Attendance
The law on school attendance and right to a full-time education
The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school.
Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school.
This is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. The pupils with the highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment. At
KS2, pupils not meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and Maths had an overall absence rate of 4.7%, compared to 3.5% among those meeting the expected standard. Moreover, the overall absence rate of pupils not meeting the expected standard was higher than among those meeting the higher standard (4.7% compared to 2.7%). At KS4, pupils not achieving grade 9 to 4 in English and Maths had an overall absence rate of 8.8%, compared to 5.2% among those achieving grade 41. The overall absence rate of pupils not achieving grade 9 to 4 was over twice as high as those achieving grade 9 to 5 (8.8% compared to 3.7%).
For the most vulnerable pupils, regular attendance is also an important protective factor and the best opportunity for needs to be identified and support provided.
Research has shown associations between regular absence from school and a number of extra-familial harms. This includes crime (90% of young offenders had been persistently absent) and serious violence (83% of knife possession offenders had been persistently absent in at least 1 of the 5 years of study).
Once your child is registered at school, parents or carers are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly and punctually. Starting good habits earlier on is much easier than trying to change poor attendance habits. At Whitchurch C E Primary School our vision is for every child to be a confident learner and they need regular attendance for us to achieve this. It is also the case that a child who has poor attendance often finds making and keeping friends difficult too. If you are having difficulties getting your child to school please talk to your child’s teacher in the first instance, who may refer you to the attendance lead or Family Link Worker for further advice.
At Whitchurch C E Primary School we consider 96% attendance to be good and below 90% is a cause for concern, being defined as being persistently absent.
Every day counts and every day missed is a day when your child is not getting the learning they need and deserve.
See Attendance Policy for further information.
What to do if my child is unwell?
If your child is unwell and is unable to attend school, please report their absence by ringing the School Office 01256 892755 and choose option 1 to leave a message before 9:15am on the first day of absence and every day of absence until their return to school. Alternatively, you can email the school office: adminoffice@whitchurch.hants.sch.uk.
If your child has a medical appointment, but will be returning to school for lunch, please make sure you have let school know their lunch choice by 9:30am.
If you are collecting your child early to take them to a medical appointment, please arrive at the office in plenty of time and be prepared to show the appointment card.
Can my child go to school today?
If you are unsure whether your child is well enough to be at school, either call the office who will be more than happy to advise or follow the link below for advice from the NHS website.
https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/behaviour-attendance-parents
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Yourchildatschool/Pages/Illness.aspx
https://what0-18.nhs.uk/parentscarers/worried-your-child-unwell
Lateness:
The school registers are taken up until 9:00am. If your child arrives after 9:00am, they need to enter through the main reception and be signed in by an adult. The school day finishes at 3:30pm for all children.
Taking Leave during the school term
Amendments to the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006 and September 2013 make clear that Headteachers may not authorise holidays (or other leave of absence) in term time unless there are very exceptional circumstances. The school upholds these regulations and supports the use of financial penalties and court action where necessary.