Attendance

“Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential is an assumption so widely understood that it is insufficiently stated – pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school.”  

School Attendance (DFE document) May 2022

Introduction:

Ensuring that children receive full-time education is a legal requirement for all parents. We believe that the most important factor in promoting good attendance is development of positive attitudes towards school and we strive to make St Hugh’s a happy and rewarding experience for all.

At St Hugh’s, we expect children to attend school for 190 days each year, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to do so. We take children’s attendance and punctuality seriously as this is vital to the wellbeing, safeguarding and development of every child.

In order to prepare each child for secondary school, we need to ensure they do not miss any learning. A child’s success and high achievement is closely linked to good attendance.

Reporting Absence:

The staff at St. Hugh’s regard the maximising of attendance as an important task. Parents are regularly reminded of their responsibility to inform school of the reasons for absence on the first day of absence.

The parent/guardian must follow the procedures below in the event of absence:

• Contact the school office as soon as possible on the first day of absence, either by a phone call on 0161 962 1852, by an email to our dedicated address – absence@sthughstimperley.org or by calling into reception by 9.05am
• Follow-up continued absence with a phone call each day.

On the first day of absence, unless a message or telephone call is received on the first day of absence, the school administrator will contact the parent/carer following the closure of registers to determine the reason for absence.

Term Time Absence:

Parents are legally obliged to ensure their children attend school for 190 days per academic year. Head teachers will only be allowed to grant leave of absence if they are satisfied exceptional circumstances exists. The government expects it to be extremely unusual for leave of absence, including holidays in term time, to be permitted by schools. If due to exceptional reasons you do need to request leave of absence, please do so in writing. The application must be made at least four weeks before the intended absence.

Attendance Policy