School Attendance

Attendance and punctuality is a life skill and at Marshside we strive to support our pupils to maintain high levels of attendance.  Our aim is to achieve a minimum of 96.4% attendance and we are continually monitoring and working with our families to attain this.

Attendance impacts upon outcomes for your children.

Government research shows that the poorer the attendance at Key Stage 2, the less likely that the child is to achieve the expected standard.

Only just over half of pupils missing 20-25% of school achieved the expected standard compared to almost all pupils with full attendance.

Absence from School

The 2013 regulation amendments make it clear that a headteacher may NOT grant any leave of absence (holiday) during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. The amendments give parents NO entitlement to take their child out of school for a holiday in term time.

If you need to request a leave of absence for your child/ren, please request an absence form from the office. Completion of the form does NOT guarantee the leave of absence will be authorised.

Authorised Absence

• Illness: if a child is unable to attend school due to illness, it is expected that parents/carers will provide an explanation on the first day the absence occurs. School must be informed by telephone, leaving a voice message or personally calling into the school. School should be kept updated of any on-going absence on a daily basis.

• Special circumstance: very occasionally there is a situation that prevents a child from attending school (e.g. bereavement of close family member). The register will be marked with an authorised code in this instance.

• Authorised term time holiday: in exceptional circumstances the governors may authorise a leave of absence.

• Medical appointment: if your child has a medical appointment, please contact the school to advise the time of the appointment and expected time to return to school. Please bring the appointment letter/card so this may be noted on the pupil’s record.

Punctuality

Our doors open at 8.45am until 9.00am every day. If your child arrives after 9.00am they will have to be taken through the office and signed in on the signing in system.

Pupils who are consistently late are disrupting not only their education, but that of other pupils in their class, and can also affect the wellbeing of the child.

School Opening Hours

The school day is 8.55-3.20, with doors opening at 8.45. For our Resource Base provision, this is staggered and the day runs 8.40-3.15.

There is wraparound provision available from 7.30am-6.00pm.