Attendance Information
We aspire that through the love of Jesus everyone should
“have life and have it to the full.”
Jn. 10v10
In order to fulfil the school's mission above, high attendance at school is not just valuable, it is essential. It is important that our children are able to use the gifts God game them to enhance their life both in and out of school. Our experience shows that good attendance does not only result in good progress and achievement; it results in happy children through the development of:
- friendships
- social skills
- team values
- life skills
- cultural awareness
- career pathways
Parents and carers have a legal obligation to ensure that if their child is of statutory school age (four to sixteen years), they must attend daily unless sick or other circumstances prevent attendance.
Pupil attendance is communicated at least annually. This will usually include a percentage attendance figure. The Government's aim for all pupils is 96% in any one school year.
Attendance Matters
Achieving 90 per cent in an exam or test is a fantastic result but if your child is at school for only 90 per cent of the school year then they will have missed 19 days - almost four whole weeks of school.
For primary-age children, this can mean almost 120 guided learning hours. This is a big gap for any child to make up.
Help establish positive attendance with your child by
- having a routine from an early age and sticking it to it
- making sure your child understands the importance of good attendance and punctuality
- making sure they understand the possible implications for themselves and you as a parent if they don't go to school
- taking an interest in their education - ask about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities
- discussing any problems they may have at school and letting their teacher or principal know about anything that is causing concern
- not letting them take time off school for minor ailments or holidays during term time
To avoid disrupting your child's education, you should arrange (as far as possible), appointments and outings:
- after school hours
- at weekends
- during school holidays
Term time holidays
Term time holidays have been increasing over the last number of years. Parents should make every effort to make sure that their child does not miss school due to holiday plans. There are only certain circumstances that allow Headteachers to approve term time absences. These include:
- bereavement, funeral attendance or severe illness of a close family member
- leave for a parent who is a member of the Armed Forces
There are very few other circumstances that can be authorised.
Absences
All schools must record details of pupils’ attendance and absence at school. One day equates to two sessions.
If your child is going to be absent from school, for example for an unavoidable appointment, then you should let the school know as soon as possible. If your child has been absent due to an unexpected event such as bereavement or illness then you must also let the school know on the first day of absence and every day after that, in line with the school’s attendance policy.
Contact: admin@our-ladys.hereford.sch.uk
Tel: 01432 274814
The school will then record the absence. If you fail to tell the school as to why your child has not been present then this may be recorded as an unauthorised absence. .
The school has a statutory duty to report all attendance and absence data to the Local Authority as well as to the Department for Education. If school staff have concerns about a pupil's high absence rate, there is also a duty to involve Social Care.