Attendance

Attending school every day, starting in Nursery and continuing in Reception class, will help give your child the best possible start in life.

Going to school every day means:

♦ making friends

♦ having lots of fun

♦ building lasting relationships

♦ time to play

♦ taking part in exciting activities

You can help us to help your child by encouraging regular school attendance.

Your child’s education is very important; attendance habits established in the foundation years of education can affect their entire school life. 

♦ If your child is too ill to attend school or is absent for any other reason, please contact the school on the first day of absence

♦ If you are in any doubt as to whether to send your child to school please contact the school as soon as possible for advice

Setting good attendance patterns early on will also help your child later on. Although it seems a long way off at the moment, future employers want to recruit people who are reliable. Children who have a poor school attendance record may have less chance of getting a good job.

What happens if a child does not attend school regularly?

By law, all children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) must get a suitable full time education. Every day that a child is absent from school is an opportunity missed. Parents and carers have a responsibility to ensure that children attend school regularly and on time. Failure to ensure a child of compulsory school age attends school regularly, may result in legal action  being taken by the Local Authority.

Leave during Term Time

PLEASE THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE TAKING YOUR CHILD OUT OF SCHOOL DURING TERM TIME

• In law you must ask for permission for your children to miss school, well in advance of the planned absence
• Parents can request a leave of absence but, by law, this can only be authorised if the circumstances are exceptional
• Parents who take a child of compulsory school age out of school without permission from the school may be issued with a penalty notice

TO HELP YOUR CHILD DO WELL IN SCHOOL, YOU SHOULD:

• Ensure your child attends school every day and on time
• Make dental and medical appointments outside of school time or at weekends
• Arrange family holidays/leave of absence to coincide with school holidays wherever possible
• Avoid times when there are important examinations or tests (check with school)
• Always ask the school well in advance for permission
• Be aware of the potential impact on your child’s education.

Punctuality

Punctuality is also just as important as attendance.  School starts at 8:40 am every morning.  It is important that children arrive in school on time as it supports them to learn good timekeeping and also reduces classroom disruption for the other children and themselves.

Let’s work together to achieve consistently high attendance and punctuality. There are only 190 school days in a year and we want to see every child at school every day because every school day counts! Good attendance helps children to achieve good results, helps them to fulfil their potential and gives them a chance of a better future.