Attendance

At Short Heath Federation, attendance is understood through the same relational, restorative and trauma-informed lens that shapes our Behaviour & Wellbeing Strategy...  Just as we believe “all behaviour is communication,”  we also recognise that absence, lateness and irregular attendance communicates something too — about wellbeing, safety, relationships, unmet needs, or environmental barriers at home or school.

Attendance is therefore approached with:

• Kindness, compassion and curiosity
• Restorative approaches
• A trauma‑informed, needs‑led response
• A partnership with families
• A commitment to equity, not equality

In line with our behaviour and wellbeing policy, our approach is kind, compassionate and curious, seeking to understand the reasons behind attendance difficulties and respond restoratively. We work with children and families, building bridges and promoting long-lasting change.

We understand that attendance is not simply a statutory requirement; it is a protective factor for children’s wellbeing, safety, academic progress and long-term life chances. We therefore adopt a highly inclusive, relational and trauma-informed approach, recognising that children’s ability to attend school regularly is shaped by their emotional state, family context, neurotype and early experiences.

We believe that:

• Children attend best when they feel safe, connected and valued.
• Families also need to feel safe, connected and valued and the building up of honesty and trust is a crucial part of our strategy.
• Attendance improves when relationships are strong.
• All adults in school must model consistency, empathy and regulation 

Our Attendance Policy is fully aligned with the school’s Behaviour and Wellbeing Policy, SEND Policy, Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy and Safeguarding Policy. It is important to note that we do not adhere to a ‘blanket policy’.  Instead we consider each child’s individual circumstances and respond in a flexible, targeted and equitable way in order to improve the attendance of individual children.  This approach mirrors our federation strategy for behaviour and wellbeing and is aligned with the most recent DfE guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ (July 2026).

Please read our Full Attendance Strategy here.

Please read our Parent Summary of our Attendance Strategy here.