For a child to reach their full educational achievement an excellent level of school attendance and positive behaviour is essential in order to raise standards of pupil progress and attainment.

Sacred Heart School is committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all our children and endeavour to provide an environment where all pupils feel safe, valued and welcome. Parents/Carers and children play a part in making our school so successful. Every child has a right to access the education to which he/she is entitled. Parents/Carers, staff and governors share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all.

It is our duty to consistently strive to achieve a goal of 100% attendance for all children if they are fit and healthy to do so and expect a minimum attendance of 97%. Every opportunity will be used to convey to parents/carers and their children the importance of regular and punctual attendance and we believe a principal factor of promoting excellent attendance is having a positive attitude towards school and learning.

Punctuality

At Sacred Heart School, the classroom doors are opened at 8.40 am and your child’s teacher/teaching assistant will greet the children into the classroom. Sacred Heart encourage all parents to arrive with their child between 8.40 am-8.45 am. This enables the children to settle and be ready to learn at 8.45 am when the registers will be taken. If your child arrives between 8.45 am and 9.00 a.m. he/she will be marked as late in the register but counted as authorised. Arrival after the close of registration at 9:00 am will be marked as an unauthorised late mark.

Persistent lateness means:

Children miss out on essential information and instructions given at the beginning of the day

Children may feel awkward arriving to the classroom when everyone else is settled

One child arriving late, disrupts the entire class and the teacher – everyone’s education is compromised

Parents/Carers of pupils who have patterns of lateness will be contacted to discuss the importance of punctual time keeping and how this might be achieved.

Persistence Absence

A child becomes a ‘persistent absentee’ when their attendance rate reaches or falls below 90% at any time of the school year, for whatever reason. Absence of this level will considerably reduce a child’s educational prospects and the parents/carers fullest support and co-operation will be needed to improve this.

Attendance is monitored on a fortnightly basis by the senior leadership team and the reason for absences are analysed. The school acknowledge that each case may be different, and consideration is given to all factors affecting attendance before deciding what intervention may be required. In all cases, early intervention is essential to prevent attendance from worsening. It is therefore essential that parents/carers keep the school fully informed of any matters that may affect their child’s attendance. The school may call parent/carers and/or issue emails/letters to parents clearly defining their child’s attendance levels, concerns and the school’s requirements. It is hoped a that a quick response and an improvement in attendance will be seen thus preventing the need for the Local Authority Attendance Officer (LAAO) to become involved.

Responsibilities of parents and carers.

• Ensure their child attends school regularly, punctually, dressed in Sacred Heart uniform, equipped and ready for learning having had appropriate rest, sleep and eaten breakfast each morning
• Impress upon their child the importance of attending school regularly and following the school’s positive behaviour policy
• Ensure holidays are never taken in term time
• Avoid arranging non-urgent medical appointments during school hours/term time
• Inform the school daily, of absence and communicate the reason for their child’s absence by telephone, email, letter or in person to the school office
• Maintain regular communication with the school about any concerns/issues which may lead to poor or non-attendance
• Take an active interest in their child’s school life and work

Responsibilities of Pupils

Attend every day unless they are genuinely ill or have an authorised absence

Attend regularly, on time, dressed in the required school uniform