Attendance and Punctuality at St Mary's
Our school aims to meet its obligations with regards to school attendance by:
· Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
· Ensuring every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
· Acting early to address patterns of absence
We will also support parents to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age attend regularly, and will promote and support punctuality in attending lessons.
Every child should aim to achieve an overall attendance of 97%+ each academic year. Studies have shown that poor attendance is linked to poor attainment. At St Mary’s we want all our children to Enjoy and Achieve.
It is a parents’ legal responsibility to ensure the regular full-time attendance of their children. Mrs K Birch is the Attendance Officer for school working in conjunction with Mr C Aspin from the Education and Attendance Service.
Please use this link to access our school policies regarding Attendance.
Government Guidelines on School Attendance and Absence
Please click on the picture link to access the website.
Is my child to ill for school?
It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school, nursery or playgroup when they're unwell. There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.
School Opening Times
Nursery
Start - 8.50am
Collection – Between 3.00pm and 3.15pm
Reception
8.50am – 3.20pm
Key Stage 1
8.50am – 3.20pm
Key Stage 2
8.45am – 3.15pm
School is open at the following times and children are required to attend each day at these times (compulsory school hours).
Monday to Friday 8.50 until 3.15pm totalling 32.5 hours per week.
School Opening Times
Children arriving after theses time will have to sign in using the Inventry System in the main reception and will receive a late mark (‘L’ Code). Children arriving 30 minutes late will receive an unauthorised mark for the morning session (‘U’ Code). If children are 5 minutes late every day that adds up to over 3 days lost each year. 15 minutes late is the same as being absent for 2 weeks a year.
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If your child is 20 minutes late a day they lose: |
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1 hour 40 minutes |
6 hours 40 |
10 hours a half |
20 hours a term |
65 hours a school |
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This is |
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equivalent to |
equivalent to |
equivalent to 4 |
to 13 full days |
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over 1 full |
over 2 full |
full days |
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Absenses
All absences must be reported by 9.30am on the first day of absence. If we receive no contact from yourself, we will endeavour to contact you via the school texting system or telephone you direct. If we are unable to make contact with you by telephone, a letter informing you of the absence will be sent out and a reply slip included for you to complete and return to school. Consequently, all absences without reason will be marked as unauthorised on your child’s attendance record. School and the School Health Advisor are able to offer advice and/or leaflets on exclusions due to illness e.g:
1. Chicken pox (child can return once the spots are healed over)
2. Diarrhoea and Vomiting (24/48 hours after last episode)
3. Coughs and colds (no absence required)
4. Head lice (no exclusion, treatment should be completed without absence
Furthermore, if your child is absent for two or more days there may be occasions when school requires parents to provide proof of illness; this can be in the form of a doctor’s letter, copy of prescription and or medication, which clearly show the dates corresponding with the absence. Certain circumstances may result in a home visit; where possible we will contact you prior to this to agree a convenient time.
Please ensure that school has your most up to date contact details; home address, current mobile number and Email address.
Pupils are required to attend school for 190 days each year
Schools absences and attendance figures:
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‘PUPIL’ Final Attendance for the year |
Equal to days absent |
Equal to weeks absent |
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95% |
9 days |
2 weeks |
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90% |
19 days |
4 weeks |
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85% |
29 days |
6 weeks |
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80% |
38 days |
8 weeks |
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75% |
48 days |
10 weeks |
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70% |
57 days |
11.5 weeks |
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65% |
67 days |
13.5 weeks |
Medicals
Where possible, please make medical appointments outside of school hours. However, we understand at times this is sometimes difficult, on these occasions please provide school with a medical card or letter. A medical appointment DOES reduce your child’s percentage attendance.
Please also be aware we are not able to authorise siblings being taken out of school when they do not have an appointment. These absences will be unauthorised.
Other Absenses
Children are required to attend school every day. Please be aware that absences for ‘snow’ ‘rain’ or ‘extreme cold weather’ days do affect your child’s overall attendance if they do not attend and if school make the decision to remain open during adverse weather conditions, absences will be unauthorised.
Sporting Activities
School acknowledge that there are occasions when children will be required to attend sporting tournaments, competitions or sporting exams during term time. Proof of this must be provided to school. School are unable to authorise competitions that are held over the weekend but where parents choose to travel to the venue on a school day.
Acting/ Modelling Applications
Whilst school supports extra-curricular activities, children who are required to attend auditions, assignments or productions during the school day, must put their application in writing to school, allowing at least one school week for the request to be processed. Each individual application will be considered. Governors agreed that a maximum of 5 days per term may be granted, taking in to account; any attendance concerns, the impact on the child’s academic progress and any events occurring at the time of the request.
Religious Observance
School encourage and support our children and their families to celebrate religious events, however children are expected to be in school every day leading up to religious festivals and back in school immediately after. If parents keep their children off school for longer than is entitled these days will not be authorised. School will only authorise the date of the festival, a maximum of 2 days per academic year.
Holidays in Term Time
Penalty Notices
First Offence - The first time a Penalty Notice is issued the amount will be £80 per parent,per child paid within 21 days. This increases to £160 per parent,per child if paid after day 21 until day 28. Any non -payment of the Penalty Notice may be referred to the Magistrates Court.
Second Offence - (within 3 years) - The second time a Penalty Notice is issued the amount will be £160 per parent,per child paid within 28 days. Any non-payment of the Penalty Notice may be referred to the Magistrates Court.
Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years) - The third time an offence is committed a Penalty Notice will not be issued,and the case may be presented straight to the Magistrates Court under the S.444 of the Education Act (1996) or other legal interventions considered. The Magistrate Court can order fines up to £2500 per parent,per child.
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Attendance Penalty Notice Letter September 2024 | [pdf 529KB] |
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Fast Track to Attendance
Fast Track to Attendance is a time focused approach to improve attendance. The aim of Fast Track is to promote early intervention by school and where necessary by the Local Authority. The aim is to ensure that rapid and appropriate action is taken to tackle absence problems as soon as they become apparent. Failure to make and sustain changes will result in the Local Authority prosecuting through the courts.
Children Missing Education
At St Mary’s RC Primary, we believe all children, regardless of their circumstances or background are entitled to a full time education which is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs.
Pupil absence will be followed up on a daily basis as a matter of priority. Every child who has a continuous period of absence of three days or more will be required to provide proof of absence; home visits will also be undertaken.
School will follow the Education Attendance Service process when a child has been absent for three or more days without reason, contact will initially be via telephone, followed by a home visit and a letter. If after 10 school days no contact has been made, school will complete the Child Missing Education (CME) form and forward the schools investigation to the Local Authority, who will then follow their procedures. After a period of 20 days and on completion of all safeguarding checks, a child will be removed from school roll.
School follow Department for Education Statutory guidance, which can be found on the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-missing-education
Educational Neglect
School have adopted the Local Authority ‘Educational Neglect Policy. This policy links the effects of poor attendance to educational neglect and means that for those children whose attendance is particularly poor, a referral to children’s social care may be made.
Rewards
Weekly celebration assemblies are held; an attendance trophy is awarded to the class with the highest attendance. If a class achieves 100% they are rewarded with an ‘Own Clothes Day’.
Children with 100% attendance during a term receive a certificate.
Children are rewarded for whole year attendance at the end of the summer term. Children will receive a certificate; these differ dependent on percentage attendance achieved; Gold, Silver and Bronze award. Each child will then be placed in to a draw and have the opportunity to win a Family Ticket to the cinema.