At Queens Park Infant Academy we believe that good school attendance gives children the opportunity of success and helps develop skills for life.
Did you know...?
Good learning and success is dependent on good attendance.
Every lesson missed makes it harder for your child to understand and enjoy their learning.
Children who attend regularly are happier at school.
The first 5 minutes of a lesson are vital. This is when instructions are given about the lesson.
Our whole school target for attendance is 96%.
This table shows how being away from school can quickly build up to lost learning time:
Attendance level | Number of school days lost | Impact on pupil |
96% or above | Less than 10 days absence a year | These pupils benefit from strong overall attendance and are well placed to make good progress at school. |
90% | 19 days absence a year | Pupils in this group are missing a month of school per year; it will be difficult for them to achieve their best. |
85% | 29 days absence a year | Pupils in this group are missing six weeks of school per year and their progress will be significantly hindered. Absence below 90% is seen as persistent absenteeism. |
80% | 38 days absence a year | Attendance at this level is the same as missing a full year of school every five years. |
The following table shows how quickly lateness can cause lost learning time:
Minutes late per day | = days of learning lost per year |
5 | 3.2 |
10 | 6.5 |
15 | 9.5 |
20 | 12.5 |
30 | 19 |
Attendance at Queen’s Park Infant Academy
Summary for Parents/Carers
Punctuality
Classroom doors open at 8.45am and close at 8.55am, the registers will be kept open until 9.10am. Children arriving after 9.00 am will need to report to the school office to be signed in, this will be recorded as ‘late’ in the register. Anyone arriving after 9.15am will receive an unauthorised mark. Lateness is considered as an unauthorised absence except for medical appointments or a similar authorised visit.
First Day of Absence
We ask all parents to notify the school as soon as possible to report the reason for their child’s absence. This can be done by telephoning the school office on: 01202 528805, Option 1. Please leave your child's name, class and reason for absence. If no explanation for absence is received, the School Receptionist will then send a text to the parent/carer requesting a call to the school.
Continued Absence
If a child continues to be absent for more than one day without the parent/carer confirming the reason, the school will call the named contacts held on file to obtain a reason. It is essential that the school hold accurate and up to date contact details including telephone numbers and addresses. We ask that all adults with parental responsibility inform the school office of any changes.
Appointments during School Day
Where possible please try to make routine medical appointments i.e. GP, Dental, outside of school hours. Please inform your teacher beforehand of any upcoming appointments. If you have an appointment card or letter please give a copy to the main office or your class teacher.
Attendance
Full attendance is expected during term time, except in exceptional circumstances.
Requests for leave of absence in term time
Please complete a request for leave of absence form - available on line or from Main Office.
The Headteacher may consider ethnic or religious observance or if the leave is important for the cohesion of the family following a traumatic event.
Can we remind parents that Penalty Notices may be issued when absence requests ,including holidays, are considered unauthorised and families take the holiday during term time.
Exceptional Circumstances
Exceptional circumstances are:-
Penalty Notices
In cases where attendance is particularly poor the school may request the Local Authority to issue a penalty notice. Penalty notices impose a £60 fine on parents if paid in 21 days or £120 if paid in 28 days. The fines are per parent, per child. Unpaid fines can lead to prosecution. Please see below.
Unauthorised Absences
Unauthorised absences are treated seriously by the school and the Local Authority. Initially we will aim to resolve any such absences by contacting parents directly to offer support, but if there are persistent problems of either punctuality or attendance the local authority is informed. When parents have concerns about their child’s attendance, we encourage them to discuss these with the Pupil Family Support Worker.
10 Days Absence / Children Missing in Education
Any pupil who is absent without an explanation for 10 consecutive days will be notified to the Local Authority, by submitting a Children Missing in Education referral. [A legal requirement]. Please see below.
Date: September 2023