Attendance

Give your child the best start in life- every school day counts!

Our whole school attendance target is 96%

Attendance Policy

Importance of Regular School Attendance

Regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s development and success. Here’s why:

Building Positive Habits:

Early Routine: Establishing a regular attendance routine from the first years of school helps your child develop lifelong habits.
Familiarity: Consistent attendance allows your child to get to know their teacher, classmates, and other families, creating a supportive school community.

Benefits of Regular Attendance:

Sense of Belonging: Regular attendance helps children feel connected to their school and fosters a sense of belonging.
Future Success: Attending school regularly supports future educational opportunities and helps prepare your child for secondary school.
Skill Development: School provides a platform for learning new skills, gaining confidence, and making informed decisions.
Social Interaction: It offers opportunities to play with friends, participate in team activities, and engage in personal growth.
Confidence and Growth: Regular school attendance contributes to building confidence, personal growth, and understanding of oneself.

By being involved in your child’s learning and ensuring they attend school every day, you support their journey toward a successful and fulfilling education.

At Sir Alexander Fleming, our curriculum is sequential and progressive, which means that units consist of learning which build up over time. Due to the amount of knowledge children are expected to know by the end of each year, work missed is understandably hard to catch up on, which can then lead to gaps in children’s learning. Friendships can also be affected by persistent absence: it can be hard for a child who misses lots of school to form relationships with their classmates. Here at SAF, we work closely with parents to ensure that children are in school learning.

Why Attendance Matters:

Long-Term Impact: Attendance habits established early in a child’s school life often continue throughout their education. Regular absences make it harder for students to catch up, as learning is cumulative.
Daily Punctuality: Arriving late even by 5 minutes each day adds up to over 3 days of missed learning in a year. Ten minutes late daily equals about 31 hours, or over 6 full days, of lost learning.

Supporting Your Child:

Reluctance to Attend: If your child is hesitant about going to school, please contact their teacher or a school staff member for advice and support. We aim to provide a positive school experience that supports both academic and emotional growth.
Attendance Goals: Aim for 100% attendance to maximise learning opportunities and improve your child’s chances of success.

Impact of Unauthorised Absences:

Holidays During Term: Taking holidays during school term can significantly affect your child’s development and learning. Poor attendance records can impact educational progress and may lead to penalty notices for parents.

Commitment to Education:

School Year Duration: With approximately 190 school days per year, consistent attendance is crucial for academic success and the development of essential social and communication skills.

Ensuring your child attends school regularly and on time supports their learning journey and overall growth.

How can you help with your child’s attendance?

Establish a good routine in the mornings and evenings so your child is prepared for the school day ahead
Make sure your child goes to school regularly and follows the school rules
Ensure your child arrives at school on time – not late (many children feel embarrassed when they go into their classroom late)
Arrange dental and medical appointments outside school hours when possible
Always inform the school if your child is absent due to illness – expect a courtesy phone call or home visit to check on your child
Take family holidays outside term time
Talk to your child about school and take an interest in their school work (including homework)
Attend parent evenings
Praise and reward your child’s achievements at school
Discuss any problems or difficulties with the school – staff are there to help and will be supportive
How to Support Your Child’s School Attendance

Developing a strong habit of regular school attendance from an early age is crucial for your child’s future learning. Here’s how you can help:
- Talk Positively About School: Encourage a positive attitude towards school to make your child excited about going each day.
- Establish Routines: Set regular times for breakfast and bedtime to ensure your child is well-rested and ready for the school day. Consider using our Breakfast Club, which opens at 7.30am.
- Prepare the Night Before: Help your child get their school uniform and bag ready the night before to streamline their morning routine.
- Engage Daily: Spend time each day reading together and discussing your child’s day to reinforce their learning and make them feel supported.
By fostering these habits, you support your child’s consistent attendance and overall success in school.

How to Report an Absence

If your child is unable to attend school due to illness or another reason, please follow these steps:
1. Call the School Office: Notify us between 8:00am and 8:45am on the following numbers:
  - 01952 327820
  - Provide the reason for your child’s absence.
2. For Extended Absences: If your child’s absence lasts more than one day, call the school office each day to report the continued absence.
3. Attendance Concerns: If a pattern of non-attendance is identified or attendance falls below the school target, home visits may be conducted, even if a reason for absence has been provided.
4. If You Can’t Reach Us by Phone: Email us at office@alexanderfleming.org.uk
  Mrs Poole or Mrs Dickenson or a member of the Family Support Team will follow up with you via telephone to discuss the absence.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping us informed about your child’s attendance.

When to Send Your Child to School

Not all illnesses necessitate keeping your child home from school. If you’re unsure whether your child should attend, please contact the school to discuss their symptoms. We will provide guidance based on the information you share, in line with School Exclusions and Health Protection guidelines.

Support for Medical Needs:

Medication and Care: We have trained staff who can administer medication and support your child’s medical needs while at school.
Forms and Assessments: If your child needs medication, ongoing medical care, or a risk assessment due to illness or injury, please contact the main office to complete the necessary forms.

Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School and Nursery is committed to supporting every child and working with families to overcome any barriers to ensure a positive school experience.

Common conditions

If your child is ill, it’s likely to be due to one of a few minor health conditions.

Whether you send your child to school will depend on how severe you think the illness is. Use this guidance to help you make that judgement.

Remember: if you’re concerned about your child’s health, consult a health professional.

Cough and cold. A child with a minor cough or cold may attend school. If the cold is accompanied by a raised temperature, shivers or drowsiness, the child should stay off school, visit the GP and return to school 24 hours after they start to feel better. If your child has a more severe and long-lasting cough, consult your GP.
Raised temperature. If your child has a raised temperature, they should not attend school. They can return 24 hours after they start to feel better.
Rash. Skin rashes can be the first sign of many infectious illnesses, such as chickenpox and measles. Children with these conditions should not attend school. If your child has a rash, check with your GP or practice nurse before sending them to school.
Headache. A child with a minor headache does not usually need to be kept off school. If the headache is more severe or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as raised temperature or drowsiness, then keep the child off school and consult your GP.
Vomiting and diarrhoea. Children with diarrhoea and/or vomiting should definitely be kept off school until at least 24 hours after their symptoms have gone. Most cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in children get better without treatment, but if symptoms persist, consult your GP.
Sore throat. A sore throat alone does not have to keep a child from school. But if it’s accompanied by a raised temperature, your child should stay at home.
Chickenpox. If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all their spots have crusted over.

How we monitor attendance

We monitor attendance on a daily, weekly, termly and yearly basis. Our Attendance Lead, Mrs Tomlinson is relentless in her drive for all children to be in school receiving a quality education and having the best chance in life. We recognise there can be relationships between poor attendance and behaviour, which we closely monitor.

We understand that there may be genuine reasons why your child is absent from school, but where there are not, we encourage all children to attend school every day. Please speak to a member of the office or pastoral team with any questions or concerns regarding attendance.

NEW INFORMATION REGARDING LEAVE IN TERM TIME

From August 19^th 2024, the Government have introduced a new ‘national framework for Penalty Notices’ (in Telford & Wrekin the changes apply from 1^st September 2024).

There are significant changes that parents need to be aware of:

If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week rolling period, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice. These 10 sessions may include any unauthorised absence, including leave in term time and do not have to be consecutive.
Penalty Notices are increasing to £160 from September 2024. This can be reduced to £80 but only for the first Penalty Notice issued, if paid within 21 days – this reduction does not apply to any subsequent Penalty Notice.
Any 2^nd Penalty Notice, to the same parent for the same child, issued within three years of the date of the first Penalty Notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160
A third Penalty Notice will not be issued within a three year rolling period, to the same parent for the unauthorised absence of the same child, – alternative action or legal measures will be utilised for subsequent offences.
In some circumstances a ‘Notice to Improve’ may be issued – However, a Notice to Improve will only be used in cases where support is appropriate. They will not be issued in cases of unauthorised leave in term time for holidays, where information for parents is included on schools website or a simple warning by the school that a Penalty Notice could be issued if unauthorised leave in term time is taken will suffice.

Parents should always apply to the Headteacher for any request for leave in term time by completing a request form available from school. (DfE guidance states schools should not authorise leave retrospectively so any leave in term time taken without a request being submitted will be unauthorised absence).

In developing and publishing the new national framework, the Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time. The Governors and Headteacher of this school support this and students will only be given permission to take leave in term time if there are exceptional circumstances. The DfE Guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance (Feb 2024) states that: Generally, the DfE does not consider the need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. (Paragraph 38.)

Each application for leave in term time will be considered and if it is agreed and authorised the Headteacher will determine the duration of any leave. However, if the application is not agreed and the absence occurs the dates will be unauthorised. Parents will be notified of any decision in writing. This notification may be hand delivered directly to the parent or posted to the parents’ home address.

As a school we are asked to inform you that in line with Telford and Wrekin Council Policy, if your child is absent for 10 school sessions within a 10 week rolling period and that absence is unauthorised, you may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine, criteria is as detailed above.

Something to think about… 90% may seem like an acceptable level of attendance but in reality, this level of attendance means that your child will miss half a school day each week or 19 days of school during a year – that’s nearly 4 weeks!