Student Attendance

Attendance

At Harborne Academy, we expect our students to be present in school every day. They should only be off school if they are very ill. A cough or cold is not a reason to be absent from school. Students who take a lot of time off school miss out on valuable learning time and it affects their grades and future life chances immensely.  A child is twice as likely to get 5 good GCSE’s at Grade 5+ with an attendance of more than 96%. 

To support the students with maintaining good attendance, the school gates are open from 7.45am and students are welcome to use the library, canteen, sports hall or playground (weather dependent) in the mornings before registration. Free bagels and cereal are available from the canteen or other breakfast items are available for purchase. We have free sanitary products readily available for any student who needs them. We are happy to offer other support to overcome barriers to good attendance that your child may experience. We reward excellent attendance every term with certificates and prizes and have weekly house competitions for the best attending form group. Please speak to your child’s Head of Year or the Pastoral Manager if you have any concerns or need support with your child’s attendance.

At Harborne Academy we are really proud of our increased attendance figures over the past few years. Since the academic year 2018-19, our attendance (including during the pandemic) has been consistently above national average.

Reporting Absence

If your child is going to be absent, phone calls must be made to the absence line each and every day your child is absent from school. Please leave a clear message stating your child’s full name, year group and the reason that they are not in school. Proof is required if students have unavoidable appointments during school hours. In the case of persistent absentees, we will request medical evidence in order to authorise absence due to illness.

Support First (Birmingham City Council)

Parents who do not ensure that their child has good attendance are referred to the Birmingham City Council in line with the ‘Support First’ guidance. This could lead to finingand potential court action. Holidays are not permitted in school time. Please see our Attendance Policy for more information.

Absence Line: 0121 464 2737 then select option 2

Pastoral Manager/ Attendance Officer: Mrs Martina Conlon