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We expect good attendance from our pupils to make the most of our school’s opportunities. We rely on our partnership with parents to ensure that this is achieved. It is the responsibility of the parents to see that children attend school regularly and are punctual on all occasions.
Our doors open at 8.40am with ‘Four from Before’, where children recap, review and practise key learning. Teachers may also work with children to pick up on misunderstandings; we ask that you arrive by this time if at all possible. Free bagels are available to you and your family between 8:30am and 8:40am.
The official start of the school day is 9am, when registers are called and sent to the school office. Pupils who are not present for registration will be marked absent. Any arrivals to school past 9am need to go via the office. If they arrive within the following 15 minutes, the mark will be changed to late. If your child comes any later, a note/explanation is required.
We monitor absence to help us identify and address any issues – ideally together.
Keep your child home if they have:
Usually, medication helps minor ailments. We can give your child Calpol if they need some help getting through the day. However, a form will need to be signed in the school office before we can administer ANY medication.
Worry or anxiety can make a child feel poorly. If this is the case, please come and speak to us, as keeping them home from school often makes the problem worse. We will do everything we can to support you and your child. Still, please be aware that complicated issues are rarely resolved straight away. Things only improve when home and school continue to work together, and we are committed to doing so.
Teachers add learning to your child’s Google Classroom each day for your child to access at home. This can help them to keep up if they are isolating or well enough to do some learning. Teachers will also aim to bring your child up to speed with lost learning when they return to school, but they need your help – they may not always be able to do so. Please speak to your child’s teacher and they will support you and your child to catch up so that our children don’t become lost, worried or anxious about not understanding the learning.
We ask that parents notify us of all absences on the first day. Any absence known in advance, such as medical appointments, should be given in writing or by visiting the office.
If you fail to let us know your child will be absent, we will contact you. If we cannot make contact, we may visit you at home and, if worried, call the police.
The law requires that all schools must now show the difference between authorised and unauthorised absence.
Authorised absence can be:
Unauthorised absence is:
School is only able to grant holiday requests in term time in exceptional circumstances. We appreciate that some parents who work for the armed services have to take holidays at the instruction of their employers and therefore cannot avoid school time. Other exceptional circumstances could include unforeseen or unavoidable family situations.
Holiday prices, last-minute deals and the fact that the parents have booked a holiday before checking with the school are not exceptional circumstances.
The headteacher must authorise any requests in exceptional circumstances in advance. A form is available from the office.
When a child’s attendance is a cause for concern (this has currently been set at 90% and below), a referral is made to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) and a referral may be made to Social Services. However, our aim is to work with parents to increase their child’s attendance at school so please communicate with us at all times regarding any absence from school. Remember, our Family Liaison Officer, Mrs Rosy Soady is on hand every day for support and advice and is always there to help.
We encourage good attendance by praising children and give certificates at the end of the term for children whose attendance has been excellent.
Click below to read our School Attendance Policy in full