Attendance and Punctuality

A good education gives a child the best possible start in life. We must ensure that all of our pupils have an equal chance to make good use of the education that the school offers by providing a positive and encouraging atmosphere. To achieve this it is important that each child attends school regularly and punctually. When a child does not attend school regularly and on time they will have difficulty keeping up with their work and will therefore underachieve.

The school recognises that parents have a vital role to play in supporting and encouraging good attendance and punctuality. By accepting responsibility in partnership with the school, we can work together to ensure the children’s right to a full education, as well as enabling parents to fulfill their legal responsibility.

It is very important for all children to attend school every day and to arrive on time. School starts promptly at 8:50am and the doors are open from 8.40am to 8:50am. After 8:50am the doors will be closed and any late arrivals should enter the building with their parents via the school office. Arrivals after 8:50 am will be marked as an unauthorised absence, five of these may trigger a fixed penalty notice (fine).

To help with punctuality, there is a Breakfast Club in the Beach from 7:45 am. Please speak to the school office for full details.

Usually, the only acceptable reason for a pupil to miss a day of school is if they are too ill to attend. If this is the case, you should ring the school office by 9:00 am on the day of absence or send an absence message on Parentmail. If you are not sure in the morning whether your child is well enough for school, we suggest you send them in. We can always call you if they become too ill to get through the day.

Authorisation for absence will not be given for outings (other than those organised by the school) or family visits. Holidays should be taken during the school breaks and not during term time. In exceptional circumstances permission may be sought from the headteacher and every case will be treated individually. Pupils are permitted absence for religious observance (Eid etc), please advise the office in advance of the absence.

Medical appointments should be made out of school hours if at all possible. If your child has to see a doctor or dentist in school time they should attend school for as much of the day as possible. It is not permitted to take a whole day off school for a medical appointment unless the appointment lasts all day.

If you are concerned about your child's attendance, please contact their class teacher via the school office in the first instance. They will be happy to discuss this further with you and signpost you to relevant advice and support.