Attendance

Promoting Good Attendance

Our Aims

As a whole school body we encourage good school attendance. We strongly believe that a positive attitude towards attendance is a key factor in ensuring individual progress, attainment and achievement. We expect all children to attend every school day, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to do so.

We celebrate and reward children with good attendance in a variety of ways, from individual certificates and prizes through to whole class reward treats, where children may choose either a special visit out of school or arrange something in school such as bouncy castles or a visit from a magician or theatre group. These rewards are all funded by school. All children with 100% attendance will receive a prize at the end of the school year.

Working alongside Education Bradford, we will also make the best provision we can for those children who, for whatever reason are prevented from achieving good school attendance.

Absence

It is very important that we receive a telephone call for everyday that your child is absent. Please telephone 01274 774446 before 9:30am.

Punctuality

The school opens at 8.50am each day, with the expectation of all children to be in class by 9.00am ready for registration, thought for the day, reading time, or to be given important information, before lessons begin. This ‘settling in’ time plays a vital part in ensuring children have the best possible start to their day.

Family Holiday

We ask that parents/carers do not take family holidays during term time. Absences due to holidays, taken during term time can seriously impact on a child’s academic attainment. Wellington Primary School does not authorise any holiday taken during term time unless it is deemed to be in exceptional circumstances; which is at the discretion of the Head teacher.

Taking ‘Leave of absence’ without the schools permission could result in you being issued with a penalty notice. Penalty Notices are calculated as follows:

£60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days.
£120 per parent per child if paid after 21 days but before 28 days

Failure to pay before 28 days is likely to lead to prosecution. If you wish for your child to be absent from school, please request a ‘leave of absence form’  from the school office and return it to school at least 7 days before the intended departure date. You will also need to provide a copy of your holiday confirmation and or flight booking.

Authorised absence

Children must be brought to school unless they need to be absent for an authorised reason. Authorisation will be granted for illness, medical appointments that cannot be made outside the school day and religious observance (a maximum of 3 days may be requested during any one school year and no more than 2 days at any one time).

Maintaining Good School Attendance

A large proportion of Wellington Primary School pupils regularly achieve 100% attendance each term. A very small minority would fall into what the Education Social Work Service would call the Persistent Absentee category, with less than 90% attendance.

Each pupil’s record of attendance within this category would be monitored carefully, looking for ways the school could help. Attendance Officers would work closely with parents and pupils to address the problem, along with Education Social Welfare Children’s services.
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