Y2 had the best class attendance 97.9% and were rewarded with a visit to Awesome Walls in Longton and a celebration cake made by one of the parents.
Important Attendance Information
The city council has, as one of its key priorities the raising of pupil’s level of attainment and important factors in this goal are improving attendance and reducing the levels of persistent absence. St John’s is also fully committed to this goal.
Regular attendance is vital if children are to benefit from education. As a school we organise and do all we can to ensure maximum attendance for all the pupils. Any problems with full attendance will be identified and addressed as soon as possible. The school recognises parents/carers and school need to work in partnership to instil in children a respect for education, as there is a link with attendance and attainment.
St John’s gives a high priority to conveying to parents/carers and children the importance of regular and punctual attendance. The school actively promotes and encourages full and/or improved attendance for all our pupils. It is the legal duty of parents/carers to ensure the child’s attendance at school.
Key points
- It is a legal duty of parent/carers to make sure their child attends school
- St John’s expects a minimum attendance of 95%
- If your child is unable to attend school they must notify school as soon as possible by ringing 238889 and pressing 1 to leave a message.
- A pupils absence from school will be considered unauthorised until a satisfactory explanation is receive. This means that the Education welfare Officer can take action if attendance drops.
- If your child is off for a length of time medical evidence will be required
- If attendance drops you will be invited into school for a short meeting to discuss strategies – attendance is regularly checked.
- Parent/carers do not have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and are obliged to apply for permission in advance
- The local authority discourage parent/carers from applying for leave of absence during term time and encourage school not to authorise such applications
- Parent/carers can be prosecuted for very poor attendance
- If there are trips/discos/prizes etc for attendance there will be no exceptions given to the expected percentage e.g. 95% – 100% for discos, 100% for attendance prizes.
There is a clear link between poor attendance at school and low academic achievement.
Children have little chance of catching up their peers if their attendance is bad. If they fail to succeed early on in their school careers they are likely to get further behind; disillusionment with education sets in and they become excluded or begin to truant.
St. John’s are doing everything they can to make sure pupils attendance is acceptable
We are all aware that parenting is one of the most challenging and demanding jobs there is, but it can also be one of the most rewarding – though it doesn’t always feel like that!!
Here at St. John’s we believe that working together is an important part in your child’s life and education and it gives that support needed for you and your child.
Mrs Ramsden our Home/School Link Worker is available for advice and support for you and your family. She might not always have the answers but she will be able to advice and direct you to ways that may help when you feel you don’t know where else to turn. Sometimes knowing that there is an ear that will listen just helps a little.
There are plenty of family workshops, coffee mornings, breakfasts and general get – together that we have at St.John’s that are an informal way of linking with the school and with other parent/carers.
Please feel free to make an appointment to come and see her.
Term Time is School Time
At St John’s CE Primary School we expect all of our children to have a minimum attendance rate of 95%.
It is a fact that:
- There is a clear link between poor school attendance and low academic achievement.
- School is open for 190 days per year, which leaves 175 days for leisure time.
- If a child is absent from school for an average of 1 day per week, they will miss 2 years of their education from reception to year 11.
- 90% attendance is not good! It equals half a school day missed each week.
- Only school can authorise absence.
- If your child arrives late for school they feel different to their friends, miss the morning routine and any work which has been set.
- If your child is late by 5 minutes per day this could mean they miss 3 school days per year.
- Parents and carers will be issued with a fine of up to £2500 or face up to 3 months in prison for their child’s non-school attendance.
We ask our parent and carers to support our Attendance and Punctuality Policy by:
- Ensuring that your child arrives at school every day on time, ready to learn.
- Discussing with the class teacher or Mrs Ramsden any concerns which you may have.
- Regularly asking what your child’s attendance rate is.
- Talking often to your child about school and how they feel about it. They are more likely to attend if they feel supported and their anxieties are listened to.
- Knowing the routines of the school day.
- Immediately contacting the school if your child is unable to attend. Please telephone 238889 and press 1 to leave a message.
- Arranging medical appointments outside of school hours.
- Providing medical evidence for absences over 4 days.
- Not withdrawing your child for a holiday during term time.
Remember that:
- The partnership between home and school is crucial in securing success for your child.
- Positive attitudes toward school will promote good attendance.
- We have high standards and expectations at St. John’s. We expect your child to enjoy and achieve but this will only be possible if your child attends school every day.
- If your child’s attendance rate is below 90% then any further absences will not be authorised unless medical evidence is provided.
Do you think your child’s attendance is GOOD at 90%?
- A 90% attendance rate means that your child is absent from lessons for the equivalent of one half day every week.
- This also means that your child has missed the equivalent of 4 whole weeks of lessons in the school year.
- If your child continues to attend for only 90% of the time over five years they will miss the equivalent of half a school year.
- We need to work together.
- Send your child to school every day on time unless genuine illness prevents attendance.
- AVOID taking your child out of school for dental/doctors appointments, shopping etc.
- AVOID taking your child out of school for holidays.
IMPORTANT
If your child is absent RING into school on their FIRST day of absence. This is important – telephone 238889 and choose option 1 and leave a message giving your child’s name, class and reason for absence.
Rewards, Rewards, Rewards!!
Weekly:
Class Attendance Cup
(This is awarded for the best class attendance for a period of a week.)
Attendance Weekly Draw
(Classes are on a rota for this draw – all pupils with a full week’s attendance are entered into the draw and 2 pupil’s names ‘pulled-out-of-the-hat’ who receive 1) a trophy for the week 2) juice and a biscuits 3)
Good Attendance Medals, Good Attendance Badges, Good Attendance Tea Party with the Headteacher (half termly)
Termly:
100% Attendance Certificate
(Each pupil with 100% attendance will receive a certificate and £1 in cash.)
Class Assembly Certificates, Good Attendance Reward Visits
Yearly:
100% Attendance Certificate
(Each pupil with 100% attendance will receive a certificate and £5 in cash.)
Prize Draws
(Prizes will be given for individuals and/or classes for overall attendance)
Full attendance requirements are:
- No holidays in term time
- No ‘late after register closed’ attendance marks
- No unauthorised attendance mark
- Attendance at school either before or after a medical Appointment (depending on time of appointment)
HOLIDAY IN SCHOOL TIME
The imposition of penalty fines can be imposed for taking children out of school in unauthorised circumstances.
New School attendance regulations came into force in September 2013!
“Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make it clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances”.
I draw your attention particularly to the second sentence of this paragraph. Clearly there are many situations which may constitute exceptional circumstances, but as a generality I interpret ‘exceptional’ in this context as being of unique and significant emotional, educational or spiritual value to the child, which outweighs the loss of teaching time. This interpretation will have different parameters from one case to another, and whilst it will be important to look at the whole situation in making decisions about any individual request, the normality will be that requests will be refused
Therefore you are asked to respect these new regulations under which we must now work, and that if you do need to take your child out of school during term time, you make very clear in your request how the circumstances are exceptional. If this is not clear then under new legislation, leave will not be granted. We also ask parents/carers to make all appointments out of school or in holiday time with emergencies being the only exception.
All pupils are expected to attend school during term time examination/test periods.
Attendance is checked daily by Mrs Ramsden and she does a first day text/call to those with no reason for absence. If attendance is a concern you will receive a letter informing you and if this does not improve within a month you will be invited in to meet with her to discuss these concerns.
Children are informed weekly if their attendance is poor and a Late/Poor Attendance Club meets each Friday at dinner time to allow children to catch up with missed reading.
Attendance Team
Office:
Mrs MA Ramsden – Home School Link Worker
Mrs K Oldfield – School Business Manager
Mrs S Barnes – School Bursar
Mrs J Varley – Office Liaison Associate
Mrs H Bailey – Administration Assistant
Tel: 238889
Education Welfare Officer:
Jacky Leese – Tel: 235355
School Day
8.45 am Doors open for the school day
8.50 am – 9.00 am Registration / Greetings / Quiet reading
9.00 am Morning lessons begin (guided reading/key skills)
12.05 pm – 12.50 pm KS1 Lunchtime
12.15 pm – 1.00 pm KS2 Lunchtime
12.55 pm – 1.05 pm Afternoon Registration
1.00 pm – 1.05 pm Afternoon lessons begin
3.00 pm End of school day
Holidays are fine – just not in term time
There are 365 days in a calendar year. You child is expected to attend just 190 days AT SCHOOL.
This means there are 175 days for holidays, birthday treats, special events with families, and non-urgent appointments.
If you choose to take your child out of school for 10 days during term time, your child can achieve no more than 94.7% school attendance for the academic year. This figure is lower that we expect!
Information for Parents and Carers
Children of school-age who are on roll at school, must, by law, attend that school regularly and punctually.
Regular attendance is important, not just because the law requires it but also because it is the best way of ensuring children make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.
When a child is absent from school, he or she misses not only the teaching provided on the days when absent, but is also less prepared for the lessons on their return. This will lead to a risk of underachievement, which Headteachers and parents will both wish to avoid.
There may be occasions when a child has to miss school – for example, if unwell. Any other absences should be kept to an absolute minimum; in particular, parents should avoid taking children out of school during term time in order to go on holiday.
What the Law Says
The regulations make it clear that parents do not have any automatic right or entitlement to take a child out of school. Indeed, it is likely that in most cases Headteachers will refuse to authorise the absence.
The regulations state that Headteachers cannot grant a leave of absence to a pupil except where an application has been made in advance and the Headteacher considers there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.
It is recognised that on occasions there may be extenuating or compassionate reasons for an absence to be authorised. It is however the decision of the Headteacher as to what constitutes as exceptional circumstances.
Issues parents need to be aware of
If the absence request is not authorised by the school and the absence is still taken, this will remain unauthorised.
Should leave be granted but the child remain absent for longer than agrees then this extra time will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Should a child fail to return to school on the agreed date consideration may be taken to remove them from the school roll. Parents/carers would then be responsible for reapplying for a school place with no guarantee of a place back at the same school.
Any leave of absence that has not been authorised may be referred to the Education Welfare Service. This may result in the issue of a Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecution proceedings.
A Fixed Penalty Notice will be issued to each parent/carer of each child of statutory school age and carries a maximum penalty of £120 (e.g. Two Parents/Carers with two children could incur a total cost of £480) If the matter proceeds to court this carries a maximum penalty of £1,000 per parent/carer per child and a criminal conviction, which may affect your current and/or future employment.
