Attendance
We believe that every child has a right to education. To enable this to happen, we need to ensure that all children are in school at every opportunity to allow them to reach their full potential. Irregular attendance can seriously disrupt your child’s learning and emotional wellbeing, leading to under achievement. We want to avoid this where possible. Good attendance and punctuality are essential throughout life, and we want to embed this into children from a young age. When children attend school regularly, their experience of school life is enriched, both educationally and socially. Parents, carers, staff and children must work together to ensure excellent attendance is achieved.
Our school target is 97% (less than 5 days absent for the whole school year).
Arrival at school
Pupils can arrive at school from 8.40-8.50am. Children should go straight into classrooms. Doors/gates will be locked at 8.50am. Pupils arriving during registration, i.e. after 8:50am, will be marked late.
Pupils arriving after the registration period is over, after 9.10am, will be marked with an unauthorised absence mark unless there is an acceptable reason for lateness when they will be marked with an authorised absence mark.
Illness
Parents are requested to ring the school on the first day to inform us of any absence before 9:00am or alternatively, you can email office@sda.dgat.org.uk
Please read the ‘Should I keep my child off school’ leaflet at the end of this page. If your child has been sick or had diarrhoea, they must be absent from school for 48 hours after their last episode. Please read the ‘Should I keep my child off school’ leaflet at the end of this page.
Parents/carers may be asked to provide medical evidence of illnesses if there is a prolonged absence or numerous separate illnesses.
Struggling to get your child to school?
We know that sometimes things can become difficult and overwhelming. Please contact the school for help and advice on attendance. Remember that you have a duty to ensure your child attends school. Please see our attendance policy for further information.
Holidays
Holidays during term time will not be authorised. Parents are notified of school term time dates in advance to ensure that these can be avoided when booking a holiday. Holidays taken during term time may result in a Penalty Notice being issued.
Parents – A few attendance thoughts…..
Children with an average attendance of 92% will have missed over half a year’s schooling by the time they leave year 6.
Children with an average attendance of 85% will have missed more than a year’s schooling by the time they leave Year 6.
Children who are five minutes late on a regular basis will miss the equivalent of a month’s schooling by the time they leave Year 6.
Reports
The attendance statistics for each pupil will be part of the annual school reports plus a mid-point attendance summary report.
Appointments
Medical appointments should be booked outside of school hours wherever possible. If an appointment occurs within the school day, please bring your child back in as quickly as possible afterwards to minimise lost learning time.
Policy
A copy of our full School Attendance Policy can be found under our policies section.