Attendance and Medical Appointments

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 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.

Our school day starts at 8.45am prompt, with teachers beginning admission from 8.40am. The school gates, and classroom doors, will be closed at 8.50am. If you arrive late, please proceed to the school office, where you will be asked to register your child's late arrival by completing a simple form. Please do not send your child to the office without an adult.

Only the school can make an absence authorised. Parents do not have this authority. Consequently, not all absences supported by parents will be classified as authorised. There are only 7 reasons for the school to consider authorising an absence:

1. Illness of the child

2. Family bereavement - close family member

3. Medical appointments (ONLY when these cannot be made outside of school hours)

4. Educated off site

5. Religious observance

6. Sporting competition or event– at the discretion of the Headteacher only.

7. Other exceptional circumstance – at the discretion of the Headteacher only.

Absence, other than illness, will not be authorised if attendance is below 90% and is therefore currently classed as persistently absent. 

It is the responsibility of the parent, carer or guardian to contact the school to report an absence or late arrival. This should be done by 9.15am on the day of the absence.

Attendance text alerts - 

From Autumn 2, if your child's attendance drops below 93%, then you will receive an auto-generated text alert to inform you of this. These texts are sent weekly, but you will only receive a follow up text if your child has attendance below 93% and they have any additional days off school. We hope this service will support parents to stay updated, and will also highlight worries at the earliest opportunity.

Attendance reporting - 

At the end of each term you will receive a full printout of your child's attendance for the current academic year. This will give you the opportunity to review the information. Please do contact the school office if you feel errors are present on the report.

Attendance letters and meetings - 

Parents are strongly encouraged to contact the school office if they have concerns about attendance and feel that support is required. The office will direct them to the most appropriate member of staff to offer support, ensuring a meeting is arranged at the earliest opportunity.

If attendance drops below the school target of 96% (starting from Autumn 2) parents may receive a letter indicating that this is the case and that attendance needs to improve.

If attendance drops below 93% then parents may be asked to meet with the Headteacher to discuss the reason for this and any necessary action will be agreed. 

If attendance drops below 90% then this is classed as persistent absence. Parents may be asked to meet with the Headteacher and regular monthly meetings may continue until attendance improves. Staffordshire guidance will be followed when attendance drops below this figure which means that no illness will be recorded on the register unless a GP appointment card or other suitable evidence can be provided to support the absence. If attendance has not improved by the first monthly meeting then an Early Help Assessment will be offered to parents. If attendance has not improved by the second meeting, a referral to the Education Welfare Officer may be made.

Attendance policy (to be updated to include changes from August - see details below) - click HERE to download

Unauthorised Absence and Penalty Notices

From Monday, 19th August, 2024, the government regulations regarding unauthorsied absence and penalty notices will change. Please read the attached letter carefully to ensure that you are up to date with these changes and how they may affect you. This information will be particularly important to you if you take your child(ren) for holidays during term time.

Penalty notice information - click HERE to download