Attendance and Punctuality at Cononley Primary School
There is a clear link between poor attendance at school and lower academic achievement. Regular attendance and punctuality is very important. Attendance is monitored every half term and reported to the Governing body at the end of term. Children who frequently miss school often fall behind with their work because they fail to learn the basics which are built upon later. Poor attendance can also lead to feelings of isolation and disengagement from learning.
- Absence due to Illness
Minor illnesses/ailments such as coughs and colds are not usually a reason to keep a child at home but occasionally there will be times when children are simply too poorly to attend school. If your child is ill, please follow the procedures below:
Illness: For absences of up to 7 days, parents/carers must contact school by telephone and leave a message giving the reason for absence before 9am. If the absence is likely to be prolonged, keep school informed each day. If no message is received, the parent/carer will be contacted by school. If school is unable to contact the parent/carer, they will get in touch with the other contacts listed for the child, to ascertain the reason for absence. If school receives no response to any of the requests, they will consider contacting Social Services or the Police to check on the welfare of the child.
If your child has an upset stomach, they must remain at home until 48 hours after the last incident of sickness and / or diarrhoea. Please note, there is no longer any requirement for your child to stay at home if they have Covid 19; neither is there any requirement to test your child for Covid 19.
Medical Appointments: Absence can be authorised by the school for absence for medical or dental appointment during the school day however every effort must be made to try to make these appointments outside of school time.
- Lateness
The school day starts at 9am prompt. Children who arrive after 9am but before 9.10am will be marked 'late' in the school register. The register will close at 9.10am and children arriving after 9.10 will be marked as 'unauthorised absence'. Arriving late means that your child will miss important instructions for the day as well as learning time. Unauthorised absence due to lateness which contributes to attendance below 90% (persistent absence) may mean that the Local Authority become involved and parents/carers may be at risk of prosecution.
- Requests for Leave of Absence
Occasionally parents/carers may require their child to be absent due to other reasons. A request for leave of absence in term time must be made to the Headteacher using the correct form:
Request for Leave of Absence Form
Please note that:
- Each leave application is considered individually, taking into account any factors presented by the family.
- Leave of absence will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
- Holidays in Term Time
Parents / carers are not entitled to take their children on holiday during term time. Parents / carers who take a child on leave in term time without the permission of the school risk being issued with a penalty notice fine for unauthorised absences.
- Persistent Absence
Attendance is monitored each term by governors. Attendance below 90% is classed as persistent absence. School will notify parents/carers if there are concerns about your child’s attendance. The Local Authority may become involved and parents/carers may be at risk of prosecution.