Attendance and Punctuality

A good education gives a child the best possible start in life. We must ensure that all of our pupils have an equal chance to make good use of the education that the school offers by providing a positive and encouraging atmosphere. To achieve this it is important that each child attends school regularly and punctually. When a child does not attend school regularly and on time they will have difficulty keeping up with their work and will therefore underachieve.

The school recognises that parents have a vital role to play in supporting and encouraging good attendance and punctuality. By accepting responsibility in partnership with the school, we can work together to ensure the children’s right to a full education, as well as enabling parents to fulfill their legal responsibility.

It is very important for all children to attend school every day and to arrive on time. School starts promptly at 8:45am and the doors are open from 8.45am. Any pupils arriving after 9:00am should enter the building with their parents via the school office and will be marked at late. Arrivals after 9.10am will be marked as an unauthorised absence; five of these may trigger a fixed penalty notice (fine).

Usually, the only acceptable reason for a pupil to miss a day of school is if they are too ill to attend. If this is the case, you should ring the school office by 9.00am on the day of absence and send in a note with your child on their first day back. If you are not sure in the morning whether your child is well enough for school, we suggest you send them in. We can always call you if they become too ill to get through the day.

Authorisation for absence will not be given for outings (other than those organised by the school), shopping trips or family visits. Holidays should be taken during the school breaks and not during term time. In exceptional circumstances permission may be sought from the Headteacher and every case will be treated individually.

Medical appointments should be made out of school hours if at all possible. If your child has to see a doctor or dentist in school time they should attend school for as much of the day as possible. It is not permitted to take a whole day off school for a medical appointment unless the appointment lasts all day.

If you are concerned about your child’s attendance, please contact Mrs. Southgate, School Attendance Lead who will be happy to discuss this further with you and offer relevant advice and support.

Please refer to the school’s attendance policy for further information.

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Attendance and Punctuality

Shotley Primary School

Telephone: 01473 787255

Email: admin@shotley.org.uk