Attendance including late/absence procedures
Why attendance is important:
Dunham on Trent (Church of England) Primary School - https://www.dunham-on-trent.notts.sch.uk/attendance/
At Dunham on Trent (Church of England) Primary school, we believe attending school regularly is important to your child's achievement, wellbeing and wider development. Evidence shows that students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results.
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/05/18/school-attendance-important-risks-missing-day/
The link between attendance and attainment is clear:
- In 2018/2019, just 40% of persistently absent (PA) children in KS2 achieved expected KS2 standards, compared with 84% of pupils who were regular attenders.
Attendance Expectations:
Regular school attendance is an important part of giving children the best possible start in life. The aim should be to attend 100% of the time.
Students who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and do less well in exams.
School attendance:
If you have concern or need support with your child's attendance please contact the school as soon as you can to ensure early support is available.
Mrs Reynolds is our Attendance Champion and is there to support families. If you wish to speak to Mrs Reynolds, in the first instance please dojo or email office@dunham-on-trent.notts.sch.uk.
Punctuality:
It is also important to arrive at school on time. If a child arrives late to school every day, their learning begins to suffer. Below is a graph showing how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time over one academic year. The school day begins at 8.50am with the registers closing at 9.05am, children arriving after 9.05am will be marked as late after the register closes ('U' code). Please be aware that 'U' codes will impact on your child's attendance percentage.
Absence Processes:
Please ring the school office 01777 228383 and report your child's absence and give a clear reason why they will not be in attendance. This should be done before the start of the school day and for every day your child is absent (unless you have completed a leave of absence form). In the event that your child is absent from the school, and the reason for their absence has not been communicated, you will receive contact from the school on the first day of the child's absence. Contact will be made on each subsequent day of absence, if a reason for absence has not been provided. If your child is absent and the school has not been contacted to inform of this absence, then as per our safeguarding procedures, you will be contacted by the school office to ascertain the reason for your child's absence.
Processes to manage absence can also be found within the school attendance policy: https://www.dunham-on-trent.notts.sch.uk/attendance-policy/
Term Time Holiday and Requesting a Leave of Absence:
Term-time holiday will not be authorised and could result in a fixed penalty fine. Only exceptional circumstances warrant a leave of absence. School will consider each application individually, taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. Please collect a leave of absence form from the school office.
What can parents/carers do to support their child?
- Support their learning.
- Talk positively about school and let your child know you're there to support their learning at home.
- Support them during assessment times.
- Attend parents' evenings.
As much as you can:
- Go along to other school events.
- Develop their resilience - Is your child really too ill to attend school?
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/ - NHS guidance.