Parents & Carers' Guide to Attendance

"Believe, Achieve, Shine"

Aims and Objectives

At St Mary & St Thomas C.E. Primary we believe that poor school attendance and/or regular late arrival, break the continuity of a child's learning. This consequently limits their academic and social progress in school.

We aim to encourage and assist all pupils to achieve excellent levels of attendance and punctuality. Therefore, our target for all pupils is to achieve at least 96% attendance over the course of a school year, with no unauthorised absences.

We aim to

  • Work alongside the Attendance Officer and possibly Family Support Worker to encourage good levels of attendance.
  • Ensure that children and parents realise the importance of good attendance and punctuality.
  • Work with parents and the Local Authority towards good levels of attendance and punctuality.
  • Work alongside the Family Support Worker to encourage good levels of attendance.
  • Take positive action to address any poor attendance or punctuality, using systems to identify, monitor and address any attendance problems.

The Statutory Framework

Under section 444 of the 1996 Education Act, a pupil is required to attend regularly at the school they are registered.

The school is obliged by law to differentiate between authorised and unauthorised absence. A letter or telephone message from a parent does not in itself authorise an absence. Only if the school is satisfied as to the validity of the explanation offered by the letter/message will the absence be authorised.

The School Day

Morning registration takes place at 8.55am for both key stages. Afternoon registration takes place at 1.00pm for all pupils.

Morning registration closes at 9.30am. Pupils arriving after registration at 9.00am, but before it closes at 9.30am will be marked as late. Any pupil arriving after 9.30am will be marked as an unauthorised absence. Any pupil arriving later than 9.00am must report to the school office giving their name, class and explanation for the lateness on the Inventry. If no explanation for the lateness is given, a letter of enquiry will be sent home.

Afternoon registration closes promptly at 1.00pm for all pupils. An explanation must be entered in the Inventry for any pupil arriving after these times, unless prior notice has been given to school.

Parents are made aware of our policy in the school prospectus.

Authorised Absence

A child's absence from school will be authorised when:

  • A child cannot attend school due to sickness.
  • A child attends a medical/dental appointment, which has been made unavoidably during school hours,
  • A child has suffered a traumatic event, a death in the family.
  • A day has been set apart for religious observance by the religious body the child and their family belong to.
  • The Head teacher has granted leave for a leave of absence due to exceptional circumstances.

Unauthorised Absence

A child's absence from school will be unauthorised when:

  • An absence is unexplained by the child's parents or when the explanation is inadequate.
  • A family holiday is taken which has not be approved by the Head teacher.
  • A child is late after the register is closed.

The Role of the School

  • To work with the Attendance Officer and possibly the Family Support Worker, to regularly and accurately monitor and record attendance and punctuality.
  • To work with the Attendance Officer and possibly the Family Support Worker in contacting parents when attendance or punctuality gives cause for concern.
  • School will hold late gates at different times of the year.

The Role of the Parent

  • Ensure that their child attends school regularly, arriving on time.
  • To follow the procedures for absences in informing school.
  • To arrange family holidays during school holidays. When this is not possible parents will apply for leave of absence using the relevant request form available at the school office.
  • Contact school if there is a problem which will affect regular attendance or punctuality.
  • To book doctors and dental appointments outside of the school day

Procedures for Informing School of Absences

  • School will be notified on the FIRST day of the absence by 9.30a.m. giving the reason why.
  • School will telephone the child's home if contact has not been made by 9.30a.m.
  • If school has not been notified been notified, the Attendance Officer and possibly the Family Support Worker may make a home visit.
  • If a child is absent for a full week or part of a week and the absence continues into the second week, school must be notified on the Monday morning of the second week.
  • On return to school, ALL children are required to bring a note of explanation of the absence.

Procedures in place for Attendance and Punctuality

  • Day to day monitoring of attendance and punctuality is undertaken by the Attendance Officer. Regular monitoring of attendance and punctuality is undertaken by the Family Support Worker and Headteacher.
  • An attendance award is given weekly for KS1 and KS2.
  • The weekly attendance figures are published on the school newsletter.
  • Termly certificates are given for attendance.
  • Termly prizes are given for attendance and a prize is given for most improved attendance.
  • Registers and Inventry are monitored on a daily/weekly basis by the school and the Attendance Officer respectively.
  • Letters will be sent by the Attendance Officer to parents/ carers where there is a concern over attendance and punctuality. This will be monitored and if there is no improvement a second letter will be sent inviting parents/ carers to a meeting.
  • If no satisfactory solution is reached and concerns remain, this could ultimately result in court action being taken.
  • The School Committee has approved the use of Fixed Penalty Notices and these will be used for families as a last resort where all other action has still not resulted in improved attendance or punctuality, or where unauthorised holidays exceed 10 days in one school year.

Procedures for monitoring attendance and punctuality for Nursery Children

Although attendance is not a statutory requirement for nursery children we need to be made aware of reasons for absence for all Nursery children. This is due to safeguarding procedures in place for the benefit of all of our children.

Nursery parents must:

  • Inform Nursery or school on the first day of absence
  • Send a letter into school explaining the absence on their return

All Nursery children will fall under the same procedures for first day response when absent