Kind, Brave, Fair — that’s the Normie Way. Being here, every day, is where it starts.
At Norman Street Primary School, we believe that good attendance is the foundation for every child to reach their full potential; this starts with ensuring they are in school, engaged, and ready to learn.
At Norman Street, we have high expectations for attendance and punctuality. We firmly believe that every child has a right to a full-time education, and we work tirelessly to cultivate a culture where all pupils and parents understand the importance of regular school attendance. Being Kind, Brave and Fair — that’s the Normie Way — underpins our approach, as we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where all children feel safe, supported, and eager to come to school.
If you look after the child, that allows them to learn. We care about the kids highly, and that then transpires into a love of learning, because we do make them feel safe, we make them feel wanted, we make them feel like they are part of our family and our community, and then the love of learning follows that. (teacher)
We closely monitor attendance data to identify any patterns or concerns as early as possible. When an issue arises, we take the time to listen to our pupils and parents, understanding the unique barriers they may be facing, whether at home or in school. By working collaboratively with families, we can develop tailored solutions to remove these barriers and get children back on track.
Our dedicated staff are committed to providing the support and resources needed to overcome attendance challenges. This may involve early help plans, working with external agencies, or formalising attendance contracts to ensure families receive the assistance they require. Importantly, we recognise that attendance cannot be viewed in isolation and work closely with our partners to address wider issues that may be impacting a child’s ability to attend school regularly.
As a last resort, we will not hesitate to take formal action to protect a child’s right to education. This could include issuing penalty notices or pursuing prosecution, but only after exhausting all other avenues of support and engagement. Enforcement is never where we start — it is what happens only when every other door has been knocked on and support has not been taken up. Being Brave means taking that step when it is needed, and being Fair means applying it consistently and only as a last resort. Our aim is always to work with families, not against them, so that every child at Norman Street Primary School has the opportunity to thrive.
Penalty Notices cover both general unauthorised absence and instances when attendance is otherwise reasonable, but where a family has taken a holiday in term time. Penalty Notices can also cover both those scenarios at the same time for particular pupils and families, i.e. generalised poor attendance and a holiday in term time.
A Penalty Notice may be considered where a pupil has 10 or more sessions (5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week period.
The first Penalty Notice issued to a parent in respect of a particular pupil will be charged at £160 if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
Only two Penalty Notices can be issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling three-year period. Any second Penalty Notice is charged at a flat rate of £160, with no reduction available. Where a third occasion of unauthorised absence occurs within that three-year period, the Local Authority will consider prosecution or another attendance legal intervention rather than issuing a further Penalty Notice.
We hold high expectations for every child’s attendance because we believe every child deserves the best possible chance to thrive — and we know families do too. We encourage all our parents and carers to work closely with us, so that together we can ensure every child at Norman Street Primary School has the best possible chance to succeed, both academically and personally.
If you would like to discuss your child’s attendance, please don’t hesitate to reach out — our door is open. You can contact Bev Ramshaw, our Parent Liaison, or Mrs Karen Hodges, Deputy Headteacher.
“There are only three rules for behaviour in the school: ‘be safe, be respectful, be ready’. This new approach to behaviour, together with changes to the curriculum, pedagogy and inclusion, took place concurrently. In a comparatively short time, a new culture was established with the staff embracing it, taking control of it and often developing it. Everything was talked about and there was no shame in admitting difficulty. Changes were implemented with a spirit of openness, kindness, sharing and co-operation.”
All do a little check in where they touch the door when they come in, just so they can let you know how they’re feeling, if they’re tired, or if they’re fine. We do that every time they come into the classroom. (teacher)
I serve the children in my class and then sit down to eat with them. This is a great chance to chat and find out about their lives beyond the classroom. (teacher)
We know our children so well, we know something’s not right … you pick up on it really quickly, and then you’re able to get to the root cause of what’s going on. Is it something’s happened at home? Have they not had breakfast? Is something happening at the weekend they’re worried about? (teacher)
At Norman Street Primary School, we take great pride in celebrating the successes of our pupils, both in and out of the classroom. We use public recognition to acknowledge and encourage positive behaviour, from individual praise and rewards to whole-school celebrations.
If you have any questions or concerns about behaviour at our school, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to work in partnership with our families to ensure that every child has the best possible experience at Norman Street Primary School.
These principles are like golden threads that run through all we do and how we work. Our school thrives on kindness, trust and predictability of approach.
