If a child of compulsory school age is registered at a school it is essential that they attend their school regularly and maintain a pattern of good attendance throughout their school career. Excellent attendance at school is important to allow a child or young person to fulfil their potential.
Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure that their children of compulsory school age receive a suitable full-time education. It is vital that they ensure their child’s regular and punctual attendance at school. If a child is registered at a school then they must attend on a regular basis. The current school target for attendance is 97%. You will be breaking the law if you do not ensure your child attends school regularly if there are no good reasons for missing school.
Research shows that there is a direct link between school attendance and attainment and progress. Poor attendance and missing lessons has a direct negative impact upon a child’s success in learning. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school. At Langton, we aim to support and enable our pupils to fulfil their potential and provide them with every opportunity for a positive and successful future. Your child must be in school. In order to achieve this you have a responsibility for ensuring the attendance and punctuality of your child. Your child deserves the best start in life and a regular education will provide this.
At Langton we expect all pupils to attend school at least 97%. Please see our Pupil Attendance Policy.
EVERY SCHOOL DAY COUNTS –
Every single day a child is absent from school equates to a day of lost learning. Attendance percentages can be misleading, as this table shows. For some parents, 90% may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, but the reality is that 90% attendance means that your child will miss half a school day each week or 19 days of school during the school year – that’s nearly 4 school weeks.
Punctuality is equally important as a child who is late is also missing out on learning opportunities and lost learning. The Langton School day commences at 8:45am every morning for Key Stage 1 and 8.55am for Key Stage 2 and lessons begin. Being punctual is also a good discipline as it supports organisation and good timekeeping both of which are vital skills for the future. A pupil arriving late for a lesson not only misses learning but also causes disruption for the other pupils in class.
Being 5 minutes late each day is the same as missing 3 whole days of school.
Being 15 minutes late each day is the same as missing two whole weeks at school.
Parent and carer support is crucial in ensuring that children achieve in education. At Langton we work closely with families to support them to achieve the best possible outcomes for their children and this includes help in improving pupil attendance and punctuality. Come in and talk to us if this is an area that you would welcome some support with.
What can parents / carers do?
- Ensure your child attends school every day and on time.
- If your child is not well enough to attend contact the school by phone/email by 9.00am on the first day of absence.
- Have everything ready the night before to avoid delays in the morning.
- Have good bedtime and morning routines with set times for going to bed and waking up.
- Try to make dental and medical appointments outside of school time or at weekends.
- Take family holidays during the school holiday. We are unable to authorise term time holidays.
- Contact us immediately if you need help or support with your child’s attendance or punctuality.
- You must have the school’s permission to take your child out of school only in exceptional circumstances.
Taking your child on holiday is not an exceptional circumstances,
Let’s work together to achieve consistently high attendance and punctuality. There are only 190 school days in a year and we want to see every child at school every day because every school day counts!
Langton Primary School Attendance – Start of the Day Procedures
Our Key Stage 1 pupils come into school at 8.45am, with their class registers being completed by 9.00am. Key Stage 2 pupils come into school at 8.55am, and their registers are completed by 9.10am. The registers are taken on our online MIS system, ScholarPack.
By 9.30am, the School Business Manager has checked the register, established which pupils are absent and attempted to locate evidence of parental contact. This is usually either a phone call/message; an email or a note sent in via a sibling or close relative.
By 9.45am, school has attempted to make contact with the parents/carers of any absent pupil who hasn’t been in touch with the school.
In the rare occasion that parents/carers can’t be contacted, all other pupil contacts will be contacted, in order, to try to ascertain a reason for absence and to complete a welfare check.
By 10.30am, if no contact is still forthcoming for an absent pupil, the SBM will alert the Headteacher (or Deputy DSL in their absence). This senior member of staff will arrange for a welfare check to be carried out at the pupils’ home.
By 12.00pm, if no contact has still not been made, the issue will be referred to the Police.