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Attendance Information
You will have heard on the news recently about the national drop in children’s attendance at school post Covid Pandemic. 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 fulfil their potential.
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100%-97% Pupils in this category have excellent attendance
Above 97% Less than 6 days absence a year, Excellent Attendance! These pupils will almost certainly get the best grades they can, leading to better prospects for the future. Pupils will also get into a habit of attending school which will help in the future.
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97%-95% Pupils in this category have good attendance
96% 10 days absence in a year. These pupils are likely to achieve good grades and form a habit of attending school regularly.
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94%-90% Pupils in this category have a school attendance that needs to improve
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90% and below Pupils in this category have poor attendance
90% 19 days absence a year. The Government classes young people in this group as ‘Persistent Absentees’ and it will be almost impossible to keep up with work with this level of absence.
Families of pupils in this categaory will be:
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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.
How can I help my child attend school regularly?
What do I do if my child is absent from 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 fulfil 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.
#gottabeintowin
This is our school hashtag to help us to improve our attendance.
Our School Council have come up with some great ideas to help us do it!
Weekly Class reward
Next Friday 6th October 2023 will be our first Freddo Friday Reward.
Termly Rewards
The School Council will review the rewards each term.