Regular attendance at school is fundamental for the educational progress of your child. It also helps your child socially, mentally and is the law.
Children should attend school every day unless there is a genuine reason that your child needs to be absent. Exceptional circumstances include genuine illness, some religious festivals or bereavement.
Only exceptional circumstances are authorised absences and this is the sole decision of Mrs Bhardwaj, Headteacher.
LATE ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL
SCHOOL BEGINS AT 8.30am for morning nursery and 12.30pm for afternoon nursery.
8.50am for Y1 & Y2, 8.55am for Y3, Y4, Y5 & Y6 and 9.00am for reception. It is expected that children are in the classroom at that time.
School playground doors will be shut promptly and your child will then need to enter through the front doors by the office. You must sign your child in on the inventory system with a valid reason for late arrival.
Lates are monitored on a regular basis and you will receive a letter or phone call regarding this if it becomes a a frequent occurrence: it is important that your child is at school on time as they settle in for the school day better and do not miss the learning which begins straight away with a morning challenge!
ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL
If your child is unable to attend school please ring school and leave a message stating your child's name, class and reason for absence. If you do not inform us, school has a legal safeguarding duty to investigate any unexplained absences. We will try to contact you by phone and if this is not successful we will ask Miss Cotter, a member of our attendance team to visit your home to find out where your child is.
Attendance of all children is monitored weekly. This includes the children in our early years classes.
At Springfield we aim for 96% attendance for all children.
Where your child's attendance falls below 93% you will be informed. This will give you opportunity (where possible within boundaries of specific illnesses) to improve this before it reaches the persistent absentee percentage of less than 90%.
Where attendance is less than 90% you could be liable to be prosecuted for non attendance by the local authority. At this point, all absences of your child will be unauthorised by the Headteacher unless proof of necessity for the absence is given. This could be in the form of a doctors note or prescription. Once in this category a member of our Attendance team will visit you for each separate absence so we can also provide proof of the need for the absence from school.
The attendance of each class for each week is displayed on our display in the hall, on each classroom door and shared in newsletters.
This is also discussed with the children weekly and 100% attendance is rewarded.
Good attenders are rewarded:
HOLIDAYS
It is not permitted to take holidays during term time.
If you wish to take your child on holiday during term time you must ask for a Leave of Absence Form from the school office and hand it back in once completed. In very exceptional circumstances the Headteacher may authorise all or part of a holiday. You will be informed of her decision in a letter. If your holiday is unauthorised you can be given a fixed penalty notice by the Local Authority Prosecution Service.
KEY STAFF
Mrs Bhardwaj - Headteacher/Attendance Officer
Mrs Morgan- Family Support Worker/ Attendance Support
Miss Russell- Attendance Admininstrator