School Attendance
Attendance
It is very important to develop good routines for getting to school on time. The parking around the school is very limited, so if you have to travel by car you should allow for this. The school gates are open from 8.45am and the children can wait in the playground or go into the classroom A final whistle will blow at 8.55am. We take the register at 8.55am, children who arrive after this time are marked as absent. If your child is unwell, please phone the school before 9.30am and leave a message; if you don’t do this, the school will contact you to find out where your child is.
If your child becomes unwell during the day, we will contact you to come and collect them. Please ensure that we always have up to date telephone numbers for you.
The school day for all pupils finishes at 3.15pm. The children are walked by their teacher to the playground at the end of the day. Please ensure you collect your child on time.
We may ask for proof of their illness if they have been off for a long period.
We may ask you to speak with a member of our Management Team if your child’s attendance is causing concern.
It is the decision of the school as to whether an absence is authorised or not, regardless of whether you contact school to inform them the reason for absence, or complete an absence request form. This is recorded on your son/daughter’s Attendance Record.
We believe that a good attendance habit gives your child the best possible start in life and helps develop the skills needed in adult life.
Holiday in Term Time
There is no entitlement for parents to remove their child from school for the purpose of holiday in term time. The head teacher will look at each case individually and only authorise holiday in extreme exceptional circumstances. The Local Authority will issue parents with a Penalty Notice of £60 per parent per child for taking holiday during term time. If you do need to take your child out of school other than for medical reasons, please complete a holiday application form which is available from the School Office.
Why is Good School Attendance so Important?
At Netherfield CE Primary we are working closely as a school family to improve our attendance levels so that each child is given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. By law, all children of compulsory school age must receive a suitable full-time education. Once your child is registered at school, you are legally responsible for making sure that they attend regularly. If your child fails to do so, you risk getting a penalty notice or being prosecuted.
Good attendance is a skill for life and attendance has an impact on a child’s whole school experience. As well as affecting your child’s academic potential, poor or irregular attendance can have an impact on your child’s friendships, self-esteem and confidence.
We monitor the attendance of every child in the school. If we have concerns about your child’s attendance then in the first instance we will contact you to offer support, however if your child’s attendance continues to pose a problem then you will be requested to attend our Attendance Panel.
90 % attendance sounds good, but means that your child misses:
one half day each week
nearly four weeks every school year
over one school year in a school career
Traffic Light Letters
These letters are issued at the end of every term and detail your child’s current attendance. Letters are colour coded as per the traffic lights at the top of the page.
We like to encourage and praise children who attend school regularly. Throughout the year there are many opportunities for children to be rewarded for good and significantly improved attendance.