For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any pupil’s absence or later arrival disrupts teaching routines and so may affect the learning of others in the same class.

The school classroom doors open at 8.45am and the register will be taken. Children will go to their classes at that time where they will be met by a member of staff and given early morning tasks.  Although staff are on the playground in the mornings before 8:45am, it is important that no child is left unattended in the playground before 8.40am.

At the end of the school day the gates are open to adults at 3.00pm. The children will finish their classes at 3.15pm and will be let out of their classes to their parent/carer.  Children in all classes up to Year 4 must be collected by an adult or a responsible adult over the age of 17 years.  Children in Years 5 and 6 can walk home and it is assumed they will be doing so unless the school is notified otherwise.

Reporting absence

To ensure the safety and well-being of all our pupils we now require you to inform the school office before 9:00am on the first day of your child’s absence. You can do this by contacting the school office and leaving a message on the absence line or by email.  If the school does not hear from you by 10:00 am, we will contact you by phone or text message.  If your child is arriving late to school due to a medical appointment etc, and has school dinners, it is important that you contact the school office to order your child’s meal by 9.00am.  If you do not do so, please ensure that you provide you child with a home packed lunch.

Requesting leave of absence

The school office will authorise absence for illness, medical appointments or religious observance by telephone or email. The Absence of Leave Form, available at the School Office and on the website, is to be used for all other cases of authorised absence. This must be completed 4 weeks before the leave begins. On the request, parents should clearly specify why they feel the circumstances are ‘special’ or ‘exceptional’.

• The nature of the request and the benefit to the child
• The exceptional reason
• The attendance record of the child
• Whether the child is involved with a professional or highly regarded organisation

This list is for guidance and is not exhaustive. The head teacher will write to parents in each case, making sure that reasons for any decision are made clear.

Please note that should a child's absence be marked as unauthorised, teachers will not be asked to provide work for that child in order to catch up.

Thank you for your support in this matter