WHY ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL IS SO IMPORTANT

Excellent attendance at school is important to allow a child to fulfil their potential.

NHS GUIDANCE -Should I keep my child off school?

ATTENDANCE POLICY (updated November 2022)

ATTENDANCE INFORMATION LEAFLET

CLICK HERE TO READ HOW EVERY DAY COUNTS

Below are just some of the key reasons why it is so important children attend school:

To learn.
To have fun.
To make new friends.
To experience new things in life.
To achieve.
To develop new skills.
To build confidence and self-esteem.

We are required, by law, to record the attendance of every child on roll and to show who is absent or late. Figures for attendance and for authorised absence and unauthorised absence have to be sent to Wirral Borough Council (Local Authority) and the Department for Education (UK Government).

PUNCTUALITY

It is better to be late than not to arrive at all. However, when children arrive late it can make things difficult for everyone. The teacher has to stop and ensure a newcomer is up-to-speed and settle them in, therefore the rest of the class is disrupted. The latecomer misses the first part of the lesson and will miss out on important learning. Children also feel uncomfortable and embarrassed by being late.

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

You can demonstrate your commitment to your child’s education by not taking holidays during term time. Any child who is absent from school due to a holiday will miss out on important learning and will fall behind with their school work.

In each School Year there are only a maximum of 190 statutory school days – this allows plenty of time for holidays to be arranged outside term time. Holidays taken during term time will be categorised as an unauthorized absence.

HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME

Establish a good routine in the mornings and evenings so your child is prepared for the school day ahead.

Make sure your child goes to school regularly and follows the school rules.

Ensure your child arrives at school on time – not late.

Arrange dental and medical appointments outside school hours when possible.

Always inform the school if your child is absent due to illness – this should be followed up with a written note when your child returns to school.

Take family holidays outside term time.

Talk to your child about school and take an interest in their school work (including homework).

Discuss any problems or difficulties with the school – staff are there to help and will be supportive.

Attendance Rewards

We celebrate 100% attendance each term by awarding every child a certificate. At the end of the year all children with attendance of 100% will receive a special prize.
Pupils with attendance of 96%+ are entered into our attendance raffle to win a family prize, at the end of each term.
Each Monday the children have the chance to win £5 in our ‘Five for Five’ reward. A name is randomly selected and if that child has been in school for all five days the previous week they win the £5. If they have not been in all week there is a roll over to the next week when there is a chance to win £10!
Every week we celebrate each class’ attendance in Awards Assembly by looking at our Attendance League. The class with the best weekly attendance receive a treat to share and they also win the opportunity to look after our St Michael Bear for the following week.
In each classroom there is a display that promotes good attendance.
Each term we monitor punctuality throughout the school. Rewards are given for pupils who arrive in school every day on time between 8.45am and 9.00am.