Wakefield Snapethorpe Primary School

The Importance of Attendance

At Snapethorpe Primary School, we firmly believe that regular school attendance is essential for the educational progress and overall wellbeing of our pupils. We want all of our pupils to achieve the very best that they can and, for our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education, it is vital that they attend school regularly. Your child should be at school, on time, every day that the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

We expect all pupils to strive for 100% attendance.

 

The School Day at Snapethorpe Primary School

The school day starts at 8.40 a.m (including Reception) and we expect your child to be in class at that time.

Registers are marked by 8.45 a.m. and your child will receive a late mark if they are not in by that time. They will need to sign in at the office as the external doors will be closed after this time. 

At 9.15 a.m. the registers will be closed.  If your child arrives after that time, they will receive a mark that shows them to be on site, but this will not count as a present mark and it will mean they have an unauthorised absence.

What to do if Your Child is Unwell

1. Contact the school: on each day of an absence, you must call the school office on

          01924 367396 before 9am to inform us that your child will not be in school

2. Provide a reason for absence: please provide a brief explanation for the absence, such as illness or family emergency, to help us maintain accurate records
3. If your child has health issues such as asthma, allergies, diabetes or epilepsy, there is no reason why they can’t enjoy a normal school life like other children. Most health problems can be managed within school. Please speak directly to a member of staff if you have any concerns

Acceptable reasons for absence

We recognise that there are circumstances where a pupil's absence can't be avoided.

Acceptable reasons for being absent from school include:

• Illness: This means:
  • They have an infectious illness which could spread to other people
  • They need care during school hours that cannot be carried out in school
  • They are so unwell that they are not able to cope with lessons
• Medical appointments: if your child has a medical appointment that cannot be scheduled outside school hours, please notify us in advance and provide relevant documentation (e.g. an appointment card)
• Religious observance: we respect the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of our pupils. If your child needs to be absent for religious observance, please submit a request and the Headteacher will review and approve the absence
• Exceptional circumstances: in exceptional situations, such as family emergencies or unforeseen events, please contact the school immediately to discuss the absence

  Term-time holidays

Term-time holidays are generally not permitted during the school year. Absences due to term-time holidays are disruptive to learning and lead to missed opportunities in the classroom.

However, we recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances that require a term-time holiday. In such rare cases, please submit a formal request to the headteacher well in advance. The headteacher will carefully consider each request and, if deemed appropriate and in the best interest of the child, may grant permission for the term-time holiday. 

We emphasise that such instances will only be considered on a discretionary basis, and the decision will be made with the pupil’s educational welfare as the utmost priority. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding regarding our approach to term-time holidays.

Actions in Response to Non-Attendance

• You will be contacted by a member of the Attendance Team. This may be a text, telephone call or home visit
• Your child’s attendance will be monitored closely
• A formal meeting may be arranged to discuss your child’s attendance

• If your child’s attendance falls below 90%, they will be recognised as a persistent absentee and will be reported to the local authority
• If there is still no improvement your case could be passed to the local authority for possible prosecution; this could result in a fine or a prison sentence.
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Rewarding Good Attendance

We want all children to recognise the value of attendance. Therefore, good attendance will be rewarded formally by:

Weekly

• The class with the highest attendance per year group each week will receive a certificate and a trophy in Gold Book Assembly
• Each class with an attendance percentage of 97% and above will receive 10 minutes extra playtime
• Class teachers will share their class attendance percentage with parents on dojo every week
• The class with the highest percentage will be shared with parents on dojo

Half termly

• The class with the highest attendance percentage each half term will receive a class reward. This will be chosen by each class at the beginning of every half term
• Pupils with 100% attendance each half term will receive a badge. This will reset each half term

Let's work together to celebrate and encourage regular attendance.

Attendance support

We understand that some pupils may face challenges that impact their attendance. Our school's Attendance Team is here to provide support and guidance to pupils and families in such situations. If you encounter any difficulties related to attendance, please do reach out to out Attendance Officer, Miss Emslie or our Deputy Headteacher, Ms Lewis.

You can view the full policy here.