Attendance & Punctuality

Education is the most important gift we can give our children and a day lost is one day too many. At Ladybridge, we believe that excellent attendance is linked directly to raising achievement and helps develop skills for life. Please support the school in its aim to raise the achievement of your child by ensuring that they attend school every day and arrive on time.

 

Our aim for attendance for the 2024/2025 academic year is 96%.

 

 

Attendance Goal 96%

Last Year's Attendance 94.0%

Last Term’s Attendance 94.0%

 

 

What should I do if my child is absent from school?

• Contact the school office on the first morning of absence to notify us of the reason for absence.
• Medical documentation may be requested for any absence from parents of children who are frequently absent from school because of minor illnesses or absence immediately adjacent to a school holiday. They may also be offered a meeting with the School Nurse.
• Provide medical documentation (e.g. letters/appointment cards) in advance of any medical appointments (e.g. hospital/dentist). Routine dental check-ups or non-emergency doctor’s appointments should, where possible, be made outside of school hours or, if this is not possible, at the very end of the school day.

 

Illness

If your child is absent from school due to illness, please notify the office on the first day of absence (before 9:00am, as dinner figures need to be given to the kitchen by 9:30am).  

 

Early Arrival at School

Please note that school staff are not responsible for your children until they enter the school building at 8:40am (unless they are registered for the Breakfast Club). It would be appreciated if children were not left unattended in the school grounds before this time, as school staff cannot guarantee their safety. This also applies at the end of the school day; once children leave the class it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their child’s safety. Please note that all children in Reception and Key Stage 1 will need to be collected by an adult.

 

Drop off on Time

Children are able to access their classrooms via their classroom doors from when the bell rings at 8.40am, so they are ready for registration.  All classroom doors are locked at 8.45am prompt.  If your child arrives after this time, they should be taken to the main office, where staff will record their arrival at school. 

 

Late Arrival at School

If your child arrives at school late (after the bell at 8.50am), they will only be able to access the building via the main entrance due to all other doors being locked for security reasons.  They must report to the office to ensure they are marked in the relevant registers and to give an explanation for their lateness. All late arrivals are logged in a ‘late book’ for the Early Intervention Officer.

 

Pick up on Time

We expect every pupil to be picked up on time at the end of the day, whether this is from school or Labracadabra.  If you are going to be later than 3.15pm, please contact the school office so we can ensure your child remains safe.  If your child is left uncollected, every effort will be made to contact you or other emergency contacts.  If we are unable to contact anyone/don’t hear from someone promptly, your child will be placed into Labracadabra (before and afterschool club) which is chargeable.

 

Collecting Children at Home Time 

We expect all KS1 children to be picked up by a responsible adult. If you wish for your KS2 child to walk around and meet you and/or their siblings at KS1, or at another predetermined location, you must complete a permission slip (available from the School Office).

 

100% Attendance

We expect every pupil to strive for 100% attendance; this is to ensure children experience the best and most consistent form of school life and learning. At school, we will reward individual pupils, as well as whole classes, who achieve 100% attendance. At home, we ask that families do all they can to ensure excellent attendance; this is with particular regard to ensuring that all holidays are booked out of term-time.

Parents do not have the legal right to take children out of school on holiday, and as such any absences (for family holiday or extended leave) will be classed as unauthorised and may result in a fine being issued. School holidays amount to a total of 14 weeks per year, and we would, therefore, expect that holidays are arranged during these weeks.

We will arrange an appointment with the school’s attendance officer should we believe it necessary.

 

How You Can Help Improve Attendance:

• Make sure your child understands the importance of good attendance and punctuality.
• Don’t let your child miss school for minor ailments.
• Arrange appointments and outings after school hours or at weekends or during school holidays.
• Check the school website and newsletters for term dates when planning holidays.

We understand that children do get sick and we are not asking you to send your children to school when they are unwell, but we are asking you to ensure they return to school as soon as they are able to do so.

A large amount of time is dedicated to monitoring attendance by the office staff. Some attendance initiatives are listed below:

• We have a first day response, therefore each parent is called if their child is absent and we have not heard from them. 
• A draw at the end of each week which pupils are entered into if they have been in school every day, all day that week.  There are prizes to be won.
• 100% individual attendance certificates are given out at the end of each term.  Bronze for one whole term, silver for 2 whole consecutive terms and gold for 100% attendance for the whole school year.
• Each class has an 'Attendance Matters' tree displayed in the school hall.  Each class gets a leaf for their tree at the end of each week for the week.  Gold for 100%, Green for over 96% attendance, Amber for 95% - 96% and red for under 95%.
• Referrals to Early Intervention Officer and School Nurse when required.
• All unauthorised absences will be monitored and will lead to parents being fined by the Early Intervention Service (more information/leaflets are available from the school office).

 

What Counts as Unauthorised Absence?

• Any absence from school that the school has not permitted or cannot give permission for
• Truancy from school, with or without a parent’s knowledge (including pupils found during truancy sweeps)
• Inappropriate parentally-condoned absence (i.e. you know your child is absent from school and you do nothing about it)
• Late arrival at school (after the register has closed)
• Term time holidays.

 

Please note your child risks losing their school place if they are absent (unauthorised) from school for a protracted period of time.