The Governors and staff would like to thank parents for the efforts they have made to ensure that their children have consistently good attendance. Attendance in the last 3 years has been above 95%. This is very good and is a vast improvement on attendance in the years prior to 2010. The Government expects attendance of at least 96%, but many children in our school regularly have excellent attendance (98 -100% attendance). They are keen to be in school and don’t want to miss any of the interesting and exciting opportunities for learning on offer.
Parents are informed on a regular basis about their child’s attendance level. Where attendance falls below the expected level, the Head Teacher and the Governing Body take steps to support parents to improve attendance.
Why is it important for children to attend school?
Most parents want their children to get on well in life. Nowadays, it is more important than ever to have a good education behind you if you want opportunities in adult life. Children only get one chance at school and your child’s chances of a successful future may be affected by not attending school regularly.
If children do not attend school regularly, they may not be able to keep up with school work. In a busy school day, it is difficult for schools to find the extra time to help a child catch up.
It is not only the academic work; missing out on the social side of school life – especially at primary school – can affect children’s ability to make and keep friendships, a vital part of growing up personally and emotionally.
Setting good attendance patterns from an early age, from nursery classes through primary school, will also help your child later on.
Employers want to recruit people who are reliable. So children who have a poor school attendance record may have less chance of getting a good job.
Being on time is also vital. Arriving late at school can be very disruptive for your child, the teacher and the other children in the class.
Research shows that children with poor attendance fail to make progress in secondary school and to achieve at GCSE level. It also shows that children who are not in school are most vulnerable and are easily drawn into crime at both primary and secondary levels.
What does the law say?
By law, all children of school age must get a suitable full time education. As a parent, you are responsible for making sure this happens by registering your child at a school and then making sure she or he attends regularly.
If your child fails to attend regularly, the Local Authority can take legal action against you. The Local Authority is responsible for making sure that parents fulfill their responsibilities in ensuring that their children attend school.
Further information can be found in the Department for Education's guide for parents on school attendance.
You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.
You can only do this if:
It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted. An application does not necessarily mean that permission will be granted.
You can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.
If you wish to discuss attendance matters you can contact Mrs Hilton (Head Teacher).
If your child is ill, it is important that you notify the school office of your child's absence before the start of the school day. In the event that the phone lines are busy, you can leave a message stating your child's name, class and reason for absence. If you wish, you may let the class teacher know that your child will be absent, but you must always inform the school office in the first instance.
The following illness/conditions require specific incubation periods: