Attendance

We are committed to providing a full and efficient educational experience to all our pupils. In order to achieve this, good school attendance is essential. Staff do all they can to ensure maximum attendance for all pupils. Any problems that impede full attendance are identified and addressed as a priority. It is essential for home and school to work together to promote good attendance. We all want the best for your child and good school attendance means they will achieve the best they possibly can.

Staff actively promote and encourage good attendance for all pupils. This is celebrated through our weekly Celebration Assembly where class achievements and improvements are shared.

Information about how we manage and monitor attendance levels and what support we put in place where a pupil's attendance falls below the national expectation of 96% is detailed in our Attendance policy.

The school gates open at 8.30am and registers are taken promptly at 8.40am.  Please note that the gates are also locked at 8.40am and therefore children who are late have to enter via the school office.

Lateness for anyone, child or adult can make us feel vulnerable. Walking into a settled and focused classroom, trying to catch up with the lost learning and missing out on the vital start of the day opportunities prepared by teachers, contribute to making it harder for a child to feel settled and confident.  If this is a regular occurrence, it can have a profound impact on your child's learning and well being.

The school has in place a system of first day calling. This means that parents will be telephoned on the first day a pupil is absent with no explanation, to establish reasons for absence.

If your child is going to be absent from school, please telephone the school office on 01473 684994 before the start of the school day, outlining the reason for absence. Alternatively, please  email  admin@theoaksprimaryschool.co.uk. If reasons for absence are not established and school has been unable to speak with the parent / carer, the absence will be unauthorised.

Requests for absence will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and must be received in writing. Term time holidays will not be authorised and a fixed penalty notice will be issued.

Sometimes you may be unsure to send your child to school due to illness. Do phone the school and have a chat with Mrs Corbould if you are uncertain. Please be reassured that we will always phone home and ask your child to be collected if they are too unwell and unable to manage in school. Some useful information can be found here.

Where there is an emerging pattern of a pupil's absence, the school will invite parents to a meeting to discuss the reasons for absences. Support may be offered or put in place in order to improve a pupil's attendance. If there continues to be unauthorised absences, the matter will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). At The Oaks, referrals to the EWO service may occur after six continuous sessions of unauthorised absence (three school days) or where we have identified a set pattern of unauthorised absences totalling six sessions (for example, consistently missing school on a Friday for three weeks running).

If there are concerns about your child's attendance or punctuality, please see Mrs Corbould who is present on the school gate every morning. Please be open about the challenges you are facing in order for the school to try their best to support you and your child to improve their attendance. We value greatly the positive relationship between home and school and we do not want the issue of poor attendance or persistent lateness to create a conflict in this relationship.