Rookery School
Attendance & Absence
Regular attendance helps children feel part of school, keep up with learning and build strong relationships. Rookery works with families to promote good attendance and provide support when difficulties arise.
Report an Absence
If your child is unable to attend school, please let us know as soon as possible on the first day of their absence, ideally before the start of the school day. You can report an absence by completing the form below, registering the absence through ClassDojo, or calling the school office on 0121 464 4221.
Please provide your child's name, class and the reason for their absence. If your child remains absent, please continue to keep the school informed as required. If you need support with your child's attendance, or would like to discuss any circumstances affecting their ability to attend school, please contact the school office so that we can help.
Supporting Regular Attendance
Regular attendance gives children the best opportunity to learn, build friendships and feel fully part of school life. At Rookery, we work with families to promote strong attendance and punctuality while recognising that some children may experience barriers that require additional support.
Clear communication is important whenever a child cannot attend. Families should report absence promptly using the school's agreed process, while the school monitors attendance carefully and works with parents, carers and relevant services where patterns of absence begin to cause concern.
Why attendance matters
Regular attendance gives children the best opportunity to learn, make progress and enjoy school life. Arriving on time also helps pupils begin each day feeling settled, prepared and ready to learn alongside their classmates.
Reporting an absence
If your child is unable to attend school, please let us know as soon as possible using our absence reporting procedure. Providing a reason promptly helps us record the absence correctly and ensures we know your child is safe.
Illness and medical appointments
We understand that children may sometimes be too unwell to attend school or need a medical appointment. Where possible, we ask families to arrange routine medical and dental appointments outside school hours to minimise missed learning.
Leave during term time
Families are encouraged to arrange holidays and other commitments during school holidays wherever possible. Requests for leave during term time are considered in accordance with current attendance regulations, statutory guidance and Rookery's Attendance Policy.
Support with Attendance
Regular attendance is important for children's learning, wellbeing and wider development. If attendance is becoming difficult, we encourage families to speak to us as early as possible so that we can understand what may be affecting a child's attendance and identify appropriate support.
We work in partnership with pupils and families to understand and address barriers to attendance, taking individual circumstances into account. Support may involve agreed actions within school, reasonable adjustments where appropriate, or working with relevant external services when additional help is needed.
Our aim is to work positively with families to improve attendance, helping every child to feel supported, remain engaged with their education and benefit fully from the opportunities available at Rookery.
Working Together to Help Every Child Thrive
Strong partnerships between home and school are at the heart of everything we do. By working together, we create the best possible opportunities for every child to succeed academically, socially and emotionally.