Parents have a legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age receive a suitable full time education by regular attendance at school. Good attendance is crucial for pupils to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. Good attendance ensures continuity and progression in their learning and enables them to fulfil their potential. Poor attendance may leave a pupil vulnerable to falling behind.
If your child is sick and cannot attend school
Parents must telephone the school office between 8.00 a.m. – 9.00 a.m. to register any absence. This procedure must be repeated each day your child is absent from school. In line with local authority guidance, the school is obliged to phone, on a daily basis, the parents of children who are absent from school and who have not been reported absent.
In addition to the daily phone calls, an email explaining the reason for the absence must be sent to the office on the first day your child returns to school. An absence will be authorised by the Headteacher when the reason given is considered to be legitimate. When a reason is not provided, absences will be recorded as unauthorised.
If your child is late for school
If pupils arrive after 8.55 a.m. for school, they will have missed registration and must report as late to the school office and have their name recorded before proceeding to class with a ‘registered’ card. Late marks form a permanent part of your child’s attendance record.
If you need to collect your child during the school day
If it is necessary to collect your child from school during the school day to attend a medical appointment, you must provide a written request to the Headteacher in advance, detailing the reason and the time you will arrive to collect your child. Official confirmation of the appointment should also be provided. Wherever possible, doctor and dental appointments should be booked to take place out of school hours. Parents arriving to collect a child must report to reception where you will be asked to sign your child out of school. You will also be required to present the child’s appointment card or letter at this time.
If your child will be collected late or by someone unknown to the school:
It is important that your child is collected punctually at the end of the school day. In the event that you or the adult collecting your child will be late, the school must be telephoned in order that your child can be reassured. If a third party, unknown to the school is to collect a child, advance notice must be given directly to school office (via email of telephone) regarding the identity of the person. Relevant staff will then be notified. Unless the school is properly notified, teachers will not allow a child to go home with an unknown person. Written permission for a Year 6 child to travel home alone from school must be submitted to the Headteacher by the child’s parent. This should be a regular arrangement rather than ad hoc.