Good Attendance Matters!
This is our Attendance Officer, Mrs Johnson:
Our school aims to meet its obligations in regard to school attendance by:
- Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
- Ensuring every child has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
- Acting early to address patterns of absence
We will also support parents to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age attend regularly (as long as they are fit and healthy), and will promote and support punctuality in attending lessons.
To this end, we strive to make our school a happy and rewarding experience for all children.
Unplanned absence:
Parents must notify the school office via the main contact number 01924 303525 on the first day of an unplanned absence – for example, if their child is unable to attend due to ill health – by 9:30 or as soon as practically possible (see also section 6). If parents/carers fail to contact school then the school will contact parents as part of the ‘first day response’ measures.
Absence due to illness will be authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness.
If the authenticity of the illness is in doubt, the school may ask parents to provide medical evidence, such as a doctor’s note, prescription, appointment card or other appropriate form of evidence. We will not ask for medical evidence unnecessarily.
If the school is not satisfied about the authenticity of the illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents will be notified of this in advance.
Medical or Dental Appointments:
Missing registration for a medical or dental appointment is counted as an authorised absence; advance notice is required for authorising these absences.
However, we encourage parents to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary.
Notifying school can be made using a note via the class teacher or a phone call to the office (01924 303525)
Applications for other types of absence in term time must also be made in advance.
Lateness and Punctuality:
A child who arrives late, but before the register has closed will be marked as late, using the appropriate code.
The school doors open at 8:45am in KS1 and KS2 and we encourage children to arrive at this time in order to settle and complete a morning work activity before registration closes. We believe that this prepares children more effectively for the day.
If children are late on a regular basis, then the school will seek to meet parents/carers in order to discuss how we can move to ensure that children arrive at the appropriate time.
If a parent/carer fails to collect a child on time, then the school will endeavour to make contact with the parent/carer. Should this happen regularly, then we will seek to meet with parents/carer to seek a solution. If a child is not collected by 4pm then we will attempt to make contact with all-named contacts. Should contact still not be made, then we will refer to social services and follow any advice. The child will not be left unattended.