Attendance

Timings of the School Day

8:50 - Registration

10:25 - Key Stage 1 Playtime

10:45 - Key Stage 2 Playtime

12:00 - Lunch time

14:00 - Assembly

15:30 - End of School Day

Total school hours per week - 34 hours

Attendance & Absence

There is strong evidence to show that those children whose attendance is 96% or higher not only do much better in their learning and make greater progress but they are also happier and more settled in school.  However, as soon as it starts to drop below this figure, their absence begins to have a damaging effect across all areas of their school life – a damaging effect that increases as their attendance rate falls.

Poor attendance (below 96%) is one of the single biggest blocks to child achievement as they start to fall behind in their learning.  Then when they return, they can find themselves struggling with the work and behind their peers which will often have a further negative impact – this time not only on their learning, but also their happiness and wellbeing.  This is the case whether absence is due to term-time holidays, illnesses or truancy - not being present in school disadvantages children.

To find out more information about attendance at Uffculme Primary School, please click here.

Attendance

Attendance is formally recorded twice each day – in the morning and afternoon.  It is important that children are ready to start school at 8.50am.

It is a legal requirement to take registers in a timely fashion and there are consequences for lateness.  After registration closes, children will be marked as late.  Pupils arriving after 9.20am will receive an unauthorised ‘U’ mark. 

Wherever possible, medical appointments should be made out of school times. Evidence of medical appointments must be provided at all times. 

Absence

It is your responsibility as a parent/carer to ensure that your child attends school.  If they fail to attend, you are required to provide the school with “reasonable justification” for this (Education Act 1996) at the time of absence.

If you know in advance that you child will be away from school, please let us know as soon as you are able to.  Also please advise us of any lateness or appointments. 

If your child is unwell and not able to attend school, you should contact the school:

• Phone: 01884 840282 or

• Email: admin@uffculmeprimary.bep.ac

Please include your child’s name, year group, reason for the absence and expected return date.

The school always follows up unexplained absences.  If a child is absent from school for an event that has not been authorised, details are passed to the Educational Welfare Service who may impose a fixed penalty.

Work is not normally set for children who are away from school.  Our priority is that they get well and return back to school as soon as they are able. 

Authorised and Unauthorised Absence

Authorised and unauthorised absence

The law requires that all schools must now show the difference between authorised and unauthorised absence.

Authorised absence can be:

• Sickness

• Medical or dental appointments which cannot be arranged outside school hours

• Days of religious observance

• An exceptional circumstance which was unavoidable and a one-off incidence.

Please note however regular time off for illness will be challenged, requiring not only medical evidence but also medical guidance on how schools can best support and ‘manage’ those children in school. Saying a child is “unwell” will no longer be enough, parents will need to be specific as the school administrative staff will enquire further.

Unauthorised absence is:

• Truancy

• Staying at home to look after younger children or sick relatives

• Going shopping or having hair cut

• Any absence which the school has not been informed about, either by letter or telephone

• Any family holiday in term time

Morning Registers

Children are met on the playground at 8:50am in KS1 and then walked up to their classroom by their teachers. KS2 classes enter their classrooms when the bell rings at 8:50am. Our school day starts at 9.00am. Registers are marked shortly after this. Pupils who are not present for registration will be marked as absent initially. If they arrive before 9.20 am this will be changed to present but late. Any pupil arriving after this time will require a letter of explanation. If school has received no notification for child’s absence, from a safeguarding viewpoint, after 9:30am a phone call will be made to the contact details provided by parents/carers to establish the child’s whereabouts.