Attendance
Ensuring that your child arrives in school every day, on time and ready to learn is the most important commitment that we ask of parents and carers.
We understand that children get unwell and may need to miss the occasional day off school. However, where children are consistently absent from school for a day or even a morning every week there is a proven negative effect on their achievement, their friendships and their overall wellbeing.
A number of our pupils do manage 100% attendance and as a minimum we look for at least 96% attendance for every pupil. Where a child’s attendance falls below 90% or is sporadic, we will seek to understand any ways in which the school is able to support families to ensure that children are in school every day and on time. Where the issue cannot be resolved at school level and attendance does not improve, it may be necessary to involve the Local Authority, who have the power to take legal action as appropriate.
Pupils with good attendance records benefit from:
• Continuity of learning in lessons.
• Improved performance in examinations.
• Support and guidance with reading, writing and maths.
• Maintaining friendships.
• Developing good habits for adult life.
We therefore ask for your support to keep absenteeism to a minimum, so that we can prepare your child effectively for their future.
Punctuality Facts
5 minutes late each day = 3 days lost learning each year.
15 minutes late each day = 2 weeks lost learning each year.
30 minutes late each day = 19 days lost learning each year.
Why is Good Attendance and Punctuality So Important?
A good education gives a child the best possible start in life. We must ensure that all 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 fulfil their legal responsibility.
It is very important for all children to attend school every day and to arrive on time. Children are welcomed into school from 8.30am to 8:45am. This is essential to ensure that children benefit fully from classroom learning and that other children’s learning is not disrupted. To help with punctuality, breakfast club provision is available from 7:45am.
Not only does lateness make a bad start to the day, arrival after 9.15am is considered as half a day’s absence and is recorded in the register as an unauthorised absence. All lateness/attendance is recorded and monitored by the school and the Local Authority Attendance Officer.
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 or send a message to the school office by 9.00am. 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.
Medical Appointments
Medical appointments should be made out of school hours where 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. Evidence for medical appointments will need to be provided if they are during the school day.
Holidays During Term Time
No holidays will be authorised for any pupils (unless in exceptional circumstances) as the lessons they miss will have a detrimental effect on their progress and academic success.
We recognise that financial pressures and work commitments sometimes make it difficult to take holidays outside of school time. However, you cannot avoid the fact that your children will only have one chance to receive an education and in order for the staff at Montalbo Nursery and Primary School to do their very best for your child, we ask that you support us in this matter.
If you choose to take your child out of school during term time, a leave request form should be completed, these are available on request. Each leave request is considered individually, any unauthorised leave taken may result in a penalty notice being issued by the Local Authority.