Attendance and Punctuality
The overall attendance for our school has risen steadily over the last few years to reach an all-time high of 94.97% by the end of the 2018-19 academic year. We can not report for 2019/20 and 2020/21 due to Covid as this would not be a true reflection of pupil attendance. We’re very proud of this and we continue to strive to increase even further, year on year.
We monitor attendance carefully because we want all children to attend school as often as possible. This is so they have every opportunity to reach their full potential and develop a life-long love of learning. We ask all parents / carers to work in partnership with us in order to achieve this aim.
Attendance Policy can be accessed from Policies and Procedures page. Here are some of the main points –
- Parents / carers are asked to let us know by 9.00am if a child is absent from school
- No holiday will be approved during term time
- Absence caused by long weekends at caravans etc. will be unauthorised
- When absence becomes a concern we work in partnership with the Local Authority Inclusion Team to issue warnings and fines as necessary.
Punctuality
- It is the responsibility of the parent / carer to ensure their child arrives in school on time
- School starts at 8.45 am but doors open from 8.30 a.m.
Rewards
We reward children for good attendance and punctuality. Information regarding these rewards are attached to this page. Please note that children who do not receive the reward are not being punished – they just will not receive the reward during that particular term. Reminders about how rewards are won are attached here and also details are put on our weekly newsletter. Where proven medical conditions prevent a child from reaching the attendance / punctuality target, each case is considered on an individual basis.
All parents / carers are encouraged to speak to a member of staff if they have any problems or concerns regarding their child’s attendance or punctuality. All communication will be treated in confidence, with understanding and respect.
Attendance and Lateness
Door are opened when the first buzzer is sounded at 8.30 am each morning & closed when the second one goes at 8.45 am. If a child comes to school after this they must come to the office & be booked into the visitor system by their parent / carer / adult bringing them to school explaining why they are late.
Parents are required to telephone between 7.30am & 9.00 am to inform us of their child’s absence. If we haven’t heard from them a phone call made to record the reason. A persistent absentee where we are unable to contact home or refusal to come to school would initiate a home visit to that family.
Fortnightly, we monitor the attendance of children with below 95%. We check to see if the absences have been authorised & determine what to do next:
- Monitor
- Invite parent / carer for a meeting
- Refer to the local authority
Please see links below –
Traffic Lights Letter – to parents
Appointments during the school day
If you child has a dental, optician or medical appointment during the school day – please inform the school office, who will copy the appointment letter for your child’s record. The appointment will be entered onto our school calendar which informs the class teacher and the office staff so that they can record in the dinner registers/attendance registers.
School Admission Arrangements
School Admissions arrangements are dealt with by Sunderland City Council for Reception and Year 6 children and for any children transferring to another school. Letters are sent to those parents who should fill them in online as soon as they receive them. If you do not complete your online form then your child may not get your first choice Primary school (Reception) or Comprehensive (Year 6) school.
Please visit http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1816 to complete your application.
Or contact, School Admissions on 0191 520 5553, email school.admissions@sunderland.gov.uk