Attendance

School Attendance.

A good education gives a child the best possible start in life. 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 - children who are at school will learn and achieve more! 

We understand 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 fulfil their legal responsibility. 

As a school aim to have school attendance at the school above the national average. Research shows that pupils who attend school regularly are more likely to do well in the future. Further regular attendance helps children to develop their confidence and to make and keep lasting friendships. 

We encourage our children to be an attendance H.E.R.O. Here Everyday Ready On time!

First day calling and notification of absence:

If your child is too ill to attend school please contact us in person at the school office or telephone 01473 328531 and discuss with the admin staff or leave a message. 

The school has in place a system of first day calling. This means that parents will be telephoned on the first day a pupil is absent if there has been no explanation, to establish a reason for absence.

Punctuality

Registration is at 8.40 so we expect all pupils to be in the school building at this time. Even being a few minutes late means pupils miss the teacher input for their first lesson which can cause pupils to feel anxious and behind their peers. Penalty notices may be issued for persistent lateness. 

Requests for non-attendance:

If you are planning on a term time holiday, please collect a leave of absence form from the main office. Please note, you may be asked to supply evidence to support your request. Authorisation will only be granted in very exceptional circumstances.

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. 

EWO involvement:

Where there is an emerging pattern of a pupil's absence, the school will invite parents to a meeting to discuss the reasons for absences. Support may be offered or put in place in order to improve a pupil's attendance. If there continues to be unauthorised absences, the matter will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). 

Penalty notice

A penalty notice may be issued for unauthorised absences or persistent lateness. For further information please see the Suffolk County Council information here

Our attendance policy can be viewed on the policies page.