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                             School Attendance Matters

At St Mary’s Blackbrook, our attendance is good: however, we want to update you with our latest procedures for Attendance and Punctuality.

Excellent attendance and punctuality at school are important to allow a child to fulfil their potential. If a child of compulsory school age is registered at a school, it is essential that they attend their school regularly and maintain a good pattern of attendance throughout their school career.

Miss School – Miss Out!

 

Attendance

Leave of Absence

All requests to take your child out of school should be made in advance on the Leave of Absence form, available from the School Office or on our Website.

We are not permitted to authorise absence due to holidays

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which came into force on the 1st September 2013, made it clear that Head Teachers may not granted leave of absence during term time unless ‘exceptional circumstances’ exist. The Governors of our school support this legislation.

 

Family Holidays

You can demonstrate your commitment to your child’s education by not taking holidays during term time. Whilst we understand that holidays can often be cheaper during term time, any child who is absent from school due to a family holiday will miss out on important learning, which could possibly lead to them falling behind with their school work. In each academic year, there are only 190 statutory school days – this allows time for holidays to be arranged out of term time.

Every School Day Counts

Every single day a child is absent from school equates to a day of lost learning. Attendance percentages can be misleading.

For your information, outlined below is the Local Authority’s position and expectations in relation to a child’s overall level of attendance at school.

100%  Attendance   

No days missed – Excellent.

 

95%    Attendance

9 days of absence, 1 week and 4 days of missed learning – Satisfactory.

92% to 95%         

Engage with school to introduce strategies to improve child’s attendance and to help to prevent further absences.

 

90%                 

19 days of absence, 3 weeks and 4 days of missed learning.  Poor. Once a child’s attendance is below 90%, they are classed as a Persistent Absentee. Referral to Education Welfare Service if required.

 

85%             

28 days of absencs, 5 weeks and 3 days of missed learning.  Very Poor.   At risk of Fixed Penalty Notice  Referral to Edication Welfare Service.

 

80%     

38 days of absence, 7 weeks and 3 days of missed learning.    Unacceptable.   Increase risk of Fixed Penalty Notice. Referral to Education Welfare.

* For some parents, 90% may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, but the reality is that 90% attendance means that your child will miss half a school day each week or 19 days of school, during the school year – that’s nearly 4 weeks.

If your child is ill, please inform the school before 9.30am. It is important to communicate with the school to keep us informed of your child’s health.

 Our Procedures

If we do not receive a message about your child’s absence, we will text you and leave a voice mail. Please respond to this message. If we do not receive a response, our Education Welfare Office will be requested to make a Home Visit.

Please note that if we do not have a reason for absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised.

BEING ON TIME IS IMPORTANT 

Please ensure your child is punctual – The doors open at 8.50am, and children start their ‘Wake up’ work to get them ready for their lessons. We close all of the classroom doors at 9am. Please ensure that your child enters school before 9am. If they arrive late after 9am. They must be accompanied by an adult, who brought them to school, to the main office, signed in, and they will receive a late card, a late mark will also be recorded in the register. If they arrive late, after 9.30am, they receive an ‘Unauthorised Absence’ mark.

For those children who walk to school by themselves and arrive late, we will contact parents via text message to inform you that your child has arrived late. This is an important part of our safeguarding procedure.

Appointments in school time

We do recognise that hospital appointment times cannot always be changed, but refrain from making other appointment during the school day where necessary. If you wish to collect your child during the school day for an appointment, please provide the appointment or letter.

We are here to support you with your child’ education and well being. We all want the best possible school experiences for the children at St Mary’s Blackbrook

We want to ensure that our pupils make lasting friendships, achieve in examinations and make a positive contribution to our society.

Please note that we realise that there are some exceptional circumstances where a child may have poor attendance or prolonged absence from school and we aim to support you as a family to overcome these issues.

 Mrs Knapper or our Education Welfare Officer are the contacts for attendance and punctuality issues. Please do not hesitate to speak with them, if you have any concerns about your child’s attendance.

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Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St. Helens, Merseyside WA11 9QY