Attendance

Each child is expected to achieve a minimum of 96% school attendance throughout an academic year, unless there are exceptional circumstances to take into consideration. Children with 100% attendance will receive a certificate and have their name put into a raffle to win a special prize.

 

Taking Children out of School During the Day

If you need to take your child out of school during the day, please tell your child’s teacher and sign your child out at the office when you collect them.

 

Absence from School

We are required, by law, to keep detailed records of absence and to report the statistics annually. Therefore, if your child is absent from school, you need to telephone the office before 9.00am on the first day of their absence to provide us with the reason.

If your child is absent without explanation, the class teacher will advise the school office so we can get in touch with you to find out why your child has not been able to attend.

When your child returns to school, a letter is not necessarily required as long as we have been notified of the reason by telephone. Parents and carers need to contact the school every day the child is absent unless they have already specified a length of time during the first phone call.

 

Leave of Absence

From September 2013 The Department for Education have made amendments to the regulations with regard to school attendance and Headteachers in all schools may no longer be allowed to authorise leave of absence for any family holidays. From September 2013 Headteachers should not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances and the number of days authorised for this would be determined by the Headteacher (DFE Guidance June 2013)

Attendance at school is the best way of making sure your child makes progress and does well at school. When children are absent they miss not only the teaching provided but are less well prepared for the lessons on their return. They miss important information for future lessons and this can impact on progress, attainment and self-esteem.

In Summary, as from September 2013

  • Schools should not authorise leave of absence for family holidays
  • Any leave of absence requests can only be authorised by the Head teacher in exceptional circumstances
  • Head teachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if exceptional leave for the reasons shown above is granted.

 

Authorised Absence

Authorised absence includes days of religious observance or exceptional family circumstances. Only the headteacher can authorise your child’s absence from school.

 

Illness

If your child has been sick or ill during the night, we would appreciate it if you did not send him or her to school the next day, or for up to 48 hours after a sickness bug.

A child who becomes ill at school may be taken to the office, where they will wait while a parent is contacted to come and collect him or her.

 

Medicine

If your child is receiving medication and then returns to school, remaining dosages should be timed to occur outside school hours. In exceptional circumstances, if medicine is needed at school, it is the parent’s responsibility to arrange for a responsible adult to come to school to administer it. Parents are asked to inform the school in writing who this should be if they themselves are not able to do it.

Staff will not administer medicine to pupils, except in the case of a long-term medical condition, when an agreement will be drawn up between parents and the school.

If your child uses an inhaler, we ask that you supply the class teacher with a named spare one for use, as necessary.

 

Emergencies

Before your child starts at St Nicholas’ Primary School, you will be asked to complete an admission form, giving emergency contact telephone numbers and any medical information which the school needs to know. If your child is taken ill or injured whilst at school, we will use the information on these forms to contact you. It is important that the school office is informed of any changes to the emergency contact details as soon as possible.

The school has a nominated First Aider at work. When an accident occurs, the First Aider decides on the extent of the injury and, if only minor, will deal with it themself. Serious accidents are reported to the Head who, with the First Aider, will decide if the child needs to go to hospital. Every effort is made to contact parents, but where parents are not available two members of staff will accompany the child and stay until a family member arrives.

All head injuries, however minor, are reported to the class teacher and a letter sent home to parents.

All serious accidents are recorded in an Accident Book. If a child has an injury that has required treatment or is one that might not easily be noticed (an ‘unseen injury’), a Green Form is sent home with the child.

Please refer to our Attendance Policy for further details.