Dear Families,
This year, we are working together to increase our school attendance and punctuality.
At the end of Autumn term 2024, school attendance was 93.89% (national average is around 94.5%).
Around 19% of our pupils were persistent absentees (had 19+ days absent for any reason during the academic year), which is slightly more than National Average.
As a school, we offer many supportive measures to improve attendance; it is extremely important to attend any meetings you are invited to. These staff members can support you directly with attendance:
However, our wider repertoire of support may include any of our teachers, support staff or also our behaviour, emotional and mental health support team, safeguarding team or from our SENDCo Miss Morgan.
Remember we also offer morning club from 7:45am and after school club until 5:15pm to support with childcare/arrival at school on time.
A reminder that gates are open between 8.40 and 8.50am. Anyone arriving after 8.50am will need to be registered in Reception by their parent/carer and will receive a late mark in the register.
In 2024-25 we will also continue to subsidise funding to ensure every child is offered a bagel on entry to school, and also fund fruit for all at breaktime.
With the support of our families, together we will work together to improve attendance. Thank you for your continued support,
Mrs Purshouse.
How many days has your child had off school this year?
It is the law to attend school.Poor attendance has a detrimental impact on pupils learning and over a 5-year period a pupil whose attendance is 90% will have missed half of a school year – this is a lot of lost education!
‘Persistent absence’ is classed as anything under 90%.
Children who have 19 or more days of absence across a school year are persistent absentees.
Parents may be prosecuted if their child’s attendance falls below 90%.
If your child is not attending school for any reason you must contact school to inform staff of the reason why. If the phone line is busy please leave a voicemail, this is checked regularly and there is no need to call back to check we have received the message.
Attendance is checked weekly by our Education Welfare Officer Dawn Roe. Evidence of illness may be requested for pupils who have already had some absence and are at risk of becoming persistent absentees.
It is essential you contact school so that we know your children are safe.
Home visits will be made for pupils we are concerned about.
Remember, your child has around 6 different learning ’lessons’ during the school day. Lessons are sequential from day to day so if they miss one day, it makes ‘catching up’ the next day trickier. Consider this:
Taking your child for a 9.30am pre-arranged medical appointment but not bringing them to school afterwards may mean they miss 5 lessons which they could have attended.
Your child says they feel unwell in the morning but appears fine but you keep them off school ‘just in case’. Nothing turns out to be wrong but they have missed the whole school day - 6 lessons.
Missing school for a 1 week holiday means your child misses 30 lessons.
Missing school for a 2 week holiday means your child misses 60 lessons.
Leave of Absence during term time– the rules have changed!
Leave of absence during term time will not be authorised unless there is an exceptional circumstance.
If, for any reason, you do require a Leave of Absence please telephone the school office to make an appointment with Mrs Rowe or Ms Tolley to discuss the request.
Leave will be unauthorised if it is for a holiday (even if it is due to financial circumstances) and, you are likely to receive a fine from the Local Authority if a child misses 10 or more sessions (5 days).
Since August 19th 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered. If you are prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.
Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.
Local Authority regulations state that Leave of Absence applications should be made at least 4 weeks prior to the leave taking place, and, if it is for a holiday, ideally before the holiday is booked.
If your child does need a Leave of Absence, for Safeguarding purposes, it is essential that you meet with Mrs Rowe or Miss Tolley before the Leave takes place, as far in advance as possible.
Thank you to families for your continued efforts to support attendance at Goldthorn Park.
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