Attendance
ATTENDANCE
Regular and punctual attendance is crucial for a child’s future life chances and establishes a positive work ethic early in life. Pupils will be expected to achieve 100% attendance but if absence is unavoidable parents/carers should contact the school promptly on the first day of absence to explain the reason for the non-attendance and an estimate of how long the absence is likely to be.
Lessons start at 8.55am and it is important that all children are in the playground by 8.45am when the first bell rings and all children go into class. If a child misses registration at 8.55am they will be marked Late in the register. If they arrive after 9.15am, the lateness will be recorded as unauthorised absence.
It is the parents’ responsibility to contact the school on the first day of absence, giving the reason for the absence and an estimation of how long the child will be away from school. If contact is not made by the parent/carer when a pupil does not attend school they will be contacted by automated telephone. If there is no response to this, the Parent Partner will try and make contact and this may involve a home visit and further action.
The school will not authorise family holidays during term time. If an exceptional circumstance arises which requires the child to be absent from school, a form which is obtainable from the school office, should be completed, if possible, at least 2 weeks prior to the leave date. The Headteacher will then decide whether or not to authorise the absence and the parent/carer will be informed in writing of his decision. The Headteacher will take into consideration if the child’s record of attendance is above 97%, that the leave does not exceed 10 days and that the timing of the leave would not prevent the child from missing any assessments, examinations or school events. It is important to note that requests for children in Year 6 during SATs will not be authorised. If leave is taken at this time, a Penalty Notice will be issued to the parent/carer. Also, the request will not be considered if a child has already had authorised leave during that academic year, even if it was for 1 day.
Dental and medical appointments should, whenever possible, be made outside of the school day. If it is unavoidable that a child should have an appointment during school hours, the school office should be notified in writing the date and time of appointment and when the child will be collected/returned to school. Evidence of the appointment should be given to the school.
Regular attendance is encouraged by the school providing a caring and welcoming learning environment and the Parent Partner responding promptly to concerns. Certificates are issued for good attendance and there is a class cup which is awarded each week.
The school does keep attendance and lateness records and these are regularly monitored by the Education Welfare Officer. The school’s Parent Partner works closely with the EWO and will follow up concerns about attendance or punctuality. If the child’s attendance/lateness gives cause for concern, the parent/carer will be invited to an attendance clinic to discuss reasons for absence and to agree ways it can be improved. If the absence persists a referral will be made to the EWO who can apply for an Education Supervision Order or court prosecution.