Attendance & Punctuality

WHOLE SCHOOL TARGET: 96%

Attendance Indicators

98%+ Outstanding attendance

96%+ National Average

Below 94% = Causing concern (Less chance of progress)

90% & Below - Persistent absence - SERIOUS ATTENDANCE CONCERN

Our Attendance Last Half Term  - Autumn 1

PERSISTENT ABSENCES 

The parents or carers of a child have a legal duty to make sure that child attends school regularly. We can make a referral to the local authority where parents or carers are failing this legal duty. 

Persistent Absence is a serious problem for children, as much of the work children miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving them at a considerable disadvantage. 

A child will be defined as a 'Persistent Absentee' if they miss 10% or more of school. 

The local authority has the power to enforce school attendance where this becomes problematic, including the power to prosecute parents/carers who fail to ensure a child's regular attendance at school. For reference, if found guilty parents or carers could be fined up to £2500 and/or imprisoned for three months. 

It is important for parents and carers to note that the government has also strengthened schools' ability to respond by increasing Fixed Penalty Notices to £60 if paid within 21 days and £120 if paid between 21 and 28 days. These are an alternative to prosecution of parents or carers for failing to ensure a child attends school regularly. Failure to pay can result in prosecution in the Magistrates Court. 

PUNCTUALITY

Let’s not forget that it’s not just coming to school, it’s also really important to get to school on time too. Arriving 10 minutes late a day may seem like a small amount, but would add up to missing 5 whole school days over the year. Let’s set those alarms!

Miss Griffiths will be contacting families who are persistently late to help improve this and the Education Welfare Service may get involved if lateness continues.

Classroom doors open at 8.45am for registration to start at 8.50am.

The school day ends at 3:25pm for EYFS and KS1 children

The school Day ends at 3:30pm for KS2 children.

A typical week amounts to 33.75 hours.

ABSENCES

If your child is going to be absent from school, please contact the school office (01977 649157) before 8.50am.  If no contact is made with school, we telephone you and if there is no answer, a home visit may be carried out by a member of the DSL Team.  

APPOINTMENTS

We ask that a child's routine medical and other appointments are made out of school time, where possible. 

We understand that this is not always possible though and we ask that we are notified in advance. This can be done by telephone, email or a note provided from home or appointment letter/ card to confirm the appointment. 

Where possible, the child should attend School before the appointment and return to lessons afterwards. 

TERM-TIME HOLIDAYS

Miss Griffiths is not able to authorise holidays in term except in exceptional circumstances. If you wish to take your child out of school during term time, then you will need to submit a ‘Request for absence during term time’ form.  These are available from the school office. 

Please be aware that the Education Welfare Department may impose a fixed penalty if your child is away for five days or more. 

HOME-TIME MESSAGES

If your child is going to be picked up by anyone else who is not on the going home pick-up list, then please call the school office to inform who will be collecting your child.

Education Welfare Officer - EWO

Our EWO is - Mel Flowers

The Education Welfare Officer monitors the registers and will support and intervene where appropriate when attendance is a concern.