Attendance and Punctuality at Westwood

Rationale

Effective schools convey their positive regard for regular attendance to parents, pupils and teachers. Children quickly pick up the message that their presence is important. The twice daily requirement to register pupils can and should be perceived as an opportunity for the school to receive children formally from home and at the start of the afternoon session and serve as an introduction to the day.

Children are expected to attend school from the start of the first term following their fifth birthday for the full 190 days of the academic year, unless there is a good reason for absence. There are two types of absence:

• Authorised (where the school approves pupil absence)

• Unauthorised (where the school will not approve absence)

At Westwood Community Primary School, if a child is absent, parents should call the school on the first day of the absence stating a reason. A note of the call will be taken by the school office, via either the F.E.O (Family Engagement Officer) or School Administrator and then teachers will be notified.

Reporting an Absence

We understand that sometimes absence is unavoidable due to illness or exceptional circumstances.  It is vital that if your child is ever unable to attend, please inform school as early as possible. 

You can do this by calling the office and leaving a voicemail on 01244 543207. You can also send an email to [email protected]. Please provide your child’s, name, class and reason for absence.

It is incredibly important that you provide a reason for your child’s absence.  If we do not have a reason provided then we must unauthorise the absence.  Unauthorised absences can lead to Fixed Penalty Notices.  The Local Authority have a strict, robust procedure for unauthorised or persistent absences.  They also provide schools with an allocated Education Support Officer who comes into school regularly to check on our school attendance.

Punctuality and arriving on time is a vital part of your child's daily school experience.

There are several reasons why arriving on time is so important:

• Persistent lateness will affect your child’s learning, Read Write Inc and reading groups begin promptly after registration

• Our allocated Educational Support Officer monitors school registers and will also support school to target and support persistent punctuality problems

• Punctuality is a very important life skill and must be encouraged

• Late arrivals are disruptive to staff members who have to repeat registration routines, dinner orders and lesson starters.

• Most importantly of all, arriving late can cause stress, embarrassment and leave your child feeling unsettled.

We are here to help. 

If you are facing challenges that make every day attendance difficult, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  We’re always happy to support you in any way we can.

Thank you for being a part of Team Westwood and as always, we appreciate your partnership, cooperation and support.

**Please read the attached PDF, which contains further information regarding attendance and punctuality.

For any further enquiries regarding attendance, please contact either the Headteacher (Mrs Sarah Jones) or the Family Engagement Officer (Mrs Gemma Thomas) on the following email - [email protected]

Many thanks,

Mrs. Sarah Jones.

Headteacher.