School Attendance

Good attendance is vital when attending school. At Yohden Primary we recognise that the role attendance plays in a child’s school life and their achievements.

We expect all children to attend school regularly to enable them to take the opportunity to reach their full potential!

How We Target Attendance

As a school we have an attendance target of 97%, therefore every child’s target is 97% attendance over the course of the academic year.

The continuity of regular attendance will enable a student to progress in a structured and progressive manner and so achieve their individual goals. It is important to remember that every lesson counts, each day away from school is 5 hours of learning lost.

Punctuality is vitally important if students are to succeed. Punctual students are happier and more successful in school. They are laying the foundations for success and prosperity in the future. Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that their children arrive at school on time.

The school day begins at 8.50 a.m. therefore all children should be on the yard at 8.45 a.m. ready to start their day. School ends at 3.10pm for KS1 and 3.15pm for KS2 children. We have the expectation that all parents/carers are there to collect their children promptly from the school yard.

We understand that, on occasions, there may be unavoidable reasons for your child’s absence. You should notify the school by 8.30 a.m. on the first day of your child’s absence. You can leave a message regarding your child’s absence by telephoning the main school number 0191 5863096 and selecting Option 2. In the event that your child’s absence is likely to be prolonged please contact Mrs Foster Attendance Lead to discuss the matter.

Yohden Primary School work in partnership with the Education Welfare Service to support children to achieve good attendance. Those students achieving 94% attendance and below will be closely monitored.

Requesting a Leave of Absence/Holiday

Amendments to the 2006 school attendance regulations came into force on 1st September 2013. The amendments make it clear that a Headteacher may not grant any leave of absence during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Requests for leave of absence should be made in writing to the Headteacher at least one month in advance. A Leave of Absence request form is available at the main office.

Experience and research tell us that children who are taken out of school often never catch up on work they have missed. This affects test results and can be particularly harmful if your child is studying for SATs examinations. Some children also find it very hard to renew or keep up friendships with their classmates.

Further information and guidance regarding requests for leave of absence during term time is available from the Durham County Council website.

Information regarding persistent absentees

Persistent absence is defined as absence of an individual pupil that is 15% or more i.e. when a child’s attendance is 85% or below.

Ways of dealing with persistent absence children

Effective and regular monitoring of school attendance data, observing trends to identify children who may be becoming persistent absence children. Children who have the following absence levels fall into persistent absence status.

Autumn term 1 – 14 absences and over
Autumn term 2 – 28 absences and over
Spring term 1 – 40 absences and over
Spring term 2 – over 64 absences

Form to request a leave of absence

Unauthorised Absences Procedure

Absences may only be authorised by the Headteacher. Unauthorised absences for any reason can lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice issued to each person with parental responsibility.

Our Approach To Good Attendance

As a school we make our expectations clear and raise the profile of attendance for children, parents/carers, staff and Governors by:

Presenting a clear and coherent whole school attendance policy
Having a designating member of staff to lead on attendance issues – Mrs Davies -Inclusion Manager
Outlining our expectations of parents/carers and their responsibilities for attendance in the school prospectus and at admission meetings, giving a clear message on the law, times of school day and procedures in case of absence

We ensure effective communication between school and home by:

Promptly notifying parents/carers of any absence
Sending standard letters with response slips
Sending home attendance reports to parents/carers each half term to keep them informed
Monitoring children with attendance difficulties and meet with parents/carers if there is cause for concern

We achieve effective communication in school by:

Having clear two-way communication systems between class teachers and the Inclusion Manager who is responsible for school attendance
Promptly conveying concerns and responses to all appropriate staff
Senior management regularly reviewing attendance
All staff members contribute to improving and maintaining student attendance and take ownership of attendance as a whole school responsibility