It is the aim of Torpoint Nursery and Infant School to ensure that children have a love of learning, experience success and realise their full potential.  We recognise that regular attendance has a positive effect on the motivation and attainment of all children.

It is vital that children develop regular attendance habits from an early age.   If a child is unable to attend school for any reason, the parent/carer should inform the school of the reason on the first day of the absence.  If the school is concerned about a child’s attendance for any reason, we will contact the parents/carers to discuss the matter, in the first instance.  We understand that communication between parents/carers and the school is paramount to help ensure that all children achieve good attendance to enable them to have the best possible start in their school life.  We will support parents/carers to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age attend regularly and arrive in school punctually.

We want children to attend school every day, unless they are really not well enough to do so.  We believe that children who attend school regularly are more likely to feel settled, maintain friendships, keep up with their learning and gain the greatest benefit from their education.  We want all children to enjoy school, grow up to become emotionally resilient, confident and competent adults. 

We will do all we can to encourage our children to attend.  We will also make the best provision we can for a child who needs additional support in school or who is prevented from attending school, due to a medical condition.

 

Our School Procedures:

Attendance Register

The law makes it clear that schools must take the attendance register at the start of the first session of each school day and once during the second session.  On each occasion the school must record whether each child is:

• Present;
• Absent;
• Attending an approved educational activity; or,
• Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances.

Present at School (and Lateness)

Children are marked present if they are in school when the register is taken.  If a child leaves the school premises after registration they are still counted as present for statistical purposes.

If punctuality/lateness is an ongoing issue, parents/carers will be supported to break down barriers in order to ensure their children arrive on time at the start of the school day.

• Our children must arrive in school between 8.35am and 8.40 am on each school day;
• Our morning register is taken at 8.40am and will be kept open until 9.00 am;
• Our afternoon register is taken at 12.50 pm;
• A child who arrives in school late before the registers close will be marked as ‘late’ (L) – which counts as present;
• A child who arrives late after the registers close will be marked as absent.  If the child is late arriving due to a valid reason such as an unavoidable medical appointment, the absence will be authorised.  If the child is late for no valid reason, then the child will be marked with an unauthorised absence code ‘late after the registers close’ (U).

Authorised Absence

‘Authorised absence’ means that the school has given approval in advance for a child of compulsory school age to be away from school.  If the school has no prior warning of an absence, then the school will establish the reason for the absence and decide if the circumstances are exceptional to authorise. Parents/carers should complete a Leave of Absence Request form if they need to take their child out of school. The school will consider each application individually, taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. 

The following information outlines the main circumstances where absence may be authorised by the school:

Illness

In most cases, absences for illness which are reported by following the school’s absence reporting procedures will be authorised, that is unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness. 

Where a child has a high level and/or frequency of absence, the school may require medical evidence of some description in order to authorise any future medical absences.  If this is the case, the school will make the parents/carers aware of this expectation in advance.

The reporting of absence due to illness remains the responsibility of the parents/carers.  Absences due to illness which have not been reported to the school by the parents/carers on the first day of absence may not be authorised.

Parents/carers should telephone the school office by 9.00 am on the first day of a child’s absence.  If a child is absent for more than one day, the parents/carers should contact the school each day to provide an update on the child’s condition, unless otherwise agreed by the school. 

Children taken ill during the school day

If a child needs to be sent home due to illness, this should be by agreement with an appropriately authorised member of school staff.  In such circumstances, the child must be collected from the school office by a parent/carer or another authorised adult (as advised by the parent/carer), and signed out in the ‘signing out’ book.  No child will be allowed to leave the school site without parental confirmation/permission.

Medical/Dental Appointments

Parents/carers should try to make appointments outside of the school day wherever possible.  Where appointments during school time are unavoidable, the child should only be out of school for the minimum period of time necessary for the appointment.  It is not acceptable for a child to miss a whole day’s schooling for an appointment, unless absolutely necessary, in which case the school will need an explanation as to why this is.

If a child must attend a medical appointment during the school day, they must be collected from the school office by the parent/carer or another authorised adult (as advised by the parent/carer), and signed out in the ‘signing out’ book.  No child will be allowed to leave the school site without parental confirmation/permission.

Advance notice is required for medical or dental appointments, unless it’s an emergency appointment.

Please see Attendance policy for further details on circumstances that may be authorised/ unauthorised. 

Unauthorised absence

Unauthorised absence is where a school is not satisfied with the reasons given for the absence.

Absence will be unauthorised if a child is absent from school without the permission of the school.  Whilst parents can provide explanations for absences, it is the school’s decision whether to authorise or not.

Please see Attendance policy for further details. 

Support for Poor Attendance (other than unauthorised term time leave)

If a child’s absence falls below 90%, parents will receive a letter and the Class Teacher will discuss ways in which support can be given to increase their child’s attendance levels.  If attendance continues to be below 90% but the school can see that there has been an increase following the previous letter, then parents will be informed of this in writing, until their child’s attendance increases above 90%.

If attendance continues to be a concern and the school can see no improvement in a child’s attendance, then a further letter will be sent arranging for parents to meet with the Headteacher.  The meeting will be an opportunity to address the barriers of non-attendance and to plan a way forward to increase a child’s attendance level with the support of the school.

After meetings with the Class Teacher and the Headteacher, if attendance continues to fall below the standards required by the Department for Education (DfE) and a child continues to be persistently absent from school, then it will be necessary to involve the Education Welfare Serivce in order to plan a way forward. We strive to resolve issues before it gets to this stage. 

Our Attendance Policy outlines our attendance expectations and procedures and should be read should you require further information. 

	Attendance Policy 26-27	[pdf 401KB]
	Absence Request Form	[doc 151KB]