Attendance & Term Dates
Attendance: general
Tilston Parochial CE Primary School recognises the importance of good attendance and the impact it has on children’s progress, attainment, enjoyment of learning and relationships within school. Good attendance helps a child to realise their potential and ensure they are motivated, confident and enjoy a diverse range of curricular opportunities and experiences. Our school policy promotes good attendance, which is recognised and rewarded as an achievement. The school monitors attendance and ensures quick and early intervention if a problem is identified. We recognise that whole school preventative and proactive approaches are key to promoting children wellbeing and attendance. A child must attend school every day that they are required to do so unless an exceptional circumstance applies.
The Governors, Head Teacher and staff wish to ensure every child has the opportunity to:
1. Fully participate in school life
2. Enjoy and achieve
3. Feel a valued member of the school community
Children’s attendance has a direct impact on their attainment and for this reason it is important that, wherever possible, children are present in school.
Our whole school target for attendance is 97%
The national average is 96%
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
- Let us know as soon as your child is absent and each day thereafter
- Try to avoid making appointments during term time or normal school hours
- Do not allow your child to stay off school unless it is unavoidable
- Provide medical evidence for appointments attended.
- Do not plan to take your child out of school for a holiday during term time
WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S ATTENDANCE? (see attached files for further guidance)
- Talk to your child, it may be a simple reason
- Talk to your child’s class teacher or a member of staff especially if our child appears to becoming anxious or worried about leaving you or about coming to school
Absence Procedures
If your child is not going to be in school for any reason, this needs to be reported by a telephone call TO SCHOOL. If we do not receive this notification, the absence will be marked as unauthorised.This will need to be done for each day that the child is absent from school BEFORE 9:00AM EACH MORNING. If we have not had notication of an absence by 9:15am, then the school will follow our safeguarding procedures.
Any illness or absence that is not reported to the office will be unauthorised.
Lateness and Punctuality
Pupils can attend school from 8:40am and the school gates will remain open until 8:50am. The school day officially begins at 8:55am. All pupils are expected to be in school for registration at that time.
Register are taken at 8:55am
Registers close 8:55am
Any child who arrives after the gates are closed at 8:50am must enter the school by the main entrance. If pupils are not in class by 8:55am, they will be coded as ‘L’. Any late arrivals 9.25 be coded as ‘U’ which is an unauthorised absence for that session.
Leave of Absence
A child’s absence during term time seriously disrupts their continuity of learning. Not only do they miss the teaching on the days they are away but are less prepared for the lessons building on that teaching when they return to school. There is a consequent risk of under achievement, which we must seek to avoid.
In September 2013, amendments to the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, make it clear that Head Teachers may not grant any Leave of Absence (holiday) during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’
- Family holiday
- Availability of less expensive holiday
- Availability of holiday accommodation
- Parent/carer’s working commitments
- Holiday pre-booked by another family member
The Head Teacher and the Governing Body will determine what constitutes an exceptional circumstance on an individual basis. If parents/carers need to request Exceptional Leave of Absence, they must complete an ‘Exceptional Leave of Absence’ form available from the school office. A copy of the form is avaiable at the bottom of this webpage. It should be noted that if any application is declined and absence occurs of a consecutive 5 or more unauthorised days, then school will apply to the Local Authority for a Fixed Penalty Notice to be issued to each parent/carer.
Details of fixed penalty fines are available in the Attendance and Punctuality Policy. Tilston Parochial CE Primary does not recieve any payments from fixed penalty fines. Cheshire West and Chester process all fines.
How is my child's attendance calculated?
Schools must take the attendance register at the start of the first session of each day, morning (a.m.) and once during the second session, afternoon (p.m.).
Attendance percentages are calculated from the first day of the academic year up to the current date. The percentage is the total number of sessions attended out of the possible number of sessions.