On this page you will find information about attendance at APS. Our attendance department strives to be: clear, consistent and compassionate. 

At Aldersbrook Primary School, we believe that regular attendance is the foundation of a successful education. Attending school as regularly as they can, ensures that children benefit fully from the learning experiences we offer, fostering their academic, social, and emotional development.

Every day at Aldersbrook is an opportunity for students to be involved with new ideas, build essential skills, and form meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers.

By prioritising attendance, we help our children to establish strong routines, develop a love for learning, and achieve their full potential.

We are committed to working closely with families to support regular attendance and address any barriers that may arise. 

You can check your child’s attendance level at any time by logging onto their Arbor page.

Our attendance policy can be found here.

• Arriving at school on time: The gate opens at 8.30 for a 'soft start' - all children should be in class and ready to learn before 8.50. If your child arrives after this time, they will need to register at the school office. Nursery AM session starts at 8.30 - there is no 'soft start' for nursery.

• Reporting an absence: If your child is too unwell to come to school, please contact us on the first day of absence before 9.15, on 0208 989 0210 (option 1), or email absence@aldersbrook.redbridge.sch.uk. Mention your child’s full name, class, and the reason for the absence. We may ask for medical evidence if there is a prolonged period of absence. Please read our full Attendance Policy for more information. You can also refer to government guidance to assess if your child is well enough to come into school: 

• Picking up for appointment: Please book routine medical and dental appointments outside school hours. For urgent or hospital appointments, we ask you to provide confirmation of the appointment – this can be an appointment letter, a text confirmation, an appointment card, etc. Please let us know in advance if you need to pick up your child during the school day or if your child will arrive late because of an appointment.
• Picking up at the end of the school day: Pick up is at 3.20pm. Please be prompt for pick up. After 3:30 your child will be at the school office. If your child is not collected by 6pm, and we have had no explanation of the reason, then we are required to phone Social Services.

Regular attendance and punctuality are essential. The school monitors attendance and punctuality and will work with families where there are concerns. 

Collection and Walking Home

To ensure that children leave school safely, the following arrangements apply:

• Children in Reception to Year 4 must be collected by a parent/carer or authorised person aged 16 or over.

• Children in Years 5 and 6 may walk home independently where the school has received written permission from a parent/carer.

• Primary-aged children cannot normally collect younger pupils, including siblings.

• Parents/carers must inform the school if collection arrangements change. We will not release a child to an unexpected or unknown person until the arrangement has been confirmed.

• In exceptional circumstances, alternative arrangements may be agreed in advance with the Senior Leadership or Safeguarding Team. Decisions will be based on the age and needs of the children and any safeguarding considerations. Please email the Admin team FAO Rose McDermott

• The school may refuse or review any collection or independent-travel arrangement if there are concerns about a child's safety or welfare.

Children should be collected promptly at 15:20

If a child remains uncollected and we cannot contact a parent/carer or other authorised adult, the school will follow its safeguarding procedures.

After-school club (CICI)

CICI places must be booked in advance and are subject to availability and safe staffing levels. Only children with a confirmed booking may attend. If a place has not been secured, parents/carers must arrange to collect their child at 15:20 or make another collection arrangement agreed with the school in advance. A child must not be left at school on the assumption that they can attend CICI without a confirmed booking: the school does not provide drop-in or waiting provision.

Parents/carers are responsible for checking that bookings have been confirmed and for making alternative arrangements if a place is unavailable. Please contact the school before the end of the school day if a collection arrangement needs to change. Any alternative collector must be authorised and the arrangement confirmed by the school.

If a child is not collected at 15:20, the school will keep them supervised and follow its safeguarding and non-collection procedures. This may include contacting parents/carers and the child’s listed emergency contacts. 

Repeated incidents may lead to a meeting with the family to review arrangements and, where appropriate, further action under the school’s safeguarding procedures.

Holidays in Term-Time

Full information on taking your child out of school during term-time is available in our Attendance Policy. The Department for Education (DfE) states that leave of absence requests will not be authorised unless in the most exceptional of circumstances. We will instruct the local authority to issue Penalty Notices for unauthorised absences. Please fill in the form attached at the bottom of this page to request a leave of absence during term time. 

Absences immediately before or after school holidays

If your child is absent immediately before or after a school holiday, we must see evidence for the absence. This may be confirmation from a  medical professional that your child is unwell, a letter for a medical appointment, or evidence of flight delays or circumstances beyond your control.  Repeated absences before or after a holiday without this evidence may result in a penalty notice.