At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School we recognise that attending school regularly and on time has a positive impact on learning, progress and therefore the best life chances for our pupils. Excellent attendance and punctuality is the key for our pupil’s success. Therefore it is of the highest importance that we work collaboratively to ensure that attendance and punctuality are the highest they possibly can be in order to prepare our pupils for their future. In line with the Government and Local Authority Guidelines, we expect all our students to maintain a minimum attendance level of 96%. It is the responsibility of everyone in our school community – parents, staff, pupils and governors to ensure they achieve this. Therefore, we regularly monitor and review the attendance of all our pupils. We encourage excellent attendance and punctuality for all pupils.
Logically if pupils are not in school, they are not learning and thereby allowing their potential achievement to suffer. The process of education is life long and we build on what we already know. Therefore, if pupils skip school they are damaging their future. Each year there are 190 school days which leaves 175 days for holidays, shopping, birthday treats and non-urgent medical and dental appointments. Therefore the school does not authorise absence for these reasons.
As of September 2015 the Department for Education (DfE) announced that any pupil whose attendance falls below 90% will be classed as a Persistently Absent pupil. Therefore, if a pupil misses 16 or more days over an academic year they will be classed as Persistently Absent regardless of the absence being authorised or unauthorised. Parents will be contacted for a meeting with the School Educational Welfare Officer to discuss the pupil’s lack of attendance and further disciplinary action may be taken.
If your child is unwell, do call the school to notify us. If you do not notify the school, we will phone you as part of our Safeguarding procedures. If you know in advance your child will not be at school- a blue form is available from the office and must be completed. This ensures the message is passed to their teacher and the register codes are accurate.
Punctuality - Arriving at School on time
Research shows that attendance and punctuality are the single most important factors in school success. Compared to other schools a relatively high proportion of our pupils regularly arrive late for school. With your help and support we hope to reduce this.
Being on time:
Gets your day off to a good start and puts you in a positive frame of mind.
Sets positive patterns for the future.
Leads to a good attendance record and means you don’t miss any morning notices.
Leads to better achievement because you attend the WHOLE of all of your classes.
Leads to understanding that school is important and education is valuable.
Helps you develop a sense of responsibility for yourself and towards others
Is respectful to your teacher and to your classmates and builds good habits for later in life.
What happens if a pupil is late?
At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School all pupils are expected to be in school in good time.
• The school gates open at 8:45am. All classes are given 15 minutes to get into the building safely.
• The main school gates on George’s Road are locked promptly at 9:00am. Late arrivals are disruptive to both the child being late and other pupils in the class.
The Margaret Mary Annexe gate is also locked at 9.00. Year 5 or 6 late arrivals will have their name and time of arrival recorded. If a child arrives after 9.00 they are to report to the main office in Georges Road.
• If a Nursery - Year 4 child is late they need to report to the main office area where their name and time of arrival will be recorded. A reason for the lateness is to be provided.
All lateness is recorded and reported on your child’s end of year report. Persistent late arrivals will be required to meet with the Educational Welfare Officer and may result in disciplinary action.
Some things that help:
Help your child get everything ready the night before (e.g. PE kit, school uniform)
Allowing plenty of time to get to school
Make arrangements with neighbours, family or friends if you have problems getting your child to school.
Make sure your child has breakfast or arrives at school in time for breakfast club.
Help your child organise homework.
Establish a good bedtime routine
Make sure your child gets enough rest and is not distracted by too much time on the computer or watching TV.
Setting an alarm clock!
What should you do if you have a problem getting your child to school on time?
Talk to your child first.
Talk to your child’s teacher.
Ask for help from someone you feel you can talk to in school.
Please make every effort to make sure your child is on time for school. We will be monitoring our levels of punctuality and will contact you to discuss further if we feel your child is not maximising their learning potential because they are regularly late for school.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Mr Rodrigo
Assistant Headteacher