Attendance and Absence

At St Boniface RC Primary School, we recognise that regular and punctual attendance at school is vital if children are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them and to achieve their full potential.

“Good attendance” means 96% attendance and our whole school attendance target which is in line with the Government’s national expectation of 96%.

3 ways to report your child's absence by 9am:

• Online via the WEDUC app
• Call 0208 672 5874 
• Email admin@stboniface.wandsworth.sch.uk

Children feeling unwell

Children can’t help being sick and sometimes they have an illness that will require time off school and a visit to the doctors. However, taking regular one or two days off soon adds up! Sometimes our children have coughs and colds and may not feel their normal self but they are probably well enough for school.

If a child has a minor illness (e.g. a headache, cold or a sore throat etc.), we ask that Parents/Carers bring them into school and inform staff that their child is feeling unwell. School will always contact Parents/Carers if a child’s condition worsens or if they become poorly during the school day.

If your child has had Diarrhoea and vomited, we ask you keep them home until 48 hours from their last episode.  This is the recommended guideline to ensure that the bugs are not passed onto classmates.

Attendance Figures

Did you know? – 90% attendance may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, but the reality is that 90% attendance means that you child will miss 19 days of the school year which is nearly 4 weeks!

97% and above – Less than 6 days absence in a school year. Pupils with this attendance should achieve the best possible outcomes.

96% – 8 days absence in a school year. “Good attendance”. Pupils with this attendance are more likely to achieve their targets. We will contact parents/carers via letter as soon as a child’s attendance falls below 96%.

92% – 15 days absence in a school year. Pupils with this attendance are missing 3 weeks of school per year; it will be difficult for them to achieve their best. The school may ask for medical proof to authorise further absences.

90% – 19 days absence over the school year. Pupils with this attendance are missing approximately a month (19 days) of school per year and may fall behind academically. With this level of attendance, the Department for Education consider children to be a ‘Persistent Absentee’.

85% – 29 days absence in a school year. These pupils are missing approximately 6 weeks of school a year. It will be very difficult for them to keep up and achieve their best.

80% – 75% – Pupils with this attendance are missing a day for every week of school! It will be almost impossible to keep up with their work. Parents of pupils with this level of attendance will be made known to the Local Authority Attendance Team and may face legal action.

Exceptional Leave:

The 2013 amendments made it clear that head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term-time unless ‘exceptional circumstances’ prevail. The regulations also state that head teachers should determine the number of school days a pupil can be away from school in the event that leave is granted for ‘exceptional circumstances’.

If you require Exceptional Leave:

Please visit the School Office to collect an Exceptional Leave Request form which must be completed in full. Please DO NOT book flight tickets/arrange travel until the headteacher has reviewed your Exceptional Leave form.

Should your Exceptional Leave request be unauthorised and you still decide to go, we will ask that you bring proof of travel, medical information etc. Unauthorised Exceptional Leave could result in a Fixed Penalty Fine, and your child could lose their school place.

Guidelines for Exceptional Leave:

The decision to authorise a pupil’s absence is wholly at the head teacher’s discretion based on the pupil’s attendance, attainment and merits of each request.
It is acceptable to take a pupil’s record of attendance into account when making absence related decisions.
It is important to note that the head teachers can determine the length of the authorised absence as well as as whether a particular absence can be authorised.
If an event or leave can be reasonably scheduled outside of term-time then it would be not normal to authorise absence for such an event – holidays are therefore not considered as ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Absence to visit seriously-ill relatives or for a bereavement of close family member are usually considered to amount to ‘exceptional circumstances’, but for the funeral service only, not for extended leave.
Absences for important religious observances are often taken into account but only for the ceremony and travelling time, again, not for extended leave. This is intended for one-off situation rather than regular or recurring events.
Punctuality

Lateness is incredibly important at St Boniface RC Primary School. We recognise that lateness results in loss of learning and may draw unnecessary attention, impacting upon progress and your child’s emotional wellbeing. Please support your child by helping them to get to school on time every day.

Classroom doors open at 8.50am and will close at 9am. Ideally children will be at their desks, ready to learn by 9am.  Children arriving after 9.10am will be marked as unauthorised.

Did you know? – Being just 5 minutes late each day adds up to 3 days of learning loss across a year!

slide from powerpoint for attendance from ewo 1 .pdf