed. This may include:

• Accessing our pastoral breakfast club
• Meet and greet 
• ELSA support
• School counselling 
• EBSA (Emotional Based School Avoidance) workshop 
• Support from the Mental Health Support Team 
• Accessing Early Help

Term time holidays

At Nottingham Academy, we believe family holidays should not be taken during term time. We will not authorise requests for holidays during term time and will consider issuing parents Penalty Notices if holidays or other unauthorised leave of absence is taken. Leave of absence requests will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. A penalty notice can still be issued when 8 sessions/4days of unauthorised absence are taken before or after a school holiday/bank holiday.

If your leave of absence request has not been authorised by the Academy you may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice by the Local Authority. This could result in a fine of up to £160 per parent per child.