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Information for Parents
· As a school we aim to:
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Maintain an attendance rate of a minimum of 95%.(Currently our attendance rate is 94.9% which is in line with the national average).
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Maintain parents’ and pupils’ awareness of the importance of regular attendance.
Good attendance is important because:
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Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and poor attendance.
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Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically.
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Regular attenders find school routines and school work easier to cope with.
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Regular attenders find learning more satisfying.
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Regular attenders have an easier transfer to secondary school.
As a parent you can help us by:
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Ringing on the first morning of all absences with the reason.
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Arranging dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school breaks.
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Sending in a note explaining the reason for absence on your child’s return to school after an illness.
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Keeping us updated by telephone or letter if your child has an extended period of absence due to illness.
We shall:
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Follow up unexplained absences by phone calls and letters as soon as possible.
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Remind parents of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in newsletters, the school brochure and the Home-School Agreement.
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Publish our attendance rate in the school brochure and on our web site.
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Acknowledge and reward good attendance.
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Publish your child’s attendance rate on her/his annual school report.
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Let you know if we have concerns regarding your child’s attendance.
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If we continue to have concerns make a referral to the School Attendance Officer, who visits the school regularly to review attendance matters.
Authorised Absence
We realise that there are rare occasions when there might be a particular problem that causes your child to be absent. Please let us know and we shall try to deal with it sympathetically. Some absences are allowed by law and are known as “authorised absences”. For example: if a child is ill, family bereavement, religious observance
Unauthorised Absence
There are times when children are absent for reasons, which are not permitted. These are known as “unauthorised absences”. Examples of unauthorised absence are:
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Waiting on a delivery.
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Because it is your child’s birthday.
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Going shopping or for a hair cut.
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Sleeping in after a late night.
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Going for a family day out.
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Unapproved Holidays.
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Where frequent absence is claimed as illness and is unsupported by medical evidence, there is no explanation for the absence or where the reason for the absence is unsatisfactory.
The Local Authority’s School Attendance service inspects the registers and may consider taking legal action against you if your child has unauthorised absences.
Punctuality
Morning registration is at 8.55 a.m. This is the time your child must be in the line in the playground/ or the classroom, so you need to ensure your child is coming through the school gate by 8.45 a.m.
We will let you know if we have concerns about your child’s punctuality.
It is important to be on time as the first few minutes of the school day are often used to give out instructions or organise schoolwork for the rest of the day.
If your child misses this short but vital session, their work for the whole day may be affected. We take the view there are no late children, only late parents.
Arrival after the close of registrations( if persistent) may/ will be marked as unauthorised absence in line with the DFES guidance.
Children who remain uncollected at the end of school time will be referred to a place of safety if not collected or the school contacted by school closing time (e.g. police station or social services).
Term time absence
We are always concerned about the amount of school time pupils miss as a result of family holidays. There is no right to time off in term time, leave of absence is only allowed at the discretion of the head teacher in accordance with the school policy as agreed by the board of governors
It is our policy:
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That only in exceptional circumstances will holidays be allowed and then only up to a maximum of two weeks. (The cheaper cost of holidays in term time is not an acceptable reason for an application)
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Parents wishing to apply for leave of absence for term-time holidays need to fill in an application form well in advance and before booking. Please ask the school office for a form; the head teacher will consider your request and advise you of her decision, possibly asking to meet with you to discuss further. Any unauthorised time or further time than allowed will be unauthorised and you risk yourchild being taken off the school roll.
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Parents should minimise time out of school by taking holidays at either end of a school break.
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Parents’ should remember; no applications for leave of absence will be considered in years 2 and 6 and for the start of any academic year ( it is very unsettling for a child to miss the start of the school year). If the school does not agree holiday leave, and you take your child on holiday, the absence will be unauthorised.
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We are asked to warn you that unauthorised absence due to holidays are liable to a fixed penalty fine.
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Please remember that if a child misses a two-week period of time from school, it is difficult for them to catch up with their work. Valuable learning time is lost. A good understanding of the work can only take place when the pupil is in the classroom.
Leavers
If your child is leaving other than at the end of Year 6 to go to High School, parents are asked to:
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Give the school full information about their plans including date of move, new address or at least the town you will be moving to, new school and start date when known, and reasons for moving. (A form is available at the school office).
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Confirm the school has your current mobile phone number and e-mail address.
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Take our school’s compliments slip so the new school can easily contact us and records be transferred.
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Let us know when you move.
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When pupils leave and you have not given us the above information, and cannot contact you, then your child is considered to be a Child Missing Education. This means that the Local Authority has a legal duty to carry out investigations, which will include liaising with Social Services and the Police, to try to track and locate your child. By giving us the above information, unnecessary investigations can be avoided.
Legal Note
Parents have a legal duty to ensure the regular and full time attendance at school of registered pupils (Education Act 1996). This policy is based on the law and on Best Practice guidance produced by the Department for Education and Skills and the Local Authority. The School Attendance Service aims to work with schools and families to promote good attendance and avoid legal action. However in rare cases, parents are prosecuted (taken to court) or have to pay a Fixed Penalty (fine) if unauthorised absences continue.
We value your support in helping us to maintain high standards.
“Attendance matters…Every day counts…””
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