Attendance and Absence
The School Day
The school gates are open from 7:30 am. for children attending Breakfast Club. You can access the school site via the entrance on Victoria Road or, thanks to the goodwill of the Parish, via the church car park.
Classroom doors open at 8:50 am. Children in Reception, Years 1 and 2, line up in the Key Stage 1 playground and are welcomed to school by their class teacher. Children in Years 3-6 walk to their classrooms where they are welcomed into class and begin their routine morning tasks designed to support their learning and short and long-term memory. Doors close promptly at 9:00 am, and children arriving after this time should be signed in at the school office in the main Reception area. Please note to support the safeguarding of our pupils all gates will be locked at 9:05am.
All our classes finish at 3:30 pm, and then the class teacher will bring the children to the Key Stage 1 playground, from where you can collect them.
Getting to School
Walking to school is certainly the best option for many reasons, but we understand that this is not always possible. If travelling to school by car, please DO NOT park on Victoria Road and use the church car park. Please be mindful of the church grounds. Do not leave cars running whilst waiting for your child; park on the grass, across Father’s garage, or on the driveway. We also have racks available for those children who cycle to school or come on a scooter, providing a variety of transportation options to suit different needs.
Alternatively, we do have racks available for those children who cycle to school or come on a scooter. We ask that children refrain from cycling or scooting in the school playground to avoid accidents.
Arriving on Time
Punctuality is key to your child’s learning and social opportunities. The school gates are open until 9:00 a.m. Any child arriving after this time must enter via the school office situated in the main Reception area and must be signed in by a parent. Registers are taken in class at 9:00 am, and the register closes at 9:05 a.m. Children arriving after this time and before 9:30 a.m. will receive a late mark. It’s crucial for children to arrive on time to make the most of their learning and social opportunities. Let’s all work together to ensure our children arrive on time.
Children who persistently arrive late at school miss key learning time and the chance to say hello to their friends and teachers before the school day begins. This can negatively impact their progress and well-being. Please support your child by ensuring that they are in school on time every day.
If you are finding it difficult to get your child to school on time, please do not hesitate to contact our Family Learning Mentor (FLM), Mrs Plant, via the school office.
Holidays during Term Time
By law, maintained schools cannot authorise any leave in term time other than in exceptional circumstances. No term-time leave is routinely authorised at The Willows Catholic Primary School (this includes holidays). Only in exceptional circumstances may the Headteacher grant permission for leave. Parents who choose to take their child out of school without written permission from the school may be issued with a fixed penalty fine. The Department of Education has announced changes to penalty notices, which came into effect on 19 August 2024. Please read the information leaflet at the bottom of this page.
PLEASE THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE TAKING YOUR CHILD OUT OF SCHOOL DURING TERM TIME
The expectation at The Willows Catholic Primary School:
Attendance should be at least 96% for every child. (Unless medical conditions or exceptional circumstances prevent this)
Parents will receive daily updates on attendance on the ‘My Child at School’ app and the Headteacher and all the staff monitor attendance daily, weekly, half termly and termly. Our children are aware of why excellent attendance is important.
Why is regular school attendance so important for my child?
The link between attendance and attainment in school is clear.
Regular attendance at school means that your child can make the most of their education and improve their chances in adult life. School can also help your child’s social skills, such as making and developing friendships. A regular and punctual attendance pattern will help your child when they go to secondary school and later enter the world of work.
The more a pupil is in school, the more they increase their opportunity to fulfil their potential.
Punctuality
Schools are legally required to take a register of pupils first thing in the morning and, at some point, in the afternoon. If a pupil is late but the register is still open, they are marked as late. If the register has already closed when a pupil arrives late and without a satisfactory explanation, it may be classed as an unauthorised absence. This may lead to legal action for not ensuring regular and punctual school attendance. Punctuality is important because if, for example, a child arrives 15 minutes late at school each day, they lose almost 2 weeks of education a year!
How can I help my child attend school regularly?
Talk to your child about school and take a positive interest in their work, including homework.
Keep in touch with school staff. If your child is unable to attend school for whatever reason, contact the school on the first day of absence. Please support your child by attending parents’ evenings and other school events.
What should I do if I’m worried about my child’s school attendance?
The first thing to do is contact the school to discuss your concerns with Mrs. Barnett or Mrs. Plant.
What are my responsibilities regarding my child’s school attendance?
As a parent or carer, it is your responsibility to ensure that any child of compulsory school age attends school regularly and on time. The Local Authority has a duty to ensure that all parents or carers fulfil this responsibility.
What will happen if my child does not attend school regularly?
The school should contact you first to raise concerns about your child’s attendance. If they see no improvement or there are particular difficulties involved, a referral will be made to the Attendance Support Team.
What if my child’s school attendance does not improve?
Parents whose children are on a school register and fail to ensure the regular and punctual attendance of their child(ren) may be guilty of an offence under Section 444 or 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996. The Local Authority may issue a Penalty Notice or take enforcement action through the Courts to secure regular attendance.
How will regular school attendance help my child?
School gives your child a wide range of opportunities and experiences in the form of academic lessons, educational trips and school clubs, allowing them to develop their interests and achieve their full potential. Regular school attendance means that your child can make the most of their education.
Some important points
As a parent/carer, you want the best for your children. Having a good education is an important factor in opening more opportunities in adult life.
Did you know that:
- a child who is absent a day of school per week misses an equivalent of two years of their school life.
- 90% of young people with absence rates below 85% fail to achieve five or more good grades in GCSE, and around one-third achieve no GCSEs at all.
- poor examination results limit young people’s options and poor attendance suggests to colleges and employers that these students are unreliable.
- 7.5 million school days are missed each year through unauthorised absence.
GCSEs may seem a long way off for you and your child, but all absence at any stage leads to gaps in your child’s learning. This, in turn, can:
- mean that they fall behind in work.
- affect their motivation.
- affect their enjoyment of learning.
- lead to poor behaviour.
- affect their desire to attend school regularly.
- affect their confidence in school.
- mean they miss out on the social life of school and extracurricular opportunities and experiences.
- affect their ability to have or keep friendships.
If you would like to discuss anything relating to attendance and absences, please contact Mrs Barnett, our Headteacher or Mrs Plant, our FLM, via the school office.