Attendance

Our Aim

• Attain the maximum attendance for each pupil
• Work in partnership with parents/carers to ensure that children attend regularly and on time
• Work with parents and carers to help them understand and respect the education process, and those that deliver it
• Improve our school attendance figures year on year
• Ensure that pupils are properly prepared for school, in their physical and mental needs
• Ensure that children arrive at school correctly dressed and with the equipment they need for the day
• Create a community of lifelong learners

Effective schools ensure that parents/carers realise how important regular attendance is for our community of learners. Children quickly pick up the message that their presence is important. The twice-daily requirement to register pupils is an opportunity for the school to receive children formally from home or play, and serve as an introduction to the learning sessions that follow. Regular school attendance is vital if pupils are to take full advantage of the regular provisions and opportunities available to them, and realise their potential. Irregular attendance undermines the educational process and can lead to educational disadvantage. It is also disruptive to the education of all parties – the teacher, the other children, and the children who are absent.

Absence

Children are expected to attend school for the full 190 days of the academic year, unless there is a good reason for absence. There are two types of absence:

• Authorised: Where the school approves pupil absence
• Unauthorised: Where the school does not approve the absence

If a child is absent, parents should call the school on each day of the absence stating a reason. A note should be sent on the day the child returns to school explaining the absence. The school will then decide whether to authorise the absence. If authorisation were to be refused, for instance if a child was kept off school for a birthday or a shopping trip, then the parents would be informed. A note is essential for authorisation of absence.

If no note explaining the child’s absence is made by parents or carers, the school will contact the home by telephone on the initial day, following this up with a letter or home visit after 3 days of unexplained absence. When children are frequently ill, we may request medical certification. Children with 100% attendance and/or punctuality will be rewarded by the school with certificates at the end of each term.

Lateness

School begins at 8.55 a.m. and all pupils are expected to be in school for registration at this time. Any child arriving after the classes have left the playground should enter school via the main entrance reporting to the School Office. If accompanied, a parent or carer should give a reason for the lateness, which will be recorded in our register of lateness. The child will then be sent to their classroom.

We monitor lateness carefully and refer regular latecomers to the Education Welfare Officer. Lessons begin very quickly at the start of the day, and regularly missing the beginning of lessons means that children miss out on valuable learning time and instructions. It often takes them time to catch up on the rushed start to the day – please make sure your children are here on time, ready for the bell at 8.55am.

Pupils who are consistently late are disrupting not only their own education but also that of others. Ten minutes lateness each day is almost equivalent to missing two weeks of learning time. A detailed record of pupils’ lateness is kept, both for the beginning and end of the day. Pupils arriving after the registers close at 9.10am will be recorded as absent.

How Parents/Carers Can Help

• Do not allow your child to have time off school unless it is really necessary.
• Let the school know as soon as possible why your child is away.
• Send a note when your child returns to school.
• Make dentist/doctor appointments outside school hours.
• Always get children to school on time.

Prior notification is required for any dental or medical appointment. Please note that no child can be released from school without the parents/carers’ written request in advance.

If You Are Worried About Your Child’s Attendance at School, What Can You Do?

• Talk to your child; it may be something simple.
• Talk to the Headteacher, teacher and/or staff at the school.

If it continues:

• The school may refer to the Education Welfare Service.
• You may contact the Education Welfare Officer, who will work with you and the school to resolve the situation. (number available from the School Office)

Registers

Incomplete or inaccurate registers are unacceptable for several reasons. There may be health and safety issues related to accurate marking of registers, for example, in the event of a fire. Registers provide the daily record of the attendance of all pupils; they are documents that may be required in a court of law, for example, as evidence in prosecutions for non-attendance at school. They may also contribute to children’s end of term reports and to records of achievement. For these reasons, registers must be marked in ink not easily erased, and all alterations should be visible and explained. It is vital that these records reflect a true and accurate record of attendance.

As we use Optical Mark Readers for our registers, they must be marked in black pen:

• Straight line to denote presence
• Mark only pupils present
• If mistakes are made, please do not rectify but notify the office with a post-it note in the register
• If you have been notified of a child’s absence, please note in form in front of register

Penalty for Not Attending School

The penalty for not attending school may be a fine of up to £2500 or 3 months imprisonment and a criminal record. Currently, the trigger for starting legal action in the Magistrates Court is when the level of attendance for any child falls below 80%.

Term-Time Holidays

There is no entitlement to extra holiday leave, and it is at the discretion of the Headteacher and the Governors of the school. The maximum amount of time that can be authorised is 10 days. THIS IS THE LAW.

Schools have 13 weeks of holidays every year. Term-time holidays are very disruptive to all – the children concerned, their classmates, and their teachers. Do not disadvantage your child! Please ensure that he/she gets the very best from their education by taking your holidays during school holiday times.

If you do request extended holidays, please note the following:

• Agreement to your request is not automatic, and the child/children’s attendance and punctuality record will be taken into consideration before agreeing to extended holidays. Where attendance is below 93%, it will definitely not be approved.
• Our Home/School Liaison Officer or the Headteacher will discuss with you why you need to take holidays in term-time.
• In some circumstances, it will not be considered, for example, if the child has only recently joined the school or is in a test class (Year 2, Year 6).
• If authorisation is given (for a maximum of 10 days only), pupils may lose their places if they do not return to school on the date as agreed, and their places will be re-allocated to children on our waiting list.

Thank you for your fullest co-operation in this very important matter.