Late/Absence Procedures

As a school we aim to:

• Maintain an attendance rate of a minimum of 96%
• Maintain parents’ and pupils’ awareness of the importance of regular attendance.

Good attendance is important because:

• show a direct link between under-achievement and poor attendance
•  attenders make better progress, both socially and academically
•  attenders find school routines and school work easier to cope with
•  attenders find learning more satisfying
•  attenders have an easier transfer to secondary school

As a parent you can help us by:

• on the first morning of all absences with the reason and saying when the child will return. The telephone number is 01206 392675.
• dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school breaks
•  in a note explaining the reason for absence on your child’s return to school after an illness
•  us updated by telephone or letter if your child has an extended period of absence due to illness

We shall:

up unexplained absences by phone calls and letters as soon as possible

 parents of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in newsletters, the school brochure and the Home-School agreement

 our attendance rate in the school prospectus

 and reward good attendance

•  your child’s attendance rate on her/his annual school report
• you know if we have concerns regarding your child’s attendance
• we continue to have concerns make a referral to the Education Welfare Officer

Each year we publish our school attendance figures on our website.

Authorised Absence

Some absences are allowed by law and are known as “authorised absences”. For example: if a child is ill, family bereavement, religious observance.

We realise that there are rare occasions when there might be a particular problem that causes your child to be absent. Please let us know and we shall try to deal with it sympathetically.

Unauthorised Absence

There are times when children are absent for reasons, which are not permitted by law. These are known as “unauthorised absences”. Examples of unauthorised absence are:

•  on a delivery
• shopping or for a hair cut
• for a family day out
•  it is your child’s birthday
• in after a late night
• holidays
•  there is no explanation for the absence or where the explanation or reason for the absence is considered unsatisfactory.

Unauthorised Absences have to be reported to the Local Authority. The EWO (Education Welfare Officer) may contact you and consider taking legal action against you if your child has unauthorised absences.

Punctuality

• school doors open at 8.40 am. Morning registration is at 8.55 am. This is the time your child must be in the classroom, so you need to ensure your child is coming through the school gate by 8.50 am.
• is important to be on time as the first few minutes of the school day are often used to give out instructions or organise schoolwork for the rest of the day.
• your child misses this short but vital session, their work for the whole day may be affected. Late arrivals are disruptive to the whole class and often embarrassing for your child. We take the view there are no late children, only late parents!
•  after the close of registration (9.15 am) will be marked as unauthorised absence in line with the Department for Education guidance.
• will let you know if we have concerns about your child’s punctuality.
• who remain uncollected at the end of school time will be referred to a place of safety if not collected or the school contacted by school closing time.

Term Time Leave of Absence

As from 1st September, 2013 the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 have been amended. All references to family holidays and extended leave have been removed, together with the right for parents to apply for up to 10 days.

Therefore, the school will no longer be permitted to grant leave of absence during term time, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational progress. A pupil who takes 10 days absence will only attain 94.7% attendance in the year. 10 days absence also means the pupil will miss 50 hours of education.

If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service which could result in a fine.

Please remember that the more time your child misses from school, the more difficult it is for them to catch up with their work. Valuable learning time is lost. A good understanding of the work can only take place when the pupil is in the classroom

Parent Guide - Childhood Illnesses

Local NHS experts have joined forces with Essex County Council  to produce an at-a-glance guide to 17 childhood illnesses including Chicken Pox, Glandular Fever, Ringworm and Tonsillitis.

The poster highlights key symptoms of common illnesses which are traffic light colour coded to indicate whether children should go to school or stay at home.

Illnesses in the green category – for example colds and conjunctivitis - are those where children should continue to go to school.

Amber is when an illness could be catching and there are some restrictions on school attendance.

Children should not go to school and should see a GP if the illness falls into the red category. Red category illnesses are German measles. Impetigo, Measles and Whooping Cough.

The poster also advises parents on where they should first seek treatment, either from their local pharmacist or their GP.

There is guidance on when to consult a GP if symptoms persist and advice on when it should be safe for a child to return to school if they have a particular illness.