At Heronswood, we value the importance of regular attendance at school and we strive to have the highest attendance possible.  Good attendance (97% +) is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to fully develop their learning potential.  School starts at 8:35am every day, but the school gates open at 8:20am to support our families with being on time for drop offs. 

The attendance patterns for all children is monitored on a daily and weekly basis, with the school seeking to work actively with parents and carers to ensure good attendance is maintained.   When a child’s attendance drops below an acceptable level, parents/carers will receive a letter and be invited into school for a meeting.

Each child’s attendance can be summarised as:

➢       100% = Perfection!

➢       98%  = Impressive attendance.

➢       97%  = Good. This will help all aspects of their progress and life in school.

➢       96%  = Nearly There.  Well done, strive to build on this.

➢       95%  = Needs to improve.

➢       93%  = Concerns – Absence is now affecting your child's attainment and progress at school. 

➢       90%  = Serious Concerns - Absence is now affecting attainment and progress and is disrupting your child’s learning. The school will work with you to ensure your child's attendance improves. 

Research has shown that poor attendance can seriously affect each child's:-

➢       attainment in school                                                                                                    

➢       progress in school

➢       attitude towards learning

➢       relationships with other children and their ability to form lasting friendships

➢       confidence to attempt new work and work alongside others

➢       long-term life chances

Punctuality

It is very important that children are on time, every day for school.  At 8:35am, our children go into class and start their lessons straight away.  If children are not coming into school until 9:00am, they will have already missed 30 minutes of learning time.  Over a week, this will equate to missing 2½ hours of learning.

Please ensure your children, for their benefit, are in school and on time every day.

Absence - Illness and Medical Appointments

 If your child is unwell and can’t attend school, please contact the School Office by 9:00am to inform us. As part of our Safeguarding Procedures, the school office will endeavour to contact the parent, carer or other emergency contacts if no message has been received. School will need to know a reason for the absence.  If we are unable to make contact, we will then carry out a home visit. 

a) Every effort should be made to arrange medical appointments outside school hours.

b) An appointment card or verification by the doctors/ dentist/hospital is required.

c) If it is necessary for a child to be out of school for this reason, the child should be returned to school directly after the appointment.

d) If your child is absent due to a vomiting and diarrhoea bug, they should not return to school for the next 48 hours.  The 48 hour period starts from the last time the child has vomited or had diarrhoea. This is to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to other children and adults at the school.

e) Medical certificates are required for absence greater than five days.

Planned Absence - Family Holidays

The Academy recognise that pupil absence during term time can seriously disrupt a pupil’s continuity of learning. Parents/Carers are therefore strongly urged to avoid booking a family holiday in term time.  Should you wish to withdraw a child from school for a holiday, by law parents/carers have to apply for permission in advance. This should be made in writing via the school office.  Absence at any time can disrupt your child's learning so we strongly advise against this.  

On receipt of an application for an authorised absence, the Head Teacher gives careful consideration to:

• The age of the child

• The nature of the proposed absence

• The timing of the proposed absence

• The child’s progress and attainment levels

• The attendance pattern in the present and previous academic years.