Attendance
Why Attendance Matters
At St Francis CE Primary School we believe that excellent attedance is fundametal for every child's success and that every day in school matters. We know that a child’s attendance has a direct impact on their learning as well as their social and emotional developement. When children attend school regularly and are punctual they:
- Achieve better outcomes academically
- Build strong friendships
- Development important life skills
- Feel part of our school community
- Are safer and supported
We celebrate regular attendance as a shared achievement, recognising the effort of pupils and families alike.
Our Expectations
We expect all our pupils to attend school every day, on time. We have high expectations for all pupils' attendance and communicate these clearly to pupils and families.
School Hours:
- School gates open: 8.35pm
- Registration: 8.45am
- School day ends: 3.15pm
Types of Absence
Every half-day absence from school, by law, has to be classified as either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of absence is always asked for.
Authorised Absences
These are mornings or afternoons away from school for a valid reason such as illness, emergency medical or dental appointments (routine appointments should always be made out of school hours) and emergencies.
Unauthorised Absences
An absence is classified as unauthorised if the reason was not recognised as acceptable. The Department for Education (DfE) and Local Education Authorities provide information for schools as to what is acceptable and what is not.
Examples of reasons that would not be accepted:
- A birthday
- A shopping trip
- Day trips
- Holidays – unless have been agreed as exceptional circumstances
Leave of Absence
There may be exceptional circumstances where you need to request a leave of absence for your child. The request should be submitted in writing in advance of the leave of absence, via the school office. You will receive a response in writing.
Procedure for Reporting your Child's Absence
Contact the office by 9am either via phone or using MCAS
By Phone:
- Select option 1 to 'report your child's absence' and leave a message for our Home School Link Worker
- The message must include the full name and class of the pupil, the reason for absence (if the reason is illness, parents should include details of the illness) and the expected date of return.
Via MCAS:
- From the dashboard, tap the Attendance option
- On the Attendance screen, tap on the Report an Absence button
- Complete the required information
If the pupil is to be off school for more than one day then the parent/carer must report the absence on each subsequent day.
If school does not receive a notification on the morning of day on, we will be in contact with you via phone to establish why your child has not turned up to school. If school has not received a response, then we will carry out a home visit on day two.
Working Together & Celebrating Attendance
We believe that working together with parents is the best way to achieve positive attendance outcomes for our children and remove any barriers which may exist.
You can support your child to have excellent attendance by following these 5 fundamental principals:
- Ensure your child arrives on time for school every day and is ready to learn. Arriving after registration is recorded as an unauthorised absence. Pupils must be in school by 8.45am.
- Do not take holidays during term time.
- If your child appears to be only slightly ill, send them to school. We have staff who will contact you if their condition deteriorates.
- Book any medical appointments outside of school hours. If this is unavoidable, please book for as late in the afternoon as possible and inform the school of appointments in advance. We expect your child to be in before and after the appointment takes place.
- Supply a copy of the appointment card or hospital letter if your child has an appointment during school hours.
If your child becomes reluctant to go to school or you need help, please contact the school immediately. We are more likely to be able to work together to solve any problems if we act early.
Celebrating Attendance
Badges are given out half-termly in recognition of good or better attendance with certificates being awarded to those children who also achieve this over the whole year.
Monitoring Attendance
In order to monitor attenance effectively, at St Francis CE Primary School we:
- Complete attendance registers accurately and monitor attendance daily
- Contact families on the first day of unexplained absence
- Track patterns of absence
- Work with families where attendance is a concern
- Celebrate good and improved attendance
As attendance and punctuality is so important to us, we must take action where there are instances of unacceptable, low pupil attendance, or if pupils are regularly late to school. Please see below our escaled approach to attendance:
