Improving

Attendance & Punctuality

at

Together we Grow!

A summary to explain why coming to school regularly & on time is so important.

How can parents and carers help?

• By bringing children to school every day & on time (school opens at 8:40am and lessons begin at 8:50am).

• Contacting school by 9;30am on the 1^st day of absence & each morning after that if your child is really unwell.

• If you are unsure that your child is well enough to come to school, talk to us & we can put you in touch with the School Nurse if necessary.

• Not taking holidays in term-time.

• Not making routine appointments during term time.

• Talk to us if your child is having difficulties coming to school.

We are committed to supporting parents/carers to improve school attendance. Mrs Allen, our attendance officer, is always happy to discuss any barriers to good attendance and offer support wherever possible.

Why should children come to school regularly?

• To learn & make progress.
• To make friends & develop socially.
• To develop good habits & life skills.
• To prepare them for their future.
• To raise their expectations & help them to be want they want to be in life.

What happens if my child is late for school?

• They miss out on some of their learning.
• They disrupt others’ learning.
• It can be embarrassing & make them feel self-conscious.
• It doesn’t help them to value school as important.
• It may count as an unauthorised absence from school.

What can happen to parents/carers if children do not attend school regularly?

If we are not satisfied with the reason given for absence, we may not authorise it. If your child has more than 10 unauthorised absences in any 8 week period we can issue a fixed penalty notice warning and alert Southampton City Council.

At Thornhill Primary School, we believe that children need to attend school regularly and punctually if they are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered to them and make progress in learning and social development.  It is always better for a child to be brought to school and we will monitor them and send them home if they are unwell. 

If you are unsure whether you should send your child to school with a particular condition, please use the link below to help you decide. 

If your child is going to be absent from school, we ask that you telephone, message via the My Child at School app or email Attendance@thornhillsch.net by 9:30am with a specific reason.  If we do not receive an acceptable reason for your child’s absence, with evidence where appropriate, absences will be recorded as unauthorised. 

We are working hard with parents to overcome barriers to good attendance and Mrs Allen – our Attendance Officer, is always happy to discuss any issues which are causing an impediment. The leaflet below has been sent home in paper format with every child as a general attendance guide to families.

We reward good attendance in a number of different ways.  Our attendance league awards points for the top 3 whole class attendance percentages each week.  Look out for a yellow sticker on a Monday denoting that your child’s class was this week’s winner.  The class with the most points at the end of the half term wins a trip to Mrs Allen’s ice cream parlour or hot chocolate stand.  The league resets every half term so there is plenty of chance for a win.

Balloons will be sent home at the end of each half term for children who have a rolling +95% attendance percentage and also in recognition of improving attendance. 

Mrs Allen awards certificates to children (and parents!) who have worked hard to improve their attendance. 

If your children miss school regularly or if we are concerned about the reasons given for the absences, we will write to you or invite you in for a meeting with your child’s class teacher, Mrs Allen or Mrs Carroll. We are determined to improve attendance at Thornhill Primary School to give children the very best chance in life and so we will also make referrals to The Education Welfare Service at Southampton City Council and/or request Fixed Penalty Notices be issued.

From September 2013, schools are only able to approve term-time leave of absence for exceptional circumstances.  Leave of absence requests for the purposes of a family holiday are very unlikely to be approved and may incur a Fixed Penalty Notice.  There are some reasons for absence that, under normal circumstances, will be approved without any problems: attending a family funeral, hospital or medical appointments, for example. Even then, requests will only be granted within the bounds of a sensible amount of time and evidence may be requested. 

Should you wish to put in a request for a leave of absence in term time, please download a leave of absence request form below or request a form from the school office.