Attendance
Attendance
We encourage children to have excellent attendance and celebrate those that achieve 100% termly. It is important that the children learn the life skills of commitment and punctuality. Attendance and punctuality are monitored carefully within school. At St Barnabas C of E Primary School we strive to achieve 100% attendance.
We know that the vast majority of parents and carers support their children's learning by ensuring good school attendance. Good attendance is essential for a successful future for your child. Research shows that children who regularly attend school tend to score higher than children with low attendance. We want all our children to be happy and achieve, we want them to have a good level of education so they have more choices and opportunities in adult life.
We monitor attendance very carefully so that we can support families. The Government have defined the ‘persistent absence threshold’ as 90%. We write and speak to parents on a regular basis if their attendance or punctuality is causing a concern and put in place measures to try to improve this.
Illness
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.
If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school or nursery on the first day. Let them know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.
If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.
More Information can be found HERE
Holidays in Term Time
The attendance legislation states that;
- the current law does not give parents any entitlement to take their children out of school for a holiday during term time;
- any application for leave must only be in ‘exceptional’ circumstances and the Headteacher must be satisfied that the circumstances are ‘exceptional’;
- in ‘exceptional circumstances’ a request for absence must be made in advance to the Headteacher, who will inform you of his/her decision prior to booking the leave;
- if a request for leave is not authorised by the Headteacher and the pupil does not attend school, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised, which then stays on a child’s permanent record.
We are required by law to report unauthorised absences to the Local Authority, who may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice, which means a parent may be fined by the Schools attendance Service (SAS). I must also make parents aware that due to equalities legislation, fixed penalty notices will now be issued to all parents who have parental responsibility and whom can be traced. Please be aware that the proceeds from fixed penalty fines DO NOT go to the school.
Should parents make the choice to take their child out of school on an unauthorised holiday they should not then declare this as a sickness absence. We do ring to check, particularly when children inform us of the holiday or when they return from a sickness absence with a suspiciously deep sun tan! As already stated, it is the Headteacher’s decision whether or not to authorise any absence and the mark given.
Leave of absence during term time is not an entitlement and will not be granted for the sole purpose of a family holiday. Leave of absence during term time interrupts continuity of teaching and learning and can disrupt the educational progress of individual children, creating disruption in schools. Promoting regular school attendance is a key component in the Government’s strategy to raise educational standards. In order for children to reach their full potential and access the learning opportunities available to them, children must attend school regularly. As a parent or carer you are required by law to ensure that your child attends school regularly.
