Attendance
St Elisabeth's CE Primary School has been working hard to improve the attendance of all pupils.
It is widely recognised that the educational outcomes and future life chances of children and young people can be significantly impacted upon by periods of absence.
Therefore we want to encourage parents to ensure that their child attends school every day. We do appreciate the fact that a significant number of pupils have excellent attendance and this should be commended.
At St Elisabeth's CE Primary School we fully appreciate that there may be occasions when a pupil’s attendance may be affected due to exceptional circumstances. In these cases support and advice will always be available from the school.
Unfortunately, despite this support, attendance levels for some pupils continue to fall below the school’s expectations of 96%.
All pupils’ attendance is closely monitored by the school and only the head teacher has the power to authorise any absence. All requests for leave during term time must be made in writing to the head teacher.
Where a parent/carer removes their child during term-time without authorisation (including holidays) they may be liable for a penalty notice or prosecution in the magistrate’s court.
A penalty notice will be issued to each parent for each child. The penalty notice incurs a fine of £120 to be paid within 28 days, which is reduced to £60 if paid within the first 21 days.
Failure to pay the penalty notice may result in legal proceedings being taken against you.
Other statutory action may also be considered under the Education Act 1996, which may result in you being prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Court.
If your child is experiencing any problems that may be affecting their attendance or punctuality, then please contact the school office on 0161 432 5785 and speak to the administration staff to discuss any support that could be provided to ensure their regular attendance.
We thank you for supporting St Elisabeth's CE Primary School in improving attendance, which will ensure that all pupils in school have the opportunity to reach their full potential and improve outcomes for their future.
School Strategies for Dealing with Absences
First day of absence, we phone parents /carers if absence not reported. If we are unable to make contact, then we may do a home visit. This is in line with our Safeguarding Policy.
5 sessions missed will result in an advisory letter being sent home.
Further sessions missed = Parent/carers will be invited to attend an informal meeting with the person responsible for school attendance to discuss options of how school can support you getting your child into school.
Further sessions missed = Parent/Carer will be invited to an attendance panel review with the Head, School Nurse, and a member of the governing body. You may also be asked to sign a Parent Contract to help improve your child's attendance.
Each school day consists of 2 sessions.
Session 1 = AM
Session 2 = PM
Penalty Notice Warnings can be issued to parents/carers after only 10 sessions of unauthorised absence i.e 5 days
If your child is going to be absent for any reason please phone school before the register closes at 9.30am
We would also request parents/carers provide school with medical evidence when absence is related to illness, ie. a copy of prescriptions or medical/appointment cards to support their absence.
Times for the school day
Our school gate opens at 8.00am for Breakfast club and remain open until 8.30am. Children are collected from the playground by their class teacher at 8.40 am.
Children arriving after 8.50am will be marked late and will need to enter the building via the front entrance to sign in and give an explanation for their lateness.
The school register closes at 9.30 am. In line with our school attendance policy, children arriving after this time will be entered on the register as unauthorised and will count as an absence.
Dentist/Doctors’ appointments are also counted as an absence and should where possible be made after school hours.
St Elisabeth's breakfast club
Open from 8.00am. Please note:
Breakfast is only served until 8.30am when the doors are closed. Children are escorted to their class at 8.40am by a member of staff.
A choice of breakfast cereals, toast and juice/water/milk all for £2.50 per day.
Children have access to a range of toys and games under full supervision.
Being frequently late for school adds up to lost learning:
Arriving 5 minutes late every day = 3 days lost each year.- Arriving 15 minutes late each day = absent for 2 weeks a year.
- Arriving 30 minutes late every day = absent for 19 days a year.
- Please help your child reach their full potential and get them here on time and ready to start their learning.
Make every minute count!
Please help school reach the target by making all appointments out of school hours where possible.
Attendance Rewards
| Date | Rewards |
|---|---|
| End of Term (individual pupils) |
At the end of each term a certificate is given to pupils who have achieved 100% attendance.
|
| End of Year (Whole School) |
Each pupil with 100% for the whole school year (September - July) will receive a certificate
|