What is regular school attendance?

· Attending school every day unless there is a very good reason for absence.

· Getting to school on time.

· Being present at school for both morning and afternoon sessions.

Excellent attendance at school is vital to ensure your child achieves their full potential.   When children have a lot of absences it can mean they have gaps in their knowledge which can lead to slower progress.  

At Stainton School we encourage parents to ensure their children are in school, except for periods of illness.

Below are just some of the key reasons why it is so important children attend school:

· To learn and keep up with school work

· To have fun

· To maintain friendships and make new friends

· To experience new things in life

· To develop awareness of other cultures, religion, ethnicity and gender differences

· To achieve, gain qualifications and have a wider range of opportunities when they leave school

· To develop new skills

· To build confidence and self-esteem

· To have the best possible start in life

If you are struggling with your child's attendance at school, here are some tried and tested tips to ensure good school attendance for your child:

· Talk to your child about how important it is to attend school every day

· Show an interest in what your child has done at school

· If you think your child is trying to avoid school, try to find out why.   Ask them, ask their friends, ask their teachers

· Help your child to keep to routines

· Let your child know how much being ready for school on time helps the whole family

· Ensure they get enough sleep by going to bed and getting up at set times

· Encourage your child to prepare their school uniform / reading folder etc the night before

· Unless unavoidable, please do not arrange medical or dental appointments during school hours

· Talk to your child's teachers if you notice sudden changes in behaviour

Remember that habits are formed early.   It is much more difficult to get your child to school regularly if you have let them stay at home 'just this once'.

Absence From School

If a child is going to be absent from school through illness, we ask that parents notify school by 9.00 am on the day of absence either by phone or email giving us the nature of the illness.

If your child has had sickness and / or diarrhoea (see ‘Medical Guidance’ for more information) they should be kept off school until at least 48 hours after the last time they are ill.

Any unexplained absences will be followed up with a phone call by the school on the same day.

The school takes the view that it is not in the interest of the pupil to have their primary education disrupted by any absence that is easily avoidable.

If your child’s attendance falls below 90% Children’s Services may be may be contacted.

What does the law say about parental duty concerning children's education?

Parents must make sure that their children receive efficient full time education in school or elsewhere.

Once a child is registered at school, the parent must make sure that the child attends regularly.

Parents should inform the school of the reasons for any unavoidable absence on the first day.

Parents may request term time absence only in special or exceptional circumstances.   Such requests should be made in person with the Headteacher.   Please make an appointment to do this.  

A request made in writing only will be classed as 'unauthorised'.

What is unauthorised absence?

Only the Headteacher can decide if the reason given for absence is acceptable.   If the Headteacher decides that the reason given for absence is unacceptable, the absence will remain unauthorised which may result in further action by the County Council.