ATTENDANCE
Aiming High!
- High attendance leads to more enjoyment and better achievement for children at school
- Good habits developed now will bring long term benefits
- Seely’s best attending pupils and classes are rewarded regularly, including:
- If you have particular issues with attendance, talk to us – working together can be the best way to improve things
Headlines
- Since September: 43 children have been present every day the school has been open
- Up to lockdown:
- the best attending classes were 2B, 3H and 3/4 MDH;
- the most punctual classes were Hazel, 4KI, 1/2A & 2S (an average of fewer than five Lates a week over 20 weeks)
Well done All!
Why is attendance important?
Children who attend school regularly and punctually achieve more than those who do not. A 2 week absence over the year will reduce your child's attendance to 95%. and will impact on their ability to reach their full potential.
You can help by ensuring that your child attends school on time every day. This means being in the classroom and ready to learn at 9.00 a.m. - remember we open our classroom doors at 8.50 a.m. in KS2 and 8.55 a.m. in KS1 & Foundation Stage.
Please do not allow your child to have any unnecessary days absence, for example, days off for birthdays, parents appointments, visitors to the home etc. because the school is unable to authorise any absence of this nature. If you need to make alternative arrangements for the care of your child before school opens we may be able to assist you by allowing your child to attend Breakfast Club.
Absence will only be authorised in accordance with the Local Authority attendance protocol{attendance protocol link]
In the event of your child's absence from school we endeavour to contact you through our school text service or by telephone. However, it is your responsibility, as a parent, to inform school of each and every absence that your child has. Please bear in mind that contacting school does not automatically authorise your child's absence, only school can make this decision. We must have precise details and information regarding the absence in order to make the decision to authorise the absence.
Holidays during term time: Please do not request a holiday/leave of absence from school during term time unless there are extenuating circumstances. Holidays will not be granted under any circumstances other than exceptional and fines may be issued through the local authority.
Attendance Awards: Children who have exemplary attendance are recognised and rewarded regularly, including:
- trophies for the best attending classes each week in Foundation Stage/KS1, and KS2 (with extra treats for any class recording 100% attendance)
- certificates for pupils achieving 100% attendance for a term (there’ll be additional rewards for those with 100% attendance for the whole year)
Our targets and expectations
We expect to achieve 95% attendance or above throughout the school and we can only achieve this with your help and support.
Any attendance below 94% would be judged as inadequte by OFSTED.
Daily Registration
- Learning starts at 9.00 every day
- Doors open for Key Stage 2 pupils at 9.50 and at 9.55 for those in Nursery/Reception and Key Stage 1.
- Registers close at 9.10 (a child arriving after that time receives an Unauthorised Late mark unless we have prior notification, with good reason for the late arrival).
Responsibilities
- Teachers will register children accurately and on time, and communicate with pupils/families regarding absences or poor punctuality.
- Parents/Carers should
- Bring your child to school on time, every day, unless absence is unavoidable;
- Call us as soon as possible on each day of absence; and
- Provide documentary evidence to support absence, where requested.
Sickness Absence
If your child’s absence because of illness is unavoidable:
- Call us as early as possible, on every day of absence;
- Bring evidence ( prescription label, appointment card) when asked;
Avoid absence for minor illnesses such as the common cold - CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION regarding guidelines on when to keep your child/ren off school (we will contact you promptly if your child isn’t well enough to be here).
Term-time Holidays
- …will Not be authorised.
- Term-time leave will only be authorised in truly exceptional or emergency circumstances; these won’t include:
- returning to country of origin;
- visiting family/attending family events;
- holidays booked by other family members;
- availability of cheaper holidays;
- overlap with the beginning or end of term;
- booking the wrong dates inadvertently;
- availability of time off work; or
- any time taken without following school procedures.
