Attendance

Please click this link to access the full Attendance Policy for Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School.

Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School

The school day begins promptly at 9.00am and we ask that children arrive punctually to ensure a positive start to the day. Doors are open from 8.50am and children may enter school from that time. The children will be supervised in the classroom until the school day begins. The children’s entrance will close at 9.00am promptly. Any children arriving after this time must enter by the Main Office and they will be greeted by the School Administrator. They will be marked as late attendance and this information will be recorded on BromCom/CPOM. Late attendance is recorded, monitored and will be reported to parents/carers. Please see the Attendance Policy for full information and to access both the school’s Procedure for Attendance and Procedure for Lateness.

School Expectations

Ainderby Steeple CE Primary School expects the following from its students:

• All pupils attend school with the specific aim of reaching at least 96% attendance in the given year

• All pupils arrive on time, appropriately dressed and prepared for the day, with all necessary equipment

Parents and Carers

Ainderby Steeple CE School expects the following from the parents and carers of students:

• Encourage their children to attend school

• Contact the school office as soon as possible, preferably by telephone, whenever their child is unable to attend school

• Ensure their child is appropriately dressed, taking account of the school uniform policy

• Ensure their child arrives in school well prepared for the school day with any homework completed

School

Students, Parents and Carers can expect the following from Ainderby Steeple CE Primary School:

• Regular, efficient and accurate recording of pupil attendance and time keeping

• Contact from school (as soon as possible during the same day) when a student fails to attend without reason and no contact has been made by the parent/carer

• Early contact with parents when a student fails to attend without good reason, or there is a pattern of absences or an excessive number of absences or lateness

• An initial warning letter (Letter 2) will be sent and a 10-day monitoring period started. If there is no improvement in attendance an Attendance Panel Meeting will be held with parents/carers, Class Teacher and the Headteacher. If attendance fails to improve a referral will be made to the Local Authority and legal proceedings may commence

Absence Due to Student Illness or Appointments

Parents are requested to inform the school by telephone on the first day of absence due to illness. School should be informed by telephone, email or letter as soon as possible if a child is to be absent for attendance at a doctor, dentist or hospital appointment. If a child becomes ill during school hours, we will contact parents as soon as possible. Parents/carers must ensure that we have up to date details of home and work contact numbers, as well as an emergency contact person in case they are unavailable.

Leave of Absence During Term Time

Absence for any reason during term time interrupts a child’s education and disrupts progress. The Law says that parents/carers do not have the right to take their children out of school for a holiday during term time. Special permission must be sought for any holidays taken during term time and a holiday form must be completed in advance. From September 2013, Headteachers do not have any discretion to authorise any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Consideration of circumstances will be given on an individual basis, but “normal” family holidays will not be authorised. Where a student is taken out of school for the purposes of a holiday during term time, The Education Social Work Service may issue penalty notices to each parent who fails to ensure regular attendance at school. Parents must pay £60 if they pay within 21 days, or £120 within 28 days. If the penalty notice is not paid after 42 days, the Local Authority will commence legal proceedings under section 444 of the 1996 Education Act.

How we Promote Positive Attendance at Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School

To support and promote positive attendance at Ainderby we offer several reward incentives.

Class Weekly Attendance Award

The class with the highest weekly attendance obtains a personalised class reward. Pupils and the class teacher can design this award. This award is shared with pupils at the Celebration Assembly. Class attendance is also published weekly on the Headteacher Newsletter.

Half Termly Attendance Reward

All pupils with 100% attendance for a half term will receive a pupil certificate and this will be presented at the Celebration Assembly. There will also be the opportunity to obtain a lucky dip item. Pupils will have six attempts in total to obtain this award during the academic year; this supports any child who has a genuine period of absence. The class with the highest half termly attendance will receive an additional playtime or creative activity of their choice.

Termly Attendance Award

All pupils obtaining 100% attendance for the term will receive a stationery reward. This will be presented at the Celebration Assembly. The class with the highest termly attendance will receive a dvd and popcorn afternoon. The time this is to be issued will be at the discretion of the class teacher. Pupils will have three attempts in total to obtain this award during the academic year; this supports any child who has a genuine period of absence.

Annual Attendance Award

All pupils obtaining 100% attendance for the year will receive a reading book voucher or reading for pleasure book of their choice.