Attendance and Punctuality

We expect all children on roll to attend every day, when the school is in session, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to do so. We do all we can to encourage the children to attend, and to put in place appropriate procedures. We believe that the most important factor in promoting good attendance is development of positive attitudes towards school. To this end, we strive to make our school a happy and rewarding experience for all children. We will also make the best provision we can for those children who, due to ill health, are prevented from coming to school.

Under the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995, the Governing Body are responsible for making sure the school keeps an attendance register that records which pupils are present at the start of both the morning and the afternoon sessions of the school day. This register will also indicate whether the absence was authorised or unauthorised.

Parents whose children are of compulsory school age and registered at school are responsible for ensuring that their children attend school regularly. If they fail to do this they are guilty of an offence and may be given a penalty notice or prosecuted under section 444 of the Education Act 1996.

Arrival and Registration

All children should be ready to come into school at 8.45 am each day although children are entitled to be on the school site from 8.35 am on the playgrounds. The register is taken twice a day at 9.00am and 1.00pm. A day counts as 2 attendances.   All exterior doors will be locked at 9.00 am for security, so please come via the main entrance after this time.

Morning registration ends at 9.15am. If a child arrives after the registration period, he / she will be marked in as Late. After 9.30 am. this will become an Unauthorised Absence.

It is essential that children arriving and leaving school with a parent / guardian outside the normal hours are signed in or out from the office. The signing in / out register in the office is used in the case of an emergency or a fire drill.

Attendance Targets

As a reminder whole school attendance is an expected 96.1% (DfE target 96%). If a child’s attendance falls to 90% and below then this is classed as a Persistent Absence and will be monitored by our Attendance Officer Mrs Underhill who will take further action to address this as swiftly as possible. Mrs Underhill works together with our Learning Mentor Miss Smelt. Miss Smelt is there to assist if you need support or simply a chat, please contact her to arrange a meeting on 07584312472 or email smelt.a@welearn365.com.

Reporting an Absence

Please phone the school on the morning of the absence. Please report the absence to school on 01788 571679 (Option 1) letting us know why your child is absent. If you need to discuss your child’s absence or would like support from the school please ask to speak to their class teacher, or the Attendance Lead.

Where we have not been notified of an absence the school will send an SMS message to parents/carers using the details we have on record. It is important to keep your mobile numbers up to date with the school office.

Leave of Absence During Term Time

As you will all be aware, current attendance regulations stipulate a Head Teacher may not grant a Leave of Absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Each application for a Leave of Absence will be considered on a case by case basis and on its own merits.

It is for the Head Teacher to determine ‘exceptional’ circumstances and it is at their discretion if the circumstances warrant the leave to be granted. If the leave is granted, the Head Teacher is able to determine the number of school days a child can be absent for. The school can only consider Leave of Absence requests which are made by the ‘resident’ parent.

Where applications for Leave of Absence are made in advance and refused, the child will be required to be in school on the dates set out in the application. If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence, which may result in legal action being taken against the parent(s), by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Failure to make an application for leave in advance can also result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued to the parent(s). Where a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and not paid within the required timeframe as set out on the notice, the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal proceedings under S444 Education Act 1996.

Parents are asked to respect the regulations under which the school must work and if there is a need to take a child out of school during term-time, an application or request must be made in advance and make clear how the circumstances are exceptional. If this is the case:

• Please obtain a Leave of Absence form from the school office.
• Complete in full explaining the full circumstances and reasons for your absence request and this will be passed to the Head Teacher for consideration.
• You will be informed in writing whether the leave has been granted or not.

Holidays in term time are not exceptional circumstances and will not be granted.

Is your child getting to school on time?

Did you know?

5 minutes late every day   = 15 hours a year = 3 days of learning

10 minutes late every day = 30 hours a year = 6 days of learning

15 minutes late every day = 45 hours a year = 9 days of learning

20 minutes late every day = 60 hours a year = 12 days of learning

25 minutes late every day = 75 hours a year = 15 days of learning

Please get your child to school on time!

All children who achieve 100% attendance

will receive a special certificate.