Attendance

At Essex Primary School we strongly believe that every child has the right to an education. We remind parents and carers that is their legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly and punctually.

We celebrate the classes that achieve the highest attendance percentage, and award a prize to any child whose attendance is 100% at the end of the school year.

We take attendance very seriously, so monitor it daily to maintain a high attendance percentage. Should a child’s attendance begin to cause concern we use our Attendance Monitoring Policy to help them return to regular schooling.

Attendance Monitoring Policy

  • If a child’s attendance falls under 95% at any time, a letter will be sent home.
  • If a child’s attendance fails to improve, a second letter will be sent. Medical proof will be required to authorise any further absences. (Forms of acceptable proof will be outlined in the letter.)
  • If the child’s attendance drops to 90%, the Attendance Management Officer will begin an investigation.

Penalty Notice System (£160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 calendar days. Discounted to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 calendar days.)

  • We also employ a system of fines, issued in accordance with Local Authority guidance
  • Please click on the yellow picture below to gain access to information regarding Penalty Notice Fines for Unauthorised Absences from 19 August 2024.

Return to School

When a child has been absent from school because of ill health, parents or carers must make sure that the child is medically fit before they can return to school.

If a child has been absent for more than three school days, medical proof may be required, i.e. a certificate from a doctor. This can be handed to the school office.

Please note: it is a requirement of the school that if a child has been vomiting or suffering with diarrhoea they remain out of school for 48 hours to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

Punctuality

Parents/carers have the responsibility to ensure that their child attends school every day and arrives on time for school each morning.

All pupils must be in the playground at 8:50 am. Registers are taken at 9.00 am.
Pupils who arrive after registers close will be marked as unauthorised late (which affects their attendance percentage). Responsible timekeeping is one of the skills that children learn at school. If a pupil arrives late, they miss an important part of the school day; this can affect their self-esteem and learning.

Term time leave

We do not authorise any leave during term time except for exceptional circumstances.

Any plan to remove a child from school during term time must be first discussed with the school.

Failure to inform the school of a child’s whereabouts could result in the child being reported as missing from education to the local authority. This may also lead to the withdrawal of your child’s place at Essex Primary School.

 

Sickness and Absences Procedures (Home)

We do appreciate that children fall ill, and that parents/carers may decide to keep them at home. However, it is important that the school is informed on the first day of absence.

There are two options for contacting the school: make sure you state the child’s name, their class and the reason for absence.

1) Use mobile number 07545425617 and speak to staff/ leave a message / text message.
2) Telephone 02084720322 and press option 1 to leave a message

Sickness and Absences Procedures (At School)

If a child becomes unwell during the school day, a qualified first aider will assess the situation. Should the child need to be sent home, the school will contact the parents/carers and ask them to collect their child as soon as possible.