ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
Punctuality: Most children arrive to school on time. However we have a small number of families who are late regularly. We write to parents next week whose children’s lateness is at or above 20%. Being late disturbs your child’s education, unsettles them for the rest of the day and causes inconvenience to the other children, office staff and class teachers. Being on time is a life skill which parents must teach their children.
Being late to school is not acceptable. All children must be in the playground 5 minutes before the whistle blows/doors open
(Rec and KS 1: 8.50am; KS 2 8.45am)
Children absent at the end or the start of new terms: Any parent who reports their children sick for the last few days of each term and/or the first few days of each term must provide medical proof. This could be in the form of a note from a GP or pharmacist or a copy of their prescription. Taking advice from the Local Authority, for families who do not provide medical evidence, the school will be forced to assume that the family have taken unauthorised term time leave and will be referred to the Local Authority for non-attendance.
The expected level of attendance at primary school is 97% or above. Any child whose attendance falls below this level will recieve a letter. We send these letters so that parents and children are aware of how many days they have missed at school and work to reduce the days lost. We hope that now the warmer weather is on its way that we will see far fewer children on the under 96% list.
If your child received an orange or a red letter then their attendance is significantly below the expected level. We hope to see the number of children receiving green letters go up by the time we send the next ones in July. If you are concerned about your child’s health impacting on their education then take the attendance letter to your GP and ask for some advice.
Absences / Holidays During Term - Time
Absences
If you child is off school sick we expect parents to phone before 9.30am on the first day of their child is absence. If a parent fails to phone they will be sent a text to the mobile number you have given to us. If a child is absent without explaniation, the session will be classed as unauthorised immediately on our school system.
Do we have your current mobile number? Do we have the most recent number for the emergency contacts that you have provided? Check with Miss Charles at the office if you are not sure.
Holidays during Term-time
Following Government and Hounslow Borough guidelines, we are not able to authorise any time off for term-time holiday for any child during term time. Please do not book any holidays unless they are in school holiday time. As school staff, we are very aware that holidays are much cheaper in term time but it is important that children are in school every day.
It is not acceptable for children to be taken out of school during term time unless they are ill or have an unavoidable medical appointment. Holidays will never be authorised and parents can be fined – parents who pretend their children are ill and take them on holiday will be treated very seriously by the Education Welfare Offices based at the Civic Centre. If you have to attend a funeral or visit a seriously ill relative then documentation about last minute flight bookings and medical proof will be needed to avoid a referral to the Eduactional Welfare Officer and a fine. Please ask at the office if you would like more information.