Attendance in school is paramount to your child’s success and achievement. Ever session missed is not only one less opportunity for them to learn but also one less day mixing with friends and enjoying the great experiences we strive to offer them in our school.
Mr Graeme Shaw is our Attendance Officer with responsibility of overseeing whole school attendance.
The National Average for school attendance is 96.1%, sadly our whole school average is currently well below this.
As a parent or carer you have a legal obligation to ensure your child is in school on time every day. Children should only be absent when they are unwell or have an appointment that cannot be arranged outside of the school day. I have enclosed a copy of our school’s Attendance Policy for your information.
If your child is unwell you should telephone us every day of their illness. In the event we are not contacted we have a duty of care to ensure your child is safe and therefore Mr Shaw will contact you via telephone to determine the reason for the absence. In some circumstances where children’s attendance is below the National Average and Mr Shaw cannot reach you via telephone, he will make home visits.
If you are going to be late you should also telephone school as soon as you can. Upon your arrival children must be accompanied into the building (irrespective of their age) where you will be asked to sign them in. As with all of the above, this is for their safety and wellbeing.
We should stress that Mr Shaw is here to support you, in particular any families who may experience difficulties in getting their children to school on time or, in worst case scenarios, at all.
First and foremost, we would encourage any family that is finding it difficult to get their child or children to school to contact Mrs Liddell or Mr Shaw on 01207 232198 so that we can work with you to ensure you receive the help and support you need.
It is important that we work together to help our children obtain the best possible start in life with a good education so if you have any questions or concerns regarding attendance please do not hesitate to contact us directly.