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School Attendance is ‘everyone’s business’

Attendance

 

Regular attendance at school is vital to help children achieve and get the best possible start in life. Parkside Primary School places huge importance on attendance and punctuality.  We recognise that children who frequently miss school often fall behind.  We believe there is a strong link between achieving well in school and achieving good results.

When is too ill for School?

 

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell.  However, there are Public Health and Government Guidelines for schools and parents/carers that state when children should be kept off school and when they can still attend.

 

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

 

Should I keep my child off school checklist poster (publishing.service.gov.uk)

 

If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school on the first day of illness to let us know that they will not be attending, together with the reason for their non-attendance.  As per our Parkside Primary School attendance policy (click here to view), it is requested that if your child is absent from school for 10 sessions (5 days) through illness or for all pupils whose attendance is below 92% then medical evidence is required to avoid the absence being marked as unauthorised and incurring a fine.

 

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, please let their teacher know.

 

ERYC Public Health, who have access to school attendance data, monitor and analyse absences recorded by schools particularly for those pupils with 3 or more absences within a school year to ascertain if the absences are genuine or an indication of other unknown reasons for concern.

 

Please see this link to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council page on attendance.

Children's Commissioner's Guidance 

What an absence means for your child?

 

If a child is consistent at gaining 90% attendance it sounds pretty good but what does it mean?

 

90% attendance a year means they are missing the equivalent of:

 

  • ½ day of school missed every week
  • 4 weeks of school missed a year or
  • 1 whole year over the child’s school life

 

Research by the DfE suggests that a child absent from school for 17 days each academic year equals a whole GCSE grade drop in achievement.

What is the impact?

 

At primary school level, where pupils missing up to 14 days of school in key stage two are a quarter less likely to achieve level five or above in reading, writing or maths tests than those with no absence.

 

So, 90% is not as good as it first seemed.

 

Absence during one school year

Days absent

Weeks Absent

95%

9 days

2 weeks

90%

19 days

4 weeks

85%

29 days

6 weeks

80%

38 days

8 weeks

75%

48 days

10 weeks

70%

57 days

11 ½ weeks

 

Punctuality

 

It is essential that pupils form good habits of punctual attendance at school from the earliest age.  The times of the start and close of the school day for all pupils at Parkside Primary School are:

 

Gates open at: 8.40am

Gates close at: 8.55am

Registration closes: 9.00am

 

Children who arrive late at school often:

 

  • Miss vital parts of the lesson
  • Disrupt the class when the lesson is underway
  • Find it acutely embarrassing entering a class once the lesson has started

 

In a school year, if your child is late every day by…

Your child would have lost approximately… 

5 minutes

3.5 Days from School

10 minutes

7 Days from School

15 Minutes

10 Day from School

20 Minutes

14.5 Days from School

30 Minutes

22 Days from School

 

Absence from School for Exceptional Circumstances

 

There is a discretionary power held by Headteachers to authorise absence in exceptional circumstances only. Please note this is not an entitlement. The Headteacher will only authorise absence in line with the East Riding Behaviour & Attendance Partnership ‘Absence from School for Exceptional Circumstances’ Policy.

 

Click here for a copy of the form to request absence from school for exceptional circumstances, along with the related information for parents.

 

Please download the form and fill out in Word. Once completed email to parkside.primary@eastriding.gov.uk. Alternatively, print out the above to fill in by hand and bring the completed form to school.

 

If you do not have Word, click here to complete the online form. 

  

If you have any further questions please contact the school office.

 

Please help your child reach their maximum potential by ensuring they are at school on time every day.

 

Penalty Notice Update

 

As part of the 'working together to improve school attendance' guidance for schools and local authorities which becomes statutory from the 19th August 2024, the Government has introduced a new national framework for Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).  With the introduction of this new framework, the local authority have released the publication below detailing the changes that will come into effect for Penalty Notice Fines issued after the 19 August 2024.  
Our school's Attendance Policy has been updated in line with this guidance and will be available on our school's website.  
For more information, please visit:

School Avoidance