Attendance

Regular attendance means your child can make the most of their education, improving their life chances in adult life. Our school provides your child with a wide range of experiences including academic lessons, pastoral support, educational trips, individualised programmes all within a nurturing environment, an environment that genuinely cares about your child. The more your child is in school the more they increase their opportunity to fulfil their potential. We know our children have had negative school experiences historically however we know we are different, allow us to support you to support your child.

Your child being in school will really support your child’s development of social skills, such as making and keeping friendships. A regular and punctual attendance pattern will help your child to access other opportunities beyond school including college, and entering the world of work.

It is the responsibility of our parents/foster parents to provide an explanation for their child’s absence from school. It is the responsibility of the school to decide if an absence is authorised.

Please contact our School Administrator as soon as possible on the first and each subsequent day of an absence, stating the reason for the absence and when your child is likely to return.

If no reason for absence is received, the school will contact you, usually by phone as early as possible. If there is no response the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

Lateness has a negative impact on your child’s long term outcomes. Being late every day adds up over the school year:

• 5 minutes adds up to 3 days lost
• 10 minutes adds up to 6 days lost
• 30 minutes adds up to 19 days lost

Children who are late miss out on important information during community meeting.

• There is clear guidance that a school should not authorise time off during term time
• Despite personal empathy for our children’s individual circumstances we cannot authorise absence for anything other than ‘exceptional circumstances’.
• We have to follow clear guidance around absence authorisation

It is not normal practice to authorise a whole day for appointments. Try to make routine dental and medical appointments during holidays or after the school day.

Where this is not possible, your child should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment. We can assure you we will provide nurture and care to your child on their arrival at school.