Attendance Guidance

Attendance Matters

Ensuring that your child arrives in school every day, on time and ready to learn is the most important commitment that we ask of parents and carers.

We understand that children get unwell and may need to miss the occasional day off school. However, where children are consistently absent from school for a day or even a morning every week there is a proven negative effect on their achievement, their friendships and their overall wellbeing.

A large number of our pupils do manage to attend for 100% of the time, and as a minimum we look for at least 96.5% attendance for every pupil.

Where a child’s attendance falls below 96.5% or is sporadic, we will seek to understand any ways in which the school is able to support families to ensure that children are in school every day and on time. Where the issue cannot be resolved at schools level and attendance does not improve, it may be necessary to involve the Local Authority, who have the power to take legal action as appropriate.

Pupils with good attendance records benefit from:

• Continuity of learning in lessons.
• Improved performance in examinations.
• Support and guidance with reading, writing and math.
• Maintaining friendships.
• Developing good habits for adult life.

We therefore ask for your support to keep absenteeism to a minimum, so that we can prepare your child effectively for their future.

Attendance Target 

Our attendance target is 96.5% or above.

This is an ambitious target but we are confident that as a school we can achieve it.

Punctuality Facts

5 minutes late each day = 3 days lost learning each year

15 minutes late each day = 2 weeks lost learning each year

30 minutes late each day = 19 days lost learning each year

Why is good attendance and punctuality so important?

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.

It is very important for all children to attend school every day and to arrive on time. School starts promptly at 8:35am, we encourage children to be on-site by 8.30am. This is essential to ensure that children benefit fully from classroom learning and that other children’s learning is not disrupted. To help with punctuality, there is a SCAMPS/breakfast club from 7.30am.

Not only does lateness make a bad start to the day, arrival after 9:10am is considered as half a day’s absence and is recorded in the register as an unauthorised absence. All lateness/attendance is recorded and monitored by the school, our Trust and the Local Authority Attendance Officer.

Usually, the only acceptable reason for a pupil to miss a day of school is if they are too ill to attend. If this is the case, you should ring or send an email to the school office (clevescross@durhamlearning.net) by 8:45am. If you are not sure in the morning whether your child is well enough for school, we suggest you send them in. We can always call you if they become too ill to get through the day.

Authorisation for absence will not be given for outings, shopping trips, a bad nights sleep, illness of another family member, treating head lice (this should be done out of school hours) or family visits. Holidays should be taken during the school holidays and not during term time. In exceptional circumstances permission may be sought from the headteacher and every case will be treated individually.

Medical appointments

Medical appointments should be made out of school hours where possible. If your child has to see a doctor or dentist in school time they should attend school for as much of the day as possible. It is not permitted to take a whole day off school for a medical appointment. Evidence for medical appointments will need to be provided if they are during the school day.

Holidays during Term Time

No holidays will be authorised for any pupils (unless in exceptional circumstances) as the lessons they miss will have a detrimental effect on their progress and academic success.

We recognise that financial pressures and work commitments sometimes make it difficult to take holidays outside of school time. However you cannot avoid the fact that your children will only have one chance to receive an education and in order for the staff at Cleves Cross Primary and Nursery School to do their very best for your child, we ask that you support us in this matter.

If you choose to take your child out of school during term time, a leave request form should be completed, these are available from the school office.  Each leave request is considered individually, any unauthorised leave taken may result in a penalty notice being issued by the Local Authority.

Attendance Process

If your child is absent from school you must inform the school office via telephone/email on the first day of absence before 8:45am and provide a reason for your child’s absence.
If no reason for absence is provided, you will receive a phone call from our Attendance Officer. If we are unable to reach you for a reason to be provided, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. Five or more unauthorised absences may result in a penalty notice being issued by the Local Authority.
If your child is absent for 3 consecutive days you may be asked to provide medical evidence to support your child’s absence. A home visit may also be done by the attendance team.

If your child’s attendance drops below 96.5% it will be monitored.
If your child’s attendance drops below 90% then your child will be classed as a persistently absent pupil.

Actions that could be taken:
• Attendance concerns letter

• Meeting with the attendance team/Parental contract

• Statutory action from the Local Authority 

Attendance guidance for Parents

Leave of Absence Application Form