At Brindishe Schools we believe that good attendance and punctuality are essential for the following reasons:

• research shows that children who attend school regularly do better at school and make better progress
• people who establish good patterns of timekeeping at an early age tend to keep these patterns for life
• children who attend school regularly and on time do not miss lessons, parts of lessons or vital pieces of information; they see themselves as ‘in the picture’ and as important members of the group
• children are entitled, in law, to receive a suitable education, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.  Schools and parents/carers are legally obliged to ensure that all children receive their entitlement
• it is not only a child’s learning that is affected by missing school; they also miss out on social aspects and this can affect their ability to make and keep their friendships - a vital part of growing up.

Our guiding principles for good attendance and punctuality at Brindishe Schools:

• All children have the right to their full-time education
• All children have the right to arrive at and leave school at the appropriate time each day. Responsibility for promoting school attendance is shared by everyone in the school and is not left to a particular individual or group of people    
• Having a clear and effective attendance policy which supports good attendance and punctuality improves all aspects of a child’s school’s life, especially its values, ethos, curriculum and achievement.