Education is the key to your child’s future and working together we all ensure that they have the best possible outcomes.
A good education gives a child the best possible start in life. We must ensure that all our pupils have an equal chance to make good use of the education that the school offers by providing a positive and encouraging atmosphere. To achieve this, it is important that each child attends school regularly and punctually. When a child does not attend school regularly and on time they will have difficulty keeping up with their work and will therefore underachieve.
The school recognises that parents have a vital role to play in supporting and encouraging good attendance and punctuality. By accepting responsibility in partnership with the school, we can work together to ensure the children’s right to a full education, as well as enabling parents to fulfil their legal responsibility.
How does your child compare?
Attendance during one school year | Equals this number of days absent | Which is approximately this many weeks absent | Which means up to this number of lessons missed |
95% | 9 days | 2 weeks | 50 lessons |
90% | 19 days | 4 weeks | 100 lessons |
85% | 29 days | 6 weeks | 150 lessons |
80% | 38 days | 8 weeks | 200 lessons |
If your child is absent from school, then you are required to phone in each and every day which they are off. As part of our Romero Attendance Policy, our Family Support & Attendance Worker Sharon Feeney, will be conducting home visits to all children if they are off for 3 consecutive days or more or if your child’s attendance is sporadic. If you are not in, then we will leave a “calling card” and it is expected that you call them back.
Lateness – Not only does lateness make a bad start to the day, arrival after 9:30am is considered half a day’s absence. All lateness/attendance is recorded and monitored by the school and the Family Support & Attendance Worker.
Medical appointments – Medical/dental appointments are recorded as an absence so still affect your child’s attendance record if they are not present for registration. These appointments must be supported by evidence which should be provided to the school office. Please make medical appointments after school whenever possible.
Requests of absence – You must complete a leave of absence form if you intend to take your child out of school, this should be completed and handed back in advance. Absences will only be authorised if there are exceptional circumstances, you should consider the impact on your child’s education before taking them out of school.
Please be aware that it is your legal responsibility to ensure that your child attends school, you can be fined if they are off without the principals authorisation, which would be £60 per child per parent, which rises to £120 each if you do not pay within 21 days.
You can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.
Attendance Policy on Policies page here.