Attendance
Attendance Newsletters
Camalot - our class attendance mascot
Attendance
Research shows that absence from school, for whatever reason, can disadvantage a child by creating gaps in learning, which affect a child’s ability to succeed. As such, we monitor all absence thoroughly and all attendance data is shared with the Local Authority. We will contact you if we have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance. If your child’s attendance level is falling towards 95%, then we will contact you to raise our concern. Please support us by giving your child the best opportunities through good attendance at school.
Attendance during one school year | Equivalent Days | Equivalent Sessions | Equivalent Weeks | Equivalent lessons missed |
95% | 9 Days | 18 Sessions | 2 weeks | 36 Lessons |
90% | 19 Days | 38 Sessions | 4 Weeks | 76 Lessons |
85% | 29 Days | 58 Sessions | 6 Weeks | 116 Lessons |
80% | 38 Days | 72 Sessions | 8 Weeks | 152 Lessons |
75% | 48 Days | 96 Sessions | 10 Weeks | 192 Lessons |
70% | 57 Days | 114 Sessions | 11.5 Weeks | 228 Lessons |
65% | 67 Days | 134 Sessions | 13.5 Weeks | 268 Lessons |
For a child to reach their full educational achievement a high level of school attendance is essential. For our children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered at Knights Enham Junior School, it is vital your child is at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.
Make sure that any absence is clearly accounted for by phone or email on the first and subsequent days of absence.
You can report an absence by calling the school office and speak to a member of office staff (voicemail available out of hours) on 01264394777. You can also email absence notifications to adminoffice@knightsenham-jun.hants.sch.uk You must state the reason for the absence and your child's name and class.
Registration Process
08:45 | The classroom doors open and the school day begins. |
09:00 | Classroom doors close and the school day starts. The register is taken. Any children arriving after this time will need to go through the school office and will receive a Late mark (before registers closed) on their attendance record. |
09:30 | Any children arriving after this time will be marked as a 'U' - Late after registration closes, this is an unauthorised mark. |
Absence
A child not attending school is considered a safeguarding matter, this is why information about the cause of any absence is always required. It is the responsibility of parents and carers to contact school as soon as possible on the first day of absence by telephone or email. A voicemail message is acceptable. Messages should not be passed on with siblings or family friends.
If we are not informed of a child’s absence by 09.30am on the first day of absence we will:
- Telephone, text and email parents/carers or others on the list of contacts we hold on school records until we have established the whereabouts of the child.
- If we have not located the whereabouts of the child by 10am a home visit will be actioned (we will send a text and email to inform you are attending your property).
- If the child is not seen and contact has not been established with any of the named contacts you have provided us with within 48hrs the DSL will be notified who will then contact the local authority1 and work with them to establish whereabouts.
- Our response to ‘Children Missing in Education’ as detailed in our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy will be followed.
Responsibility
Every child has a right to access the education he/she is entitled. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all. Every opportunity will be used to convey to children and their parents or carers the importance of regular and punctual attendance. As a parent/carer you have a legal duty to make sure your child receives a full-time education and comes to school regularly. If you are finding it difficult to get your child to school you must speak to the class teacher and or Ms Hardy our Welfare Officer. We will be able to help you.
Medical Appointments
Where possible, medical and dental appointments should be arranged for the end of the day, not the start of the day. Arriving late, even after a medical appointment, is unsettling not just for your child, but also the rest of the class.
Family holidays/school holidays (and Penalty Notices)
Children have 13 weeks annual holiday from school and school holiday dates are published well in advance online. As such, all parents/carers are expected wherever possible to plan and take their family holidays at this time so as not to disrupt their children’s education. Education law states that parents do not have a right to take their child out of school for a holiday during term time. Only in exceptional circumstances may a headteacher grant permission for leave; and it is the headteachers decision on whether the absence is exceptional and how many days to approve.
Parents/carers who take their child out of school without the absence being agreed and authorised by written permission from the school can be issued with a penalty fine.
What can I do to encourage my child to attend School?
• Make sure your child gets enough sleep and gets up in plenty of time each morning. Establish a morning routine that works for your family
• Ensure that he/she leaves home in the correct clothes and properly equipped. Show your child, by your interest, that you value his / her education.
• Be interested in what your child is doing in school, chat to them about the things they have learnt, what friends they have made and even what they had for lunch.
Talking positively about the day ahead will ensure your child feels confident and in the right mindset to start their day.
Useful Information
Hampshire Guidance on Penalty Notices
Should your child go to school today - Guidance for parents when a child is unwell
Further information on whether your child should go to school - Hampshire