Attendance and Absences
The Education Welfare Officer (EWO) regularly and robustly checks our school registers and takes referrals for children who have a poor record of attendance. As a school, we work closely with the EWO to ensure that families are supported to help their children attend school regularly.
If a child is persistently absent, you will be invited to meet with us to discuss this.
Reporting your child sick/absent from school
If your child is absent or unwell, on the day of absence we ask parents/carers to telephone the school to let us know on 01234 220480 using option 1 OR email absence@kingsoakprimary.co.uk leaving the following information:
Your child’s name
Class
Reason for absence
If we have not received a call by the time registers close, we will contact parents/carers by text message or phone call to establish why the child is not in school. This is a very time consuming task, which is why we ask that parents/carers contact the school by 9am on each day of absence.
Please ensure that all children are in school by 8.45am at the very latest. Doors close at 9am so children will need to be signed in at the school office by their parent/carer after this time.
Why is attendance important?
If your child continues to be absent from school and their attendance falls below 92%, the school and Education Welfare Officer will begin to monitor their attendance more closely. Please make every effort to improve your child’s attendance as it is vital for their education and progress. Ultimately, the higher the child’s attendance, the better chance they have to improve attainment levels.
Punctuality
The DFE state that it is essential that pupils form good habits of punctual attendance at school from the earliest age. Children who arrive late at school:
Miss learning opportunities
Disrupt children already engaged in learning activities e.g. reading
Could potentially raise anxiety levels when entering a class full of children
Miss additional support for children put in place first thing in the morning such as reading, handwriting and other key notices/interventions.
Holidays in Term time
If you want to take your child out of school for a period of time, you need to complete a ‘leave of absence’ form which is available in the school office.
Due to Government regulations, the Headteacher is not allowed to grant any leave of absence during term time. Leave can only be granted in exceptional circumstances and cases will be discussed with the Education Welfare Service.
You can be issued a fixed penalty notice if you take your child out of school and:
You did not inform the school
The request was denied
You did not return on the date specified
Fixed penalty notices are issued per child and also per parent:
The fine will increase if not paid within 21 days
You may be prosecuted in court if payment is not received after 28 days
School does not receive any of the money from penalty notices
If a child has persistent unauthorised absences, a fixed penalty notice may also be issued.
Common Illnesses and Recommended Recovery Times
