School Attendance
Excellent attendance is extremely important in our school. We want children to enjoy coming to school and make the most of all the opportunities presented to them here.
Our target for attendance is at least 97%. This will mean every class aiming to reach this expectation. We monitor attendance each week. Mrs Miss L Devereux Welfare Officer monitors our school attendance and will be the member of staff who will contact you should your child’s school attendance fall below our school target.
Absences
It is essential that you call the school if your child is going to be absent from school. If we do not hear from you we will call you to clarify why your child is not in school. You can contact the school office directly (020 8953 2717) or alternatively send a Parent App message or email which the school office will receive.
Persistent Absenteeism
If your child’s attendance is below 90% this is classed as persistent absenteeism and is of major concern to the school and the Local Authority.
If your child’s attendance falls below 90% you will be written to in order to highlight our concerns and offer any support that we can. You may also be invited in to the school to discuss the matter further. We may require medical notes if the attendance shows little improvement and a referral to the Education Welfare Officer may be made.
Term-Time Holidays
The Department for Education has made it very clear that schools should not authorise holidays in term time unless there are very exceptional circumstances. We are often provided with reasons such as work commitments (unless in the armed forces) and special family occasions such as birthdays and weddings or ‘surprise’ holidays booked by family members which cannot be accepted.
You may receive a penalty notice if you take a holiday in term time and if this is part of any further concerns about your child’s attendance additional action may also be taken.