Attendance
Government research shows that there is a direct link between attendance and achievement. Parents/carers have a legal responsibility to send their children to school and the school has a responsibility to check on all absences. We are further compelled to follow up or report all absences of children who appear to be away from school without good cause. The school operates a ‘First Day Calling Policy’ whereby the office will telephone/text to ascertain the reason for the absence if parents/carers have not contacted the school by 8.45 a.m. on the day of absence. If the school is unable to make contact with parents/carers and there is no explanation for the absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised on the pupil’s record.
From 1 September 2015, the Government reduced the ‘persistent absence threshold’ from 15% to 10% – pupils with attendance below 90% are deemed as a persistent absentee, regardless of whether the school has authorised or unauthorised the absence. Schools are no longer judged solely on their overall attendance figures, but also on the number of pupils who fall into the persistent absence category.
Regular attendance at school is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to fulfil their potential. Each child’s attendance is monitored weekly and our school seeks to work actively with parents to ensure that regular attendance is maintained. The Department for Education has published data on their website that clearly shows the link between attendance and attainment. This highlights the fact that there will be an impact on your child’s education and test results if attendance is not consistently above 95% throughout their schooling.
We want all students to achieve high levels of attendance and give themselves the very best life chances and choices. Therefore, it is vital that parents/carers and the school work together to secure good attendance.
Please do not let your child miss out on the education they deserve.
Certificates are awarded for 100% attendance each term/year. Pupils with 100% attendance for the year will be awarded a prize.
Family Holiday/Extended Leave: Click Here for Form
With effect from September 2013, the Department for Education has amended The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006. The changes make it clear that Head Teachers may no longer grant any leave of absence during term time, unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is the Head Teacher’s decision as to what might be considered an exceptional circumstance and parents/carers should not expect their request to be granted as a right.
All requests for absence during term time will need to be discussed, by appointment only, with the school’s Pastoral Lead, Miss Dalby and where necessary, Julie Davis, the Educational Welfare Officer. Please do not book a holiday or flights prior to contacting the school. Where a request for leave is not granted, the school reserve the right to forward the matter over to the Local Authority’s Education Investigation Service for consideration of either a penalty notice or prosecution.
Punctuality
It is important that children learn the good habit of punctuality and parents/carers are asked to help by ensuring that their children set off to school in good time.
If your child has been late to school on numerous occasions, they will attend a catch-up session after school. This is an opportunity to catch up on important information that they have missed.
Illness or Medical Appointments: On-line Sickness/Absence. Click Here for Form
In the case of illness spanning more than one day, parents/carers are expected to contact the school office explaining the absence, then complete an online form (see below) or telephone the school prior to 8.45 a.m. to give updated details on each day of the absence. If your child needs to attend a hospital or dental appointment, please send the child with a note of explanation and a copy of the appointment card and/or any other relevant medical information. Pupils cannot be released from school without written authorisation. They should be collected from the School Reception.