Attendance
Who can help with attendance: Mrs Emma Coulson or anyone on the PSA team.
Phone: 01603877780
Email: attendance@lakenham.norfolk.sch.uk
It is important that all children attend school as much as possible. Children who attend more, do better socially and academically. It is important that all children are helped to succeed and by being at school as much as possible this can happen. That also means that children arrive at school before the school day starts so that they can have a smooth start to the day.
School starts at 9am and finishes at 3.30pm = 32.5 hours per week
Gates open at 8.45am for a smooth start into school.
Is my child too ill for school? NHS guidance
School Attendance - Just One Norfolk
Minutes late per day during the school year
5 minutes = 3.4 days
10 minutes = 6.9 days
15 minutes - 10.3 days
20 minutes - 13.8 days
30 minutes - 20.7 days
All children start the day’s activities in an early work session as soon as they enter the classroom, to ensure that not a moment of the day is wasted. We ask that parents drop off in the playground and if you need to talk to an adult please do, there is not enough time or it is not private enough for the conversation you require, please make an appointment for that member of staff at the school office. No parents come into the main school building without a member of staff for a specific reason.
If your child is late you must go to the office your child and inform the school attendance team that your child has arrived. They will register your child late so that our registers are correct and your child can be booked in for lunch. If your child is absent from school for any reason, it is essential that you provide us with an adequate explanation by phone. If you don't one of our members of office staff will be on the phone asking the question of where is your child. The absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’ and you might receive a home visit if we can't get hold of you.
We are required to publish details of absences, including unauthorised.
Regular School Attendance and Parent’s Legal Responsibilities
At Lakenham Primary School our aim is to collaborate with parents to ensure that all our pupils receive the most from their education and reach their full potential.
This letter is to remind all parents about the law that requires them to ensure that their child attends school regularly. The Government is very clear that no child should miss school apart from in exceptional circumstances and schools must take steps to reduce absence to support children’s attainment.
The important legal information
There is a single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice MUST be considered by all schools in England, this is:
10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence with a rolling 10 school week period. These sessions DO NOT have to be consecutive and can be made up of a combination of any type of unauthorised absence.
The 10 school week period can span different terms or school years.
First Offence
The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for unauthorised absence the amount will be:
- £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days
- Reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.
Second Offence
The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for unauthorised absence, the amount will be:
- £160 per parent, per child to be paid within 28 days
More than one penalty notice can be given within a year.
Third Offence and any further offences (within 3 years)
- The third time an offence is committed a Penalty Notice will not be issues and the case will be presented straight to the Magistrate's Court. Prosecution can result in criminal records and fines of up to £2,500.
- Cases found guilty in Magistrates' Court can show on the parent's future DBS certificate due to 'failure to safeguard a child's education."
Requests for leave of absence
The DfE advises all schools that they should only grant a leave of absence during term time in exceptional circumstances, considering each request on a case-by-case basis. If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the headteacher to determine the length of the time the pupil can be away from school. Although we recognise the value and benefits of family holidays, these will not be approved. Evidence will need to be provided for all medical emergencies, weddings and any other absence linked to a request. Without specific evidence, these will be considered a holiday in term time and treated as such.
If the school does not receive a request for leave, we will be unable to consider your individual circumstances and the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. Headteachers are not obligated to reconsider authorising leave if an application was not made in advance.
Valid reasons for having time off school
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Serious sickness (more than a sniffle or a cold)
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Close family funeral - evidence must be provided and number of times will be tracked
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Hospital treatment - evidence to be seen
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Emergency dental treatment - not routine events
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Music and dance exams
Unacceptable reasons for not coming to school
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Going to the dentist (please plan well ahead and make appointments during holiday times or after school)
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Hairdressers
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Shopping
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Birthday
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Got up late
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Didn’t have a clean uniform
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Brother, sister or parent unwell
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Late night
Health & Welfare
As parents, carers, teachers, support staff or governors, we take our role in ensuring the wellbeing of every child in our care very seriously. Staff are trained in first aid and we have a school nurse who visits regularly.
The best place for a sick child is at home in bed. Children who have had an accident or are taken ill at school are seen by members of staff who are qualified first-aiders. If the staff feel that a child needs further medical help or is unfit to be in school, parents are notified immediately. If necessary, for something like a very bad cut or head injury, the school will call an ambulance or take a child to the medical practitioners. Parents will then be asked to collect from the medical practice.
Any medication which has to be administered during school hours must be clearly labelled and taken to the school office, where they will be given by a member of staff at lunchtime. There is a form to fill in to ensure that the correct information is available to all staff. We ask if parents can please ring into the school at the time that the medication is to be given.
It is vital that parents fill in and return to us the ‘contact’ form, which provides us with an up-to-date home address and telephone number, and also details of where they can be contacted when at work. If there are times when you are unavailable, you should also nominate someone else as a contact.
