Attendance

The children who are most happy and successful in school are those with the best attendance.

Academy Senior Attendance Champion: Mrs Christina Morley

Absence phone line: 01509 267 876

We love to see the happy faces of the children as they get to school on time to play with their friends before sitting down together, ready to learn. Children who do not get to school on time or miss some days of school altogether find it more difficult to make friends and to catch up on their learning. Please remember that our school day starts promptly at 8:30am for the main school and 8:40am for Cherry class. Children who are late miss the beginning of their first lesson.

School attendance is vital for academic success, social-emotional growth, and building future life skills, as consistent presence ensures students grasp foundational concepts, develop crucial relationships, feel connected to the school community, and learn responsibility, leading to better grades, higher achievement, and improved long-term outcomes. Missing school creates learning gaps, disrupts routines, and can lead to disconnection and lower self-esteem, affecting future prospects.

School opening times

MORNING SESSIONS: School opens at 8:30am for years 1-6 and 8:40am for EYFS children. Registers will be taken at 8:45am. Children arriving after 8:45am will be marked as late and will need to go through the main office entrance and the accompanying parent/career must sign the child in. The registers will close at 9:15am. Children arriving after 9:15am will be marked as absent.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS: School starts at 1pm for all years for all year groups. Registers will be taken at 1:05pm. The registers will close at 1:35pm. Children arriving after 1:35pm will be marked as absent.

If your child is ill

We know that sometimes your child may be unable to attend because they are unwell.

In this case, please contact 01509 267876 and choose option 1 and tell us your child’s name and the reason for absence, preferably before 8:30 each day. Some parents think that their child may be better off at home if they are ill, but generally, we are happy to have them in school and will keep a close eye on them to make sure that they are ok, if you ask us to. We use NHS guidance to advise and you can access this yourself here.

If we do not hear from you first thing in the morning and your child is not in school, then we will try and make contact with you as quickly as possible to ensure that your child is safe. This could be by telephone or a home visit. Please rest assured that we always pursue this until we are satisfied so you know that your child’s welfare is important to us.

My child is anxious about going to school

Children can sometimes feel a little bit worried about going to school. Mostly, this is a very normal emotion. It is important to recognise that going in to school can help children to feel less worried than letting them stay at home. If your child is anxious over several weeks, talk to their school about how they can support you. We have put together some useful links and sources of mental health support which you may find helpful.

Other Reasons for Absence

The majority of our parents recognise that their children are happiest and successful in school when they attend regularly.

For that reason, we ask parents NOT to take holidays during term time, because they know how damaging this can be for their child’s education. If you feel that you still want to ask for your child’s leave of absence to be authorised despite this, then please ask to speak with Mrs Sharpe or Mrs Morley.

If there is any other reason why you or your child is finding it difficult to attend school regularly and on time, then please do contact Mrs Morley who can help. Our pastoral team has already helped many other parents and children in this way. Seeking early help, no matter the issue, can help you to avoid any fines for non-attendance which can be very costly and embarrassing.