Attendance
At Upperby Primary School, we have the highest aspirations for your child: we know that the world is run by those who turn up, and that every lesson counts towards your child’s achievement. We also know that you, as your child’s parent/carer, want your child to get on well in life. Children only get one chance at school, and your child’s chances of a successful future may be affected by not attending school every day on time. When children do not attend or are late, they:
- struggle to keep up with school work
- miss out on the social side of school life – especially at primary school. Poor attendance can affect children’s ability to make and keep friendships, a vital part of growing up.
We encourage all children to attend school regularly and will provide rewards for excellent attendance. Attendance is celebrated every week as part of our weekly Celebration Assembly.
Whole School Target = 97%
Reporting Absences
It is the parents’ responsibility to inform school of the reason for a child’s absence before 9.15am.
At Upperby parents are expected to contact the School Office on 01228 815460 on the first day of absence (and subsequent days) giving as much information as is available at that time. As part of our school policy, if a child is absent and there has been no communication from parents then we may conduct a home visit to find out why the child is missing from school. If the absence is prolonged, interim information would be appreciated so that the school can help with homework or other necessary arrangements.
On their return to school children should bring a letter from their parents confirming the reason for their absence and giving any other appropriate information.
School monitors all absence in school closely and will invite parents for attendance meetings if a child’s attendance give cause for concern, or there are patterns of absence.
Parents of children with attendance below 90% will be involved in attendance panel meetings to ensure attendance improves.
Punctuality
It is very important that all children arrive on time. If your child arrives late, they must enter school via the school office. We will then be able to mark registers and ensure your child is marked for a school dinner.
Please note that if your child arrives at school late than 9.15am, we are required to mark them as absent for that half day session. If children are regularly late, a parent will be expected to attend a meeting to look at how punctuality can be improved.
What can you do to help?
Make sure your child arrives at school on time every day.
Take an interest in what is happening for your child in school. Ask them about their day and praise and encourage their achievements at school.
If you think you might need to take your child out of school, discuss the reasons with the school as early as possible. Reasons such as family bereavement would be acceptable for short absences. Unacceptable reasons for missing school include shopping and birthdays.
Follow the school’s procedures for notifying absence, and always let the school know of any days that your child is unable to attend.
If you suspect that your child may be missing school or is unhappy at school, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can work with you to resolve any difficulties.
Make sure your child understands that you do not approve of them missing school and be on the alert for any particular reasons for non-attendance, such as friendship issues or problems with school work, please discuss these with us as early as possible.