Attendance and Punctuality

If a child is to reach their full educational achievement, a high level of attendance is essential. This is because research has shown regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in children’s achievement. We wish to work in partnership with parents and carers in ensuring your child attends school on time every day. We are always pleased to work together with parents and carers in resolving any difficulties.

We monitor children’s attendance weekly and let parents know if there are any concerns and if children enter an ‘at risk’ category.  Teachers talk to children about their attendance and celebrate those who have made improvements or continue to attend well.

Regular attendance is not just a legal requirement, but it is vital for children to maximise their learning, and achieve their full potential at St Clement and St James CE Primary School. There are a number of important steps parents can take to ensure their child maintains a high level of attendance:

• Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn.
• Ensure the school has up to date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you by text or by telephone if your child is absent and you have not contacted the school. This ensures that we can contact you about your child, and also can contact you in an emergency situation.
• If your child is ill, contact the school. Please make sure you phone school every day your child is absent.
• If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as unauthorised. Ultimately the school is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not. Only genuine absence will be authorised. You will be asked to provide medical certificates if your child has a poor attendance record.
• Ensure that medical appointments are made outside school time. If this is not possible, your child needs to register at the school before they are taken to the medical appointment.  We will need to see medical evidence upon return.
• Avoid trivial absence such as, ‘buying new shoes’. This would not be accepted as a reasonable absence.
• Holidays should not be taken in school time. Holidays will not be authorised during term time, and may result in a fixed penalty notice.
• If you need to withdraw your child from school for exceptional reasons please fill in a request form which can be found in the office.
• Respond to school letters or telephone calls regarding attendance and punctuality.
• Speak to your child’s class teacher or office staff if you are experiencing difficulty in getting your child into school.

St Clement Attendance Categories

Our Attendance Policy can be found on our school policies page.