Attendance is very important, and it is imperative that we get into good habits and patterns from an early age, even if children are not of statutory school age. Children are expected to attend school every day and should only be absent if they are really unwell. This document is a useful guide for parents on which illnesses children should stay off school and which they can still attend.Is my child too ill for school? – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
As a rule, we do not authorise any holidays unless there are very exceptional circumstances. Please read our Leave in Term Time Information.
School doors open at 8.45am and children should have arrived by 8.55am. After this time, children will need to arrive via the main entrance. Parents and Carers should contact school by 9.15am to notify us of their child’s absence. This can be done via email to sally.gittins@taw.org.uk or by phoning school directly. Any unreported absence will be followed up by 9.30am each day. You may receive a follow up phonecall or letter from Mrs Gittins or Mrs Cotterill (Pastoral lead) who will talk to you about the impact of the absence on your child’s attendance. We buy the support of an Education Welfare Officer who works across all of the schools in the Newport Cluster. Adrian Rawsthorne is available to support families with attendance issues, as well as Ann Cotterill, our school pastoral lead, who can offer help and advice and she is in school daily.
Each half term, Mrs Heeley (Headteacher), Mrs Gittins (Attendance Administrator) and Mr Rawsthorne (EWO) meet to look at attendance of all the children. Children whose attendance is less than 90% are known as Persistently Absent children and are monitored more closely. This may mean more letters, phone calls or home visits. Having attendance this low can seriously affect the progress of the child, and we try to avoid this, hence the supportive calls and letters to warn you first.
Punctuality is also important. Please ensure your child arrives to school on time. We always teach Phonics first so being late will have an impact on your child learning to read!
