Attendance is Important

Children learn new things and develop many skills.

There is a direct link between poor attendance and poor academic performance.

Children need to establish good habits and routines during the primary years – they will need this discipline when they enter the workplace, this will give them better career prospects.  Children miss more than just lessons when they miss school – they miss their friends and social skills development too.

As a parent – you are legally responsible for ensuring that your child receives a full time education. (Failure to do this is an offence which could lead to a fine, a prison sentence or a community sentence)

Every Day Counts

Days off school add up to lost learning

There are 365 days per year. There are 190 school days per year.

That leaves 175 days to spend on family time, visits, holidays, shopping,household jobs and appointments, other appointments.

We expect all of our children to have attendance of 95% or above.

Did you know?  A pupil who has 80% attendance misses an average of one day a week; nearly 40 days in a year – approx 8 weeks of every year – that’s over 200 hours of learning missed! 

That is the same as a year off by the time a child is in Year 5! Shocking!

If your child has to be absent from school, please make sure you contact the school office (0191) 2853793 on the first day of absence from 8.00am onwards. When your child returns to school, please provide an absence note on the first day back. 

Punctuality is Important

The school day starts at 8.55.  We encourage and welcome our children to come into school from 8.45, so that they are ready for the 8.55 start.

Children who miss the start of the day miss out on a crucial ‘settling down’ period – a chance to catch up on news with friends, share stories with their teacher, find their belongings, hang up their coats, , change reading books and prepare for a day of learning – that is a lots of things.

Did you know?

If your child is just 5 minutes late every day – that adds up to over 3 days lost each year.

If your child is late by 15 minutes each day, that is the same as being absent for 2 weeks per year!

HOW SCHOOL HAVE BEEN WORKING TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE:

We hold a weekly attendance assembly to celebrate each class's attendance. This is recorded on our Attendance Race Track whereby the winning team can choose a special activity to do as a class.

Attendance Arthur, our attendance mascot, joins the class with the best attendance each week.

We hold a termly assembly to celebrate individual pupils' good attendance where they can win prizes and be entered into our Attendance Raffle.

At the end of each academic year, all pupils who have managed to maintain over 98% attendance, take part in an Attendance Extravaganza - last year's event was a giant water flight on the school field followed by an ice cream for all!

For further information about good attendance and punctuality, please see the following document:

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD - TOP TIPS FOR BEING AN ATTENDANCE HERO

1) Make sure your child has enough sleep

2) Make sure you or your child has an alarm clock or mobile phone that is fully charged

3) Make sure your child has clothes ready the night before including any PE or swimming kit

4) Arrange dental and medical appointments outside of school hours wherever possible

5) Do not book holidays in term time - they will not be authorised.