Date: WC 22nd April 2024
Latest weekly attendance figures: 93.8%
Attendance expectations at South Parade Primary School
Regular attendance at school promotes pupils’ well-being and gives them the best chance of learning and reaching their potential. Pupils should attend school every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.
Good attendance is important because pupils:
- get on better with learning and other children;
- cope better with school routines, work and friendships;
- find learning easier because they do not miss out;
- are more successful moving between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training;
- are known to be safe and well by us.
Research shows a direct link between high attendance and doing well at school.
All children have the right to an education. We encourage and expect high attendance rates from all pupils (with the exception of specific medical reasons).
We will:
- tell pupils and parents the importance of being at school;
- check that pupils are at school every day;
- follow up and check the absence of persistent non-attenders;
- aim for an attendance rate of at least 96%. Pupils who are under school age, in Nursery or Reception, are treated in the same way as all other children.
Parents:
- by law, must ensure that their child attends school;
- should arrange dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school holidays, whenever possible;
- make sure that their child arrives on time between 8.50am and 9am, when classroom doors are open;
- or if they arrive after 9am, sign-in at the school office;
- should contact the school on the first day their child is away from school.
Pupils should arrive and be collected from school on time:
- registration is at 9am for all children from Reception to Year 6. Pupils can go straight to their classroom from 8.50am until 9am;
- late arrival can cause children to feel anxious or upset;
- if a child is collected late, after 3.20pm, they will go to the main entrance near the office.
- we take the view there are no late children, only late parents;
- we contact parents of pupils who have patterns of lateness to talk about how to arrive and/or be collected on time.
Absence during term-time
Parents should:
- call the absence line, 01924 302875, on the first morning of all absences before 9.30am, telling us the reason for being away (this can be left on the answer machine message at any time before the office opens);
- keep in touch by telephone, letter or email, if a child is away from school for a longer period;
- tell us about any planned absences in advance. Only request leave of absence if it is for an exceptional circumstance. (Form available from the school office).
Every half-day absence must be labelled by the school as either ‘authorised’ or ‘unauthorised’:
- Authorised absence. An absence is authorised when parents tell us an allowable reason for being away from school. Allowable reasons include:
- being too unwell to come to school;
- emergency medical or dental appointments;
- religious events, when one day each year will be authorised;
- visits to another school, tests or exams;
- any other ‘exceptional circumstances’, explained below.
- Unauthorised absence . An absence is unauthorised when a child is away from school for reasons that are not allowed. By law, unauthorised absences are an offence and can be liable to legal action or a fixed penalty fine. Unauthorised reasons include:
- parents keeping children off school unnecessarily,
- absences that have not been properly explained,
- travel during term-time, including family holidays, that have not been agreed,
- repeated or persistent non-specific illness, for example, ‘poorly/unwell’,
- absence of other siblings if one child is ill,
- absence because a parent is ill,
- oversleeping,
- inadequate clothing/uniform,
- confusion over school term and holiday dates,
- medical and/or dental appointments of more than half a day without very good reason,
- child’s and/or family birthdays,
- any routine family event or trip, for example, shopping.
- where the reason for absence is given as illness and occurs either side of a school holiday, medical proof will be sought. Without this proof the absence will not be authorised.
The school may instruct the Local Authority to issue a Fixed-Penalty notice for any unauthorised travel during term-time.