Attendance

At St Robert Bellarmine we have traditionally had very good whole school attendance but sadly this has declined here following the national trend in line with the national figures.  We are refreshing and reminding parents about our policies and procedures for attendance here.  We have consulted again with our School Council regarding attendance.

Parents will receive regular updates on attendance from school. The Headteacher and all the staff monitor attendance daily, weekly, half termly and termly. Children are rewarded in school for excellent attendance and they are very clear about why excellent attendance is important

Why is regular school attendance so important for my child?

Regular attendance at school means that your child can make the most of their education and improve their chances in adult life.

School can also help develop your child’s social skills such as making and developing friendships. A regular and punctual attendance pattern will also help your child when they go to secondary school and later when they enter the world of work.

The link between attendance and attainment in school is clear.

The more a pupil is in school the more they increase their opportunity to fulfill their potential.

Punctuality

Schools are legally required to take a register of pupils first thing in the morning and at some point in the afternoon.

If a pupil is late but the register is still open they are marked as late. If the register has already closed when a pupil arrives late and without a satisfactory explanation, it will be classed as late after the register has closed which will count as an absence. Our registers close at 9:30am.

Continual punctuality is important because if, for example, a child arrives 15 minutes late at school each day, they lose almost 2 weeks of education a year!

Holidays during term time

No term time leave for holidays is routinely authorised at St Robert Bellarmine.

Parents who choose to take their child out of school without written permission from the school may be issued with a fixed penalty fine.

Only in exceptional circumstances may a head teacher grant permission for leave.

 (Separate letter attached)

How can I help my child attend school regularly?

• Talk to your child about school
• Take a positive interest in your child’s work, including homework. Follow what your child’s class learns on Google Classroom and Twitter or X.

What do I do if my child is absent from school?

• Contact school on the first day of absence if your child is unable to attend for whatever reason. You can phone, absence reporting link on ParentApp or email school.
• If you do not contact school, the office staff will contact you to find out why your child is off.  It is very important that you make this contact with school.

What should I do if I’m worried about my child’s school attendance?

The first thing to do is to contact the school to discuss your concerns.

What are my responsibilities regarding my child’s school attendance?

As a parent/carer it is your responsibility to ensure that any child of compulsory school age attends school both regularly and on time. The local authority has a duty to make sure that all parents/carers fulfill this responsibility.

What will happen if my child does not attend school regularly?

School will contact you in the first instance to raise concerns about your child’s attendance, usually with a letter to inform you what your child’s current attendance is.

If they see no improvement, or there are particular difficulties involved, there will be a period of monitoring.

If there is still no improvement a referral will be made to the Education Welfare Service (EWO). This may then lead to an Attendance panel meeting in school with the EWO and the Headteacher.

What if my child’s school attendance does not improve?

Parents whose children are on a school register and fail to ensure the regular and punctual attendance of their child(ren), may be guilty of an offence under Section 444 or 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996 and the Local Authority may issue a Penalty Notice or take enforcement action through the Courts to secure regular attendance.

How will regular school attendance help my child?

School gives your child a wide range of opportunities and experiences in the form of academic lessons, educational trips and school clubs allowing them to develop their interests and achieve their full potential. Regular school attendance means that your child can make the most of their education.

Week ending 26th April 2024

Nursery - 83%

Reception - 95%

Year 1 - 99%

Year 2 - 96%

Year 3 - 88%

Year 4 - 98%

Year 5 - 98%

Year 6 - 93%

Week ending 19th April 2024

Nursery - 90%

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Year 1 - 97%

Year 2 - 97%

Year 3 - 95%

Year 4 - 95%

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Week ending 29th March 2024

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Year 2 - 93%

Year 3 - 96%

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Week ending 22nd March 2024

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Year 1 - 95%

Year 2 - 95%

Year 3 - 97%

Year 4 - 95%

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Week ending 15th March 2024

Nursery - 99%

Reception - 94%

Year 1 - 92%

Year 2 - 97%

Year 3 - 95%

Year 4 - 97%

Year 5 - 96%

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Week ending 9th February 2024

Nursery - 93%

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Year 1 - 97%

Year 2 - 96%

Year 3 - 97%

Year 4 - 97%

Year 5 - 98%

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Week ending 2nd February 2024

Nursery - 92%

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Year 1 - 98%

Year 2 - 97%

Year 3 - 96%

Year 4 - 98%

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Year 6 - 93%

Week ending 26th January 2024

Nursery - 93%

Reception - 88%

Year 1 - 95%

Year 2 - 97% 

Year 3 - 94%

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Week ending 19th January 2024

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Year 3 - 94%

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Week ending 12th January 2024

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Year 3 - 94%

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Week ending 5th January 2024

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Week ending 22nd December 2023

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Week ending 15th December 2023

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Week ending 8th December 2023

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Week ending 1st December 2023

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Week ending 24th November 2023

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Year 4 - 94%

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Week ending 17th November 2023

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Week ending 10th November 2023

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Week ending 3rd November 2023

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Week Ending 20th October 2023

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Week Ending 13th October 2023

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Week ending 6th October 2023

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Week ending 29th September 2023

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