Parkfield Primary School fully supports Somerset LEAs schools Attendance Policy.

Children should be at school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is legitimate.

Good attendance underpins a child’s success in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils who attend regularly establish good working routines and relationships which form the basis for their personal success.

Absence

The school applies the following procedures with regard to absences.

• Attendance Registers are required by law to be called twice a day; once at the commencement of the morning session and once at the commencement of the afternoon session, registers close at 9:20am and 1:45pm.

• Class teachers, the attendance officer and office staff monitor attendance records and ensure all possible absences are authorised by parental notification.

• Parents must contact the school by 8:45am every day the child is absent, please dial 01823 282125, Option 1 to provide a reasonable explanation for all absences.

• If parents have not contacted the school by 8:45am on the day of the absence the attendance officer/school office will contact parents by text. This will be sent by 9.30am each day. Parents must contact the school by using the dedicated absence phone line to provide a reasonable explanation for all absences.

• If the school has not heard from the parent by 10:30am, the attendance officer/school office will ring parents and discuss the absence. If the school is unable to contact parents, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

• If there has been no contact with parents and the school is concerned, this may result in a home visit taking place.

• The school operates a weekly tracking system monitoring attendance and rewards individual achievements in this area.

• The Headteacher and a member of staff with responsibility for monitoring attendance will meet fortnightly to review attendance. Pupils whose attendance is below 96% or those with 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence will be discussed at this meeting. Where appropriate, parents will be contacted.

• Term time leave will not be granted unless it is due to exceptional circumstances.

Late Arrivals

Pupils must arrive by 8:50 am on each school day.

The morning register is taken at 09:00am. A pupil who arrives between 09:00am and 09:20am will be marked as late (L). If the child arrives to school after this time the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. 

Please make every effort to be punctual so your child can settle comfortably into the school day. It can be extremely distressing for children, especially the younger ones, to be late for school as well as causing disruption for all the class. Should you be unavoidably detained, please come to the office so we sign your child into school.

Pupils attendance is marked twice daily am and pm.