Attendance and Punctuality (including medicine in school)
ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
A big thank you to all our families who take attendance and punctuality seriously. We are really grateful to you for getting your child in on time so that they can learn as much as they possibly can. Breakfast club opens every weekday from 8.00am. School doors open at 8.40am and children start learning in class from 8.40am.
To gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that all pupils attend regularly and on time. Pupils should aim to attend every day that schools are open. We aspire for all pupils to attain 100% attendance with the expectation that all pupils will achieve our Trust target of at least 97%.
Every child has the right to attend school every day. Casual attendance and frequent absence really has a detrimental effect on children’s education and emotional development. At Parish CE Primary School everyone has their part to play in ensuring that all children attend regularly.
We want our school to have the best attendance, so that our children can learn as much as they possibly can.
Please note our Attendance and Punctuality Policy has been updated for September 2024 with the new DfE guidance which schools will follow from the 19th August 2024.
OUR ATTENDANCE POLICY CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES USING GOOGLE TRANSLATE WHEREIN DOCUMENTS CAN BE UPLOADED:
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Parent / Carer responsibilities:
Unsure if your child can attend? Please use this NHS guidance:
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School Responsibility:
- Inform parents/carers of their responsibilities for maintaining regular attendance for their child.
- Inform parents/carers every half term of their child’s attendance using the traffic light system.
- 97-100% - Good - Outstanding - GREEN LIGHT
- 94-96.9% - Satisfactory - AMBER LIGHT
- 93.9% and below - Unsatisfactory - RED LIGHT
- We aim to support any family in difficulties or crisis.
- Refer families requiring support to the Attendance Team or the Education Welfare Officer as necessary.
- We will actively seek Court Prosecution when needed, but we do this as a very last resort.
- We value and reward good attendance; weekly, half termly, termly and annually through certificates, praise in assembly, rewards and a class attendance trophy.
We will request an explanation from parents/carers if your child is reguarly late for school. Parents/carers will be invited into school to discuss this concern with a memebr of our attendance team (including our Senior Attendance Champion or Executive Headteacher) in the hope of resolving the problem.
To raise standards, please be aware, letters will be sent from the Pupil Attendance and Education Welfare Services if there are any concerns.
Research shows that the closer a school and family work together the more likely a child will succeed.
EXPECT
Aspire to high standards of attendance from all pupils and parents and build a culture where all can, and want to, be in school and ready to learn by prioritising attendance improvement across the school.
MONITOR
Rigorously use attendance data to identify patterns of poor attendance (at individual and cohort level) as soon as possible so all parties can work together to resolve them before they become entrenched.
LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND
When a pattern is spotted, discuss with pupils and parents to listen to understand barriers to attendance and agree how all partners can work together to resolve them.
FACILITATE SUPPORT
Remove barriers in school and help pupils and parents to access the support they need to overcome the barriers outside of school. This might include an early help or whole family plan
where absence is a symptom of wider issues.
FORMALISE SUPPORT
Where absence persists and voluntary support is not working or not being engaged with, partners should work together to explain the consequences clearly and ensure support is also in place to enable families to respond. Depending on the circumstances this may include formalising support through a parenting contract or education supervision order.
Rewards and Incentives
We are currently running a fantastic competion between classes; the best attending every week will win a virtual £5 for their piggy-bank. Spend it or save it for your class!
You might also have seen our fabulous end of year prize in the box in the foyer; a scooter plus safety gear. One determined child who attends every day this academic year will win.
Visit our weekly newsletter to see weekly attendance updates: https://www.parish.st-helens.sch.uk/page/newsletters/128081
MEDICINE IN SCHOOL
If your child needs medicine, prescribed by a doctor, to be adminsitered in school, please complete a yellow 'medincine in school' form at the school office or complete the form attached and either hand in or email to us in advance.