School Attendance and Expectations
Welcome to our school community, where we place a strong emphasis on regular attendance as an essential component of a child’s education. We believe that consistent attendance not only fulfils our legal obligations but also significantly contributes to a child’s ability to learn, retain knowledge, and practice new skills. 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 reward those children whose attendance is very good. We will also make the best provision we can for those children who, for whatever reason, are prevented from coming to school.
In compliance with regulatory requirements, our school conducts regular reviews of attendance issues during each half term. This not only aligns with legal obligations but is also a crucial statistic in any inspection judgment.
The Department for Education (DfE) uses a measure known as ‘persistent absence,’ defined as a child missing 10% of their learning. Over a year, this equates to two weeks (10 sessions; AM and PM per day). At this juncture, we are obligated to keep parents informed and collaborate to improve attendance, ensuring that no child becomes a persistent absentee and that every student receives a regular education to make continuous progress.
To ensure clarity, we would like to outline the expectations we have for school attendance:
- School Day Commencement: The school day begins promptly at 8.45am, and it is imperative that children are on-site to be registered at this time.
- Family Holidays: Family holidays cannot be granted except in very exceptional circumstances, such as those involving the armed forces and public servants facing specific situations.
- Adherence to Policies: Upon a child’s enrolment, parents commit to adhering to the school’s policies. This commitment applies to all students, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Our policies, curriculum, ethos, and commitment to academic rigor collectively shape the educational environment we strive to maintain.
- Year 6 Leave: Year 6 students may not be granted authorised leave.
If, notwithstanding the information provided above, you opt to withdraw your child from school during term time, kindly fill out the relevant form below.
Attendance Policy
We understand that each case is unique, and we appreciate the support of our school community in fostering an environment where every child can access regular education and make meaningful progress.