Attendance

It is in your child's best interest to attend school regularly and on time. As a School we monitor carefully the absences of our pupils and work closely with Parents/ Carers and the Local Authority Attendance Officer to maintain and improve our attendance rates.

The average attendance for a school age child is above 95%.

The Local Authority have advised a target of 96% for Primary Schools across Peterborough for 2018/19 and at Eye Primary we are aiming for 97%.

Absences

We understand that at times children are absent due to medical reasons or other very exceptional circumstances.

We ask parents/carers to contact the school as soon as possible to let us know about any absence and provide evidence of medical appointments etc. In the event that we are not notified, the school will endeavor to contact you, however if we are not able to make contact the absence will not be authorised.

If your child’s attendance falls below 95% you will receive a letter of concern from school, we use a templete provided by the local authority as the wording needs to be the same across all schools and it can seem a little intimidating, please talk to a member of staff should you have any concerns. 

Leave of Absence

We would discourage parents/ carers from taking any leave of absence during term time. If this is unavoidable, we would ask you to complete a 'Leave of Absence Request Form' to let us know of your intention.

This form is available from the school office and needs to be completed at least two weeks ahead of any absence.

Only in exceptional circumstances will absences be ‘authorised’ by the Headteacher. If your child's absence is ‘unauthorised’ it could lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued by the Local Authority and your child’s place on the school roll may be at risk.

Persistent Absence

If your child's attendance is below 90% it will be monitored closely. You will be contacted by the school to attend a meeting at school, you will also be asked to provide medical evidence every time your child is absent from school.

If your child continues to have absence and has 8 days of absence which is unauthorised in an 8-week period, the school may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice fine.

Lateness

The school gates open at 8.30am and children are collected from the playground by their teachers at 8.35am following the whistle. The school gates close at 8.40am and the children are in class ready for learning by 8.45am when they are registered. If your child arrives at school after the gates are closed they will need to be escorted to the front office by an adult and the reason for lateness given. If your child arrives in class between 8.55am and 9.15am they will be marked on the register with a late mark (L). If your child arrives after 9.15am they will receive an unauthourised absence late mark (U).

At Eye Primary we monitor lateness on a regular basis and you will receive a letter of concern regarding lateness if it becomes frequent. The teaching staff carry out valuable interventions and lessons first thing in the morning and it is important that the children attend these sessions. Often, core lessons such as phonics, writing, reading and mathematics take place. We know that the children who are regularly late for school really do not like walking into a class that has already started; you can see that they are anxious and feel embarrassed. It takes a while for them to settle into the day, which means more lost learning time. We  urge all parents to please ensure your child arrives to school on time so that they can enjoy the day with a positive start and minimal disruption to the lessons for all.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please contact the school office or Mrs Lee-Smith, Safeguarding & Welfare Lead.