Attendance

Attendance – important information

Our target for attendance is 96%.

Last year we achieved our target with our whole school attendance at 96%, so thank you for helping us to succeed. We have some great ideas about how we can work together to beat our target this academic year.

The Trust Attendance Policy should read and understand, and can be found below. It is important that school has a minimum of two emergency contacts for your child, this should be updated with any changes as soon as possible. If your child is absent it is important that you contact school first thing in the morning. If your child is absent for a number of days you should contact school on the morning of each day and follow up the absence with a letter once your child returns to school.

You can view our Attendance Policy at the bottom of this page.

Understanding types of absence:

Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school as either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required.
Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason like illness, medical/dental appointments which unavoidably fall in school time, emergencies or other unavoidable cause.

Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no leave has been given. This includes:

• Parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily
• Absences which have not been properly explained
• Children who arrive at school too late to get a mark
• Shopping, looking after other children or birthdays
• Day trips and holidays in term time which have not been agreed

Absence procedures – Parental responsibility:

• Inform the school office on the first day of absence (telephone 01548 842842, e-mail admin@salcombe-primary.devon.sch.uk or in person) indicating the reason for absence and the expected return date
• The reason for absence must be in full i.e. sickness on Sunday, temperature, severe cold etc. Please do not leave vague messages i.e. unwell, ill or under the weather as the school office will have to call you back for more information.
• If child is unable to return on expected date, parent to inform school office
• Provide copies of medical appointment letters or cards
• We have a 48 hour rule for any sickness/diarrhea to try to prevent any outbreaks. Please ensure that if your child has suffered with either of these, they remain absent from school for a clear 48 hour period from the last attack.

If absences become a concern:

• Initial issues are raised by letters to parents/carer
• If absences persist parent/carer is invited in to discuss support with the Head of School Mr Pugsley
• If this fails to achieve required improvements then the matter is referred to the Education and Welfare Officer (EWO)

Holidays:

• Holidays are not permitted during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances
• Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school will be classed as unauthorised and may attract sanctions such as a Fixed Penalty Notice.
• If you require a period of leave for your child please submit this request in writing to the headteacher as soon as possible prior to the leave.

Why punctuality is so important:

• Children that arrive late are likely to have missed the start of the lesson which makes it more difficult for them to learn as the lesson progresses.
• Late arrivals distract classmates and interrupt the teacher’s lesson.
• Children that arrive late are likely to feel unsettled and are embarrassed to walk into class once it has started.
• Children that arrive late are developing bad habits. It sets up your child for the future; whether at primary school, secondary school, college or work.  They could lose their place or job if they think it is acceptable to be late.

Teachers are on duty from 8.40am and lessons begin at 8.55am. The register is taken twice a day; once at the start of the morning session and once at the start of the afternoon session. Children will receive a late mark if they are not in class by 8.55am. The register officially closes at 9.05am, after which time pupils arriving without good reason will be marked as U which counts as a legal absence.

For any pupils where punctuality continues to be a problem, parents/carers are invited in to meet with the Head of School Mr Pugsley.

The school has duty of care and safeguarding responsibilities for your child, if you do not report their absence, we must investigate their whereabouts.