Attendance and Punctuality

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In order for children to reap the full benefits of what our school has to offer them, high levels of attendance and punctuality are essential and important for children to ensure continuity of learning, establish a good work ethic and promote a sense of responsibility and a serious commitment to school.

 

School's Responsibilities
School's hours are from 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. (30 hrs per week) but classroom doors open from 8:45 a.m.

Therefore:
- We will mark the registers daily between 9:00 and 9:05 a.m. then at 1:00 p.m. Information from the registers will be entered into the school’s information management system so we can check attendance.
- We will close attendance registers at 9:30 am. The Office staff will telephone parents / carers to ascertain reasons for non-attendance. We will continue to try to contact via telephone until 10.30 am..
- We will report attendance figures to parents on a half termly basis via letter. We will track attendance figures as well as persistent lateness. We will host attendance panel meetings in order to provide support or Early Help to families. We will award pupils with a certificate for 100% attendance in a term. All staff will follow our Attendance Policy and procedures, actively encouraging school attendance. 
 

- Due to safeguarding, if we have not heard from a parent/carer and a child is absent we will conduct a welfare visit (home visit) after 3 days of continuous absence. Staff will visit wherever the child is residing where it is expected that they should be able to see the child.
- Due to safeguarding, if a child is absent for 5 days or longer and has not been seen by a member of staff then we shall conduct a welfare visit regardless of whether contact has been made by parents/carers.  There is an expectation that staff should be able to see the child if such a visit is made.

Parents' Responsibilities

- Ensure your child attends school regularly.

- Report your child’s absence before 8:45 a.m: in person, by telephone or by email   

- Ensure your child is not late for school. Doors are opened at 8:45 am and are closed at 9:00 a.m.

- Do not take holidays during term time. These will not be authorised.

- Do not take your child out of school for non-urgent matters.

- Ensure that medical appointments cause the minimum of disruption and are scheduled out-side school hours where possible.

- Do not allow your child to be absent for a whole morning/afternoon when their medical appointment is only a short, local one.
 

Holidays in term time

Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. We define 'exceptional circumstances' as an event or problem you did not expect.