Attendance
Attendance and Punctuality
From January 2024 our opening and closing times are as follows:
Reception to Year 6
Gates open at 8.40am
8.45am– School starts.
Gates locked at 8.50am
3.15pm– School finishes.
Please note, hours for Squirrels Nursery differ slightly from these times.
If you arrive after 8.50am please enter via the front entrance and sign your child into school.
During the Covid pandemic, when pupils had to isolate with given symptoms, attendance regulations were relaxed. Now the circumstances have changed following updated guidance from the DfE, it is vital for all our children to have good attendance to minimise, as far as possible, the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children’s education, wellbeing and wider development.
Missing out on more time in the classroom risks pupils falling further behind. Those with higher overall absence tend to achieve less well in school. School attendance is mandatory again from the beginning of the autumn term 2022. This means from that point, the usual rules on school attendance will apply, including:
- parents’ duty to secure that their child attends regularly at school where they are of compulsory school age
- schools will monitor attendance and respond accordingly.
- the availability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices in line with local authorities’ codes of conduct
This Academic Year
Our Target for average attendance is 96%
All absences need to be reported to the school office on each day that your child is off school.
. If a child is absent, the parents/carers should inform the school on the first day of absence and each following day of absence, stating the reason.
- By calling the school absence line on 01244667500 prior to the start of the school day and no later than 9.15am each day is absent. Please state your child’s name, class and reason for absence. Please specify the nature of their illness if this is applicable.
- By reporting using the School Spider App- Report Absence function, prior to the start of the school day and no later than 9.15am each day is absent. Please state your child’s name, class and reason for absence. Please specify the nature of their illness if this is applicable.
- By emailing admin@tattenhallpark.cheshire.sch.uk prior to the start of the school day and no later than 9.15am each day is absent. Please state your child’s name, class and reason for absence. Please specify the nature of their illness if this is applicable.
If you need help ensuring that your child attends school everyday then please let us know - we may be able to help! Mrs Bolton is here to help and support families.
Attendance
Children’s attendance has a direct impact on their attainment and for this reason it is important that, wherever possible, children are present in school. We therefore urge you to avoid pupil absences wherever possible.
If your child is not in school for any reason this needs to be reported by ‘someone with parental responsibility’.
Parental responsibility means:
- All natural parents, whether they are married or not;
- Any person who has parental responsibility for a child or young person; and,
- Any person who has care of a child or young person i.e. lives with and looks after the child.
The school office will make contact with home when a child is absent, and the parent/carer has not notified the school of the absence. If no contact can be achieved or the reason for absence is not accepted the absence will be unauthorised. A visit to the school home may be made to try to establish the reason for the absence if no contact can be made with the parent or other key contacts.
If we do not receive notification of the reason that your child is absent by 9.30am, your child will be marked as having an unauthorised absence.
This will need to be done for each day that the child is absent from school.
If your child is off for 5 days or more with an illness we will require medical evidence: a doctor’s note, copy of the prescription or appointment card with the child’s name.
Lateness and Punctuality
Punctuality is a very important learning habit as there is a clear link between attendance/punctuality and attainment; the more time a pupil spends in school the more likely they are to improve their opportunity to fulfil their full potential.
Being frequently late for school or lessons adds up to lost learning time:
- Arriving 5 minutes late every day adds up to over 3 days lost each year.
- Arriving 15 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 2 weeks a year.
- Arriving 30 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 19 days a year.
Being on time is a good thing:
- It gets the day off to a good start with everyone in a positive frame of mind.
- It helps your child make the most of their learning and sets positive patterns for the future.
- It helps children develop a sense of responsibility both for themselves and for others
- It helps your child make and keep friends.
- It improves self-confidence.
School begins at 8.45am and all pupils are expected to be in school for registration at that time.
- Register taken at 8.50am
- Registers close 9.00am
Any child who arrives after the gates are closed must enter the school by the main entrance and report to the school office to sign in. If pupils are not in class when the register is taken, they will be coded as ‘L’. Any late arrivals after 9.30am will be coded as ‘U’ which is an unauthorised absence for that session.
Please find below or attendance policy and some supportive documents.