Attendance
The Department for Education has set a target of at least 96% attendance for each child and we expect every child to achieve at least that from nursery onwards. Attendance and attainment are directly related, Regular attendance at school promotes pupil's well being and gives them the best chance of learning and socialising with their peers. It is essential that children attend school everyday unless the reason for absence is unavoidable. Attendance is monitored and reported on regularly according to statutory requirements.
All unexplained absences are counted as “unauthorised” and we are obliged to report these to the Local Authority and the D.F.E. If your child has a medical appointment, please inform the school office as soon as possible. Wherever possible your child should attend school before and after the appointment.
Contact details or absence matters:
Absence Line: 0208 422 6175
Email: admin@woodendprimaryschool.com
Attendance Administrator: Ms P Nandra
Senior Attendance Lead: Mr W Stainbank
If your child is unwell first thing in the morning but during the school day becomes better, please bring them to school. Holidays during term time will not be authorised under any circumstances. However, it is recognised that, in exceptional circumstances, leave of absence may have to be taken in term times. Permission for this needs to be sought directly from the Headteacher beforehand.
Punctuality
It is very important for children to be punctual. Lateness disrupts the start of the day for your child and the other children in the class. If you arrive late to school with your child you must report to the school office where your child will be marked in. Children must be collected promptly at the end of the school day at 3.30pm
Good attendance is important because pupils:
- learning better with other children;
- cope better with school routines, work and friendships;
- find learning easier because they do not miss out or have to catch up;
- are more successful moving between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training;
- are known to be safe and well by us.
Research shows a direct link between high attendance and doing well at school. All children have the right to an education. We encourage and expect 100% attendance for all pupils.
We will:
- emphasis to pupils and parents the importance of being at school;
- check that pupils are at school every day;
- follow up and check the absence of persistent non-attenders;
- phone and text home on the first day of absence to check where absent children are
- follow up an explained absence by phone call and email, and meetings for persistent absentees
- aim for an attendance rate of at least 96%. Pupils who are under school age, in Nursery or Reception, are treated in the same way as all other children;
- monitor school attendance data of individual and groups and target our support towards removing barriers to attendance for individuals and groups who need it most;
- discuss poor attendance with parents to understand any barriers the pupil or family might be facing;
- facilitate support for families to help remove identified barriers to attendance. This could include support through the local authority attendance team.
- where absent persists and support offered is not being engaged with, we will communicate the consequences to parents.
- when all avenues of support have been exhausted and support has not worked or being engaged with, the Local Authority can enforce attendance through a statutory intervention or prosecution to protect a pupil's right to an education;
- share and discuss attendance data with the Governing Board on a termly basis.
Parents:
- by law, must ensure that their child attends school;
- should arrange dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school holidays, whenever possible;
- make sure that their child arrives on time between 8.45am and 8.55am.
- or if they arrive after 8.55am, sign-in at the school office;
- should contact the school on the first day their child is away from school by 9am.
Pupils should arrive and be collected from school on time, arriving late can cause children to become anxious or upset:
- registration is at 8.55am, for all children from Reception to Year 6. Pupils can go straight to their classroom from 8.45am
- Arrival after registration closes may result in an U mark which is an 'unauthorised absence' for late arrival.
- if a child is collected late, after 3.45pm, they join our After School Club. We charge a fee for this childcare;
- we take the view there are no late children, only late parents;
- we contact parents of pupils who have patterns of lateness to talk about how to arrive and/or be collected on time.