‘Nurturing Individual Excellence’

Attendance

Excalibur Primary School promotes the view that regular attendance is important to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for all of our children. Good attendance is crucial if pupils are to do well at school. Please ensure that your child does not miss school for any reason unless there are exceptional circumstances and try to make appointments (e.g. dentist) outside school time.

All children are sometimes reluctant to attend school. Any problems that arise with attendance are best resolved between the school, the parents and the child.

 

Top Attendance Tips for Parents

These are tried and tested tips provided by Cheshire East Education Welfare Service to ensure good attendance for your child:

  1. Talk to your child about how important it is to attend school every day.
  2. Show an interest in what your child has done at school each day.
  3. If you think your child is trying to avoid school, can you find out why? Ask them, ask their friends, ask their teachers.
  4. Help your child to keep to routines, going to bed and getting up at set times, completing homework on the night it is set etc.
  5. Unless unavoidable, please do not arrange medical or dental appointments during school hours.
  6. Encourage after school and extra curricular activities.
  7. Talk to your child's teachers if you notice sudden changes in behaviour.
  8. Remember that habits are formed early. It is much more difficult to get your child to school regularly if you have let them stay at home "Just this once", it is better to say "no, school is important" in the first place.

Update on Attendance - 2020/21

Attendance - Autumn Term 1 2020/21

Whole school attendance for the Autumn term 1 was 97.78%

Individual Pupil Attendance Rates

+98% Outstanding Attendance

Above 98% is less than 4 days absence a year. Pupils with this attendance should achieve the best grades they can, leading to the best possible start to their education.

+96% School Average

Less than 8 days absence in a year. Pupils with this attendance are likely to achieve their target grades.

<92% A matter for concern

15 days absence in a year. Pupils are missing 3 weeks of school a year. It will be extremely difficult for them to achieve their best and keep up.

<90% Persistant Absentee  / Referral

19 days absence a year. Pupils with this attendance are missing 1 month of school per year. It will be almost impossible for pupils to keep up with their work. Parents of pupils with this attendance could be issued with a fixed penalty notice.

 

 

Rewards

Children with 100% attendance for the term will be rewarded with a certificate at the end of each term .

 

Procedure if pupils are absent from school

On the first day of absence the parent/carer should contact the school using the school’s absence line leaving details of the child’s class and reason for absence. If pupils are likely to be away from school for other reasons or for more than 3 days parents' / carer’s should contact the school office to discuss the absence.

If your child has an appointment that means that they are absent from school then please inform your child’s teacher or the school office of this absence.

If any child has not been registered or the school has not been notified about a child’s absence by 9:30am, the school will contact the parent(s)/carer on the first morning by text or telephone.

 

Authorised Absence - where the school approves pupil absence.

These absences may include sickness, hospital, emergency dentist appointments and religious holidays

Under the provisions of the Education Act 1993 only the school and not the parents/carers can authorise absence.

A pupil is deemed to have an authorised absence when he/she is unable to attend either because: -

· He/she is ill

· Of a religious observance

· Of a bereavement or some exceptional circumstances negotiated with the Head Teacher.

 

Unexplained absences

Unexplained absences are considered as unauthorised. This means that they will be followed up by both the school and the Local Authority.

In the case of persistent unauthorised absence or persistent truancy the LEA may take legal action as outlined in Penalty Notice.

 

 

Lateness

Children who are late are disrupting not only their own education but also that of others. All children should be at school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for lateness is unavoidable.

Learning starts at 9am promptly in the morning, it is vital you teach your child from an early age the importance of punctuality and attendance.

Lateness = Lost Learning

5 minutes late every day

3 days lost!

10 minutes late every day

6.5 days lost!

15 minutes late every day

10 days lost!

20 minutes late every day

13 days lost!

30 minutes late every day

19 days lost!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pupils arriving at school late, after 9.00am, should enter the school building through the main reception area. It is important that you sign your child into school by you using the electronic signing in system detailing the reason for lateness. It is the parents responsibility that children arriving after 9.00am are registered at the school office before they go down to their classroom.

 

Supervision before and after school

No responsilbility can be taken for children who arrive at school before 8.50am or who are not collected by 3.15pm. We would not relinquish our protection of them, but the responsibility rests with the parents.  For safety reasons children should not be left on the school premises before 8.50am.

 

 

 

Penalty Notice

Due to new government legislation no holidays will be authorised during term time other than in exceptional circumstances, see the detailed explanation on the School Holiday page.

Pupils' with below 90% attendance as a result of unauthorised absence are monitored by the School and EWO on a regular basis. Parents' / carer’s are kept informed and if no improvement is made a Penalty notice will be issued to parents' / carers by Cheshire East Council.

Payment of a Penalty Notice is required within 21 days at a charge of £60 per child per parent and payment after this time but within 28 days is charged at £120. After 28 days you will be summons to appear before the magistrates court on the grounds that you have failed to secure your child's/children's regular attendance.  (Updated for academic year 2015 to 2016)

 

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Excalibur Primary School

Ivy Lane, Alsager, ST7 2RQ

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