Attendance

Inclusive Attendance at Catshill Middle School

Every Day Matters, Every Child Counts.

Catshill Middle School is proud to be recognised as an Inclusive Attendance School.

We believe that every child deserves to feel happy, safe, supported and included at school. Regular attendance helps children achieve their best, build friendships, grow in confidence and feel part of our school community.

We understand that every child is different and that some families may face challenges with school attendance. Our aim is to work together with parents and carers to understand these challenges and provide the right support.

Good attendance is everyone's responsibility. Together, we can help every child succeed.

Our Approach to Attendance

At Catshill Middle School, we follow the Inclusive Attendance approach, which helps us create a welcoming and supportive school environment.

We are committed to:

Making every child feel welcome and valued.
Building positive relationships with children and families.
Encouraging good attendance and punctuality.
Identifying attendance concerns early.
Understanding and supporting families who face difficulties.
Working together to help every child attend regularly.
Celebrating good attendance and improvements.

Our staff receive regular training to ensure we provide consistent and effective support for all children

Why Attendance Matters

Every school day is an opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

Regular attendance helps children to:

Achieve their best: Attending lessons regularly helps children make good progress and build their knowledge.
Build friendships: Being in school helps children develop friendships, confidence and social skills.
Develop good routines: Regular attendance encourages independence, responsibility and positive habits.
Feel part of school life: Children can enjoy clubs, trips, sports, performances and other exciting opportunities.
Keep up with learning: Missing lessons can create gaps in understanding, making future learning more difficult.
Build positive relationships: Regular attendance helps children develop strong relationships with teachers and classmates.

Every lesson matters. Even a few days of absence can affect a child's learning and confidence.

Working Together to Improve Attendance

We believe that the best way to support attendance is through strong relationships between school and home.

We work closely with children, parents, carers and other professionals to make sure families receive the support they need.

If your child is finding it difficult to attend school, we encourage you to speak to us as soon as possible.

Together, we can:

Listen to your concerns.
Understand what may be affecting attendance.
Agree on practical ways to help.
Offer additional support when needed.
Review progress and celebrate improvements.

We are here to help, not just to monitor attendance.

The Right Support at the Right Time

We recognise that some children may need extra help to attend school regularly.

Our approach ensures that:

All children receive encouragement, a welcoming environment and clear attendance expectations.
Some children receive additional support when attendance begins to become a concern.
Children with greater needs to receive more personalised support, which may involve working with families and outside agencies.

Our priority is to identify difficulties early and work together to find positive solutions.

Celebrating Good Attendance

At Catshill Middle School, we believe it is important to recognise and celebrate children who attend school regularly, arrive on time and make improvements.

We celebrate attendance through:

Weekly class attendance: Class attendance is tracked and displayed on classroom doors and our whole-school attendance display.
Celebration assemblies: We share class attendance achievements and recognise positive progress.
School newsletters: We celebrate class attendance and highlight achievements across the school.
Certificates: Pupils receive certificates for excellent attendance and improvements.
ePraise rewards: Pupils can earn weekly and half-termly bonus ePraise points for excellent attendance and punctuality.

We recognise that good attendance looks different for every child. That is why we celebrate not only excellent attendance but also personal progress, effort and improvement.

Our Shared Responsibility

Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly.

We ask families to support us by:

Ensuring children arrive at school on time each day.
Informing school promptly if their child is absent.
Arranging medical and dental appointments outside school hours wherever possible.
Avoiding holidays during term time.
Speaking to school early if attendance becomes difficult.

We understand that children can become unwell and that some absences are unavoidable. Our aim is always to work with families to support regular attendance wherever possible.

Our Commitment to Every Child

At Catshill Middle School, we want every child to feel that they belong, that they matter and that they can succeed.

By working together, celebrating achievements and providing support when needed, we aim to make school a place where children feel happy, confident and ready to learn.

Every day in school matters. Every child matters. Together, we can make a difference. Present, Punctual and Proud!