Regent Farm First School is responsible for ensuring that children have good attendance by:

• Providing a curriculum that is engaging and meets the needs of all learners.
• Ensuring that attendance registers are kept accurately, using all necessary register codes.
• Differentiating appropriately between authorised and unauthorised absence (a letter from a parent does not authorise an absence, only the head teacher can decide if the reason justifies authorising the absence).
• Contacting parents when there is concern about a child’s absence either by phone, email or letter.
• Phoning parents on the first day of absence if a reason for absence has not been received.
• Exploring concerns around pupil’s attendance to see how school can support the family.
• Following the Children Missing Education guidance if required.
• Making a referral to the any necessary service such as Early Help, Children’s Service or the police.
• Acknowledging good attendance of pupils or classes
• Giving pupil attendance updates through our website, assemblies, parent noticeboards and newsletters.
• Issuing termly attendance letters and including a full attendance certificate where there is an issue with attendance.
• Continuing to undertake regular attendance audits.

The Education Act 1996 states that all children should attend school regularly and punctually. The Act states, “If a child of compulsory school age who is registered at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his/her parent is guilty of an offence”.

We ask parents to work with us to ensure good attendance by:

• Ensuring your child arrives on time every day at 8.55am, accompanied by an adult.
• Notifying school on the first day of absence by 9am if your child is unable to attend school, giving the reason for absence.
• Providing medical information if requested.
• Wherever possible make medical/dental appointments outside of school hours.
• Not taking holidays in term time.
• Working with school to improve any issues around attendance and lateness.
• Approaching the Family Support Advisor if there are any barriers to attendance to explore what support can be offered.
• Attempt to help your child to understand the importance of attendance and engagement in education.

We use a traffic light letter system to report to parents on a termly basis about how well your child is attending. Below you will find an explanation of the colour coding system. If you have any questions about attendance please don’t hesitate to speak to school.

Holidays in term time are not permitted.  The government make clear that Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence unless there are exceptional circumstances which does not include holiday.  The regulations also set out procedures for issuing penalty notices (fines) to each parent who fails to ensure their children’s regular attendance at school.   If you wish to request an absence from school you must complete a form which can be collected from the school office. These will then be reviewed by Mrs Moore.

If your child needs to go to the doctors or has a hospital appointment the school office is authorised by Mrs Moore to approve these.  Please come to the school office a couple of days before the appointment with any evidence you may have from the doctor or hospital with the date/time of the appointment.

To help children attend school we will administer prescribed medication when required. If your child requires any medicine – including inhalers this must be clearly labelled.  Please complete a medicine consent form at the School Office. If your child requires 4 doses a day of a medicine, for example antibiotics, we will administer one dose at lunchtime.  Medicine must be passed to and from the office by an adult.

If, as a parent of a pupil attending this school, you require a paper copy of the information on this website, we shall provide this free of charge. Please speak to the school office.

If your child is absent please phone school to advise us on the first day of the absence by 9:15am.  You can leave a message on the absence line.  Please state your child’s name, class and reason for absence.  It is important to give a reason, so we are able to monitor illness within school.  All attendance is closely monitored.

If your child is sick, please keep them off school for 48 hours from the last time they were sick or had diarrhoea; this prevents the spread of the illness.  This information comes from the Health Authority.

If you are ever unsure please don’t hesitate to ring the school office or speak to a class teacher.