Attendance

Regular attendance is vital for your child’s success, helping them to achieve their best and develop important life skills.

Your child will be informed of their Attendance Group by their form tutor. Lift Barton Hill monitors students closely whose attendance is falling and will contact you if your child’s attendance does not improve. As a parent/carer you are committing an offence if you fail to ensure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, even if they are missing school without your knowledge. It is important that parents/carers monitor single day’s absence, as these days soon add up to weeks.

At Lift Barton Hill we reward pupils who attend school each day and whose attendance is improving.
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Reporting an absence

If your child is unable to attend school, please notify the school as soon as possible on EVERYDAY of absence. You can do this by emailing: absence@liftbartonhill.org or call 01803 317937 and leave a message.

If we haven’t heard from you by 9:30 am, a member staff will contact you to confirm the reason for absence.
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School attendance and the law

Parents and carers are legally responsible for ensuring their child attends school regularly and punctually. Failure to do so could result in legal action by the local authority.

Under the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006, only the school can authorise an absence – not parents or carers.

Time off for holidays during term time is not a legal right. Any request for a leave of absence must be made in advance by completing an absence form and submitting it to the school office. If a holiday is taken without permission, the absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’ and could result in legal action.

You can read the government advice here:

https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence

Why is attendance important?

Regular school attendance is essential because:

It is a legal requirement for children aged 5 to 16
It supports academic success and future opportunities
Schools have a safeguarding responsibility for all students
It helps develop social skills and strong relationships
Schools have a safeguarding responsibility for all students
It ensures students gain the qualifications they need for their next steps in education or employment

Attendance expectations

Students are expected to attend school every day
Punctuality is important—students must arrive on time for both morning and afternoon registration
The minimum target for attendance is 98%
Parents should schedule appointments and holidays outside of term time wherever possible

How families can support good attendance

Encourage good sleep and morning routines
Be firm about attending school unless your child is genuinely unwell
Communicate with the school about any barriers to attendance
Seek support early if you have any concerns

Requesting a leave of absence

If you are considering taking your child out of school you are reminded to read both Barton Hill Academy's Attendance Policy regarding avoidable absence in term time and the Local Authority’s Penalty Notice Code of Conduct which can be accessed at: www.torbay.gov.uk/attendance.

Applications for Term Time leave should be made at least six weeks in advance. To submit an application for Term Time Leave click here: Application for Term Time Leave
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The school day

Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. The school day starts at 8.30am. Students arriving after 8.40am are considered late. They may be marked absent and will require an explanatory note or the absence will remain un-authorised.
Leaving school early without permission will negatively impact attendance

News and events

Introducing a new look for our school

Details

Accreditations