We understand that there are times when children may be unable to attend school. Whenever a pupil is absent during the morning or afternoon registration period, the school is required to record the absence appropriately as:

• Authorised Absence
• Unauthorised Absence
• Approved Educational Activity

If we have not received a reason for a child's absence when registers are taken, the absence will initially be recorded as unauthorised. Once parents/carers provide further information, the absence can be reviewed and updated where appropriate.

We recognise that some medical appointments will need to take place during the school day. However, wherever possible, we ask parents and carers to arrange routine medical and dental appointments outside of school hours to minimise disruption to their child's learning. If your child needs to leave school for a medical appointment during the school day, evidence of the appointment will be required and can be emailed to the attendance team.

All attendance records and absence codes are applied in line with Department for Education guidance.

Parents and carers have a responsibility to notify the school as soon as possible if their child is unable to attend. Prompt communication is an important part of our partnership with families and helps us ensure that attendance records are accurate, pupils are safe, and any necessary support can be put in place.

Please report your child's absence by 8:15am each morning by providing:

• Your child's full name
• Their class or tutor group
• The reason for the absence
• Your relationship to the child

Absences can be reported by:

📞 Telephone: 0121 566 6600
✉️ Email: wav_attendance@waverley.bham.sch.uk

Our friendly Attendance Team is always happy to help with any questions or concerns regarding your child's attendance:

• Ms Abbas – Primary Attendance Officer
• Ms Hussain – Secondary Attendance Officer

By working together, we can support every pupil to attend regularly, feel connected to school, and achieve their full potential.

The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is a priority. If we do not receive notification of your child's absence, our Attendance Team will attempt to contact parents and carers to establish the reason for the absence and ensure that your child is safe.

If we are unable to make contact and your child's absence remains unexplained, we will continue our efforts to reach you. Where no contact has been made and concerns remain regarding your child's whereabouts, a home visit may be carried out on the third day of absence.

We kindly ask parents and carers to keep their contact details up to date and to inform the school of any absence as early as possible. Prompt communication helps us fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities and ensure that every pupil receives the support they need.

A prompt start to the school day helps pupils settle into learning and make the most of every lesson.

• Secondary registration takes place at 8:40am.
• Primary registration takes place at 8:40am.

Pupils who arrive after the start of the school day, but before registers close will be recorded as Late (L).

If a pupil arrives after the registers have closed at 9:10am, they will be recorded as having an unauthorised absence (U) for the morning session unless there is a valid reason for their lateness. In these circumstances, the appropriate attendance code will be applied.

We encourage all pupils to arrive on time each day. Regular lateness can have a significant impact on learning, disrupt lessons, and lead to missed opportunities for progress. Parents and carers should be aware that persistent lateness is treated in the same way as irregular attendance and may result in involvement from the Local Authority.

By working together to promote good punctuality, we can help every pupil get the best possible start to their day and maximise their learning opportunities.

At Waverley School, we recognise that family events and special occasions are important. However, regular attendance at school is essential for pupils to achieve their full potential and to maintain continuity in their learning.

Parents and carers should be aware that there is no entitlement to take leave during term time. In line with government regulations, principals may only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and must consider each request on an individual basis.

If you believe there are exceptional circumstances that require your child to be absent from school during term time, you must submit a Leave of Absence Request Form as far in advance as possible. Supporting evidence such as travel documents may be requested to help the school consider your application.

Please note:

• Holidays taken during term time are not normally authorised.
• Making travel arrangements before receiving the school's decision is done at your own risk.
• Each request will be considered based on the specific circumstances and the impact the absence may have on your child's education.

Where a pupil is absent from school without authorisation, the school may be required to refer the matter to the Local Authority. This could result in a Penalty Notice being issued to parents or carers in accordance with national and local attendance procedures.

We are committed to supporting every pupil to achieve the best possible attendance. If you are experiencing family difficulties or exceptional circumstances that may affect your child's attendance, we encourage you to contact the school as early as possible so that we can discuss how best to support you and your child.

For further information or to request a Leave of Absence Form, please contact the school attendance team.

Our School Attendance Policy can be found here: Waverley School Policies 

We are delighted to celebrate a significant achievement in attendance across both our Primary and Secondary phases.

Waverley School has received FFT Attendance Recognition, an award given to schools whose overall attendance improvement between 2024/25 and 2025/26 ranked amongst the highest-performing FFT schools nationally.

We are particularly proud that both our Primary and Secondary phases have been ranked within the top 10% nationally for attendance improvement.

This recognition reflects the outstanding commitment of our pupils, families and staff, who work together every day to ensure that children attend school regularly and make the most of every learning opportunity. Strong attendance plays a vital role in academic progress, wellbeing and future success, and this achievement demonstrates the positive impact of our shared efforts.

We would like to thank all parents, carers, pupils and staff for their continued support in making excellent attendance a priority. Together, we will continue to build on this success and ensure that every child benefits from being in school every day.