Attendance
Attendance
Why are good attendance and punctuality important?
A good education gives a child the best possible start in life. We must ensure that all our pupils have an equal chance to make good use of the education that the school offers by providing a positive and encouraging atmosphere. To achieve this it is important that each child attends school regularly and punctually. When a child does not attend school regularly and on time they will have difficulty keeping up with their work and will therefore underachieve.
Research shows that children with poor attendance are at a disadvantage later in life. They often:
- find it harder to make and maintain friendships
- are less likely to gain good qualifications
- earn lower wages
- have a higher chance of being unemployed
- have low self-esteem
The school recognises that parents have a vital role to play in supporting and encouraging good attendance and punctuality. By accepting responsibility in partnership with the school, we can work together to ensure the children’s right to a full education, as well as enabling parents to fulfil their legal responsibility
Usually, the only acceptable reason for a pupil to miss a day of school is if they are too ill to attend. If this is the case, you should ring the school office in the morning to notify us.
Authorisation for absence will not be given for outings, shopping trips or family visits. Holidays should be taken during the school breaks and not during term time. In exceptional circumstances permission may be sought from the headteacher and every case will be treated individually.
Medical appointments should be made out of school hours if at all possible. If your child has to see a doctor or dentist in school time, they should attend school for as much of the day as possible. It is not permitted to take a whole day off school for a medical appointment unless the appointment lasts all day.
Leave of Absence
Leave should be requested a month in advance and holiday bookings/reservations should not be made until the outcome of the leave application is received. This will be normally be within five working days of receipt of the application. Any leave requested retrospectively or with inadequate notice will be unauthorised and a Penalty Notice may be issued.
Missing two days a month means a child misses 10% of the school year.
Ofsted evaluates attendance and this is part of the ‘Outstanding’ judgement for ‘personal development, behaviour and welfare’ for schools. Research shows that there is a clear link between strong attendance, high achievement and a child’s well-being.
Attend today, achieve tomorrow. Be part of our 98 Club.
Join the 98 Club!
We want all children to attend and enjoy school. We celebrate those that are in our 98 Club. This means that your child's attendance is 98%. Each term children who are in the 98 Club receive a certificate recognising this achievement. 98% means outstanding attendance. Good attendance is 96%, which is the minimum we would expect. If by the end of the year, your child has been in the 98 Club for each term, then they receive a coveted gold certificate. In our newsletters we report each class's weekly attendance.
Reporting a child's absence
- Telephone 01344 622840 by 8.30am each day of absence
- Please state clearly your child’s name and class & nature of absence
Should your child have an early morning doctor, dentist or hospital appointment a message can be left on the above number. Please remember if your child is going to return to school the same day we must receive their lunch order by 9.30am or please provide a packed lunch. A copy of any relevant letters will need to be given to the school office.
For all other absences, a ‘Term Time Absence Request’ form should be completed and returned to the office 14 days before the event. This can be obtained below or from the school office.