Attendance at School

A big thank you to all our families who take attendance and punctuality seriously.  We are really grateful to you for getting your child in to school on time so that they can learn as much as they possibly can and so that they don't miss learning.  Our Breakfast Club opens every day at 8am.  Our School Day starts at 8.45am.  The morning register closes at 9.15am.  Any child arriving after 9.15 is late after the register has closed and this will be marked as an unauthorised absence.   Every child has the right to attend school every day.  Casual attendance and frequent absence really has a detrimental effect on children's education and their emotional development.

Swaffham Primary Academy is a wonderful community where every child has the opportunity to grow, develop and make progress; to shine, to learn, to believe, to belong. We have a created a nurturing environment where every child's well-being is of the utmost importance.

What does this mean?

• Every child is unique, important and deserves to thrive
• Every child is listened to and supported 
• If your child does feel a little unwell or didn't sleep well the night before, just let your teacher know and we will make sure to support them throughout the day.

Our target for the whole school attendance is 97%.  We want our school to have the best attendance and punctuality so that our children can learn as much as they possibly can.  This is achieved by:

Why is attendance important?

• Children cannot learn effectively if they are absent from school.
• Absence can create gaps in learning, both educational and social. 
• Good attendance and punctuality is crucial for children's educational and social development.
• We strive to create, maintain and promote a welcoming and caring environment where children feel safe, happy and secure.
• Our children thrive on being supported and challenged to meet their potential.
• Our broad, balanced and diverse curriculum is fascinating and our children are excited to deepen their knowledge and understanding.
• A high level of attendance is important for children to make good progress in all areas of their learning and development and this includes their sense of self, belonging and social development. 
• Arriving on time allows children to be ready to start to learn straight away.

The role of parents/ carers:

• Make sure your child attends every day and is on time for school.
• Notify the school as soon as possible on the first day of absence by phoning the school office.
• Try to make all medical appointments (doctors, dentist and hospital) out of school time.
• Discourage your child from staying overnight with friends during the week- this can sometimes lead to children being late /tired/ or not attending at all the next day.
• Talk positively about going to school.  Encourage your child to take responsibility for being on time for school ensuring they have a sensible bedtime and will not be too tired to get up in the morning for school.
• Work with the school to help us understand any barriers to attendance.  Proactively engage with the support offered to prevent the need for more formal support.
• If invited to attend a meeting, come and speak to us. If your child is on an attendance support plan/ attendance contract, ensure you undertake the actions that have been agreed.
• Monitor your child's internet and social media use to ensure they are not experiencing any difficulties that may prevent them from wanting to attend school.
• Do not book holidays during term time.  Leave of absence during term time will only be authorised for exceptional cirmcumstances.

The Role of the School:

• Inform parents/ carers of their responsibilities for maintaining regular attendance of their child.
• Monitor attendance regularly and keep parents informed about their child's attendance.
• Value and reward good attendance through praise in assemblies, certificates and rewards.
• Seek explanation from parents/ carers if your child is regularly late for school or when there is a concern about the level of your child's attendance- parents will be invited into school to discuss this concern with the SAFs Lead and or Headteacher, in the hope of resolving the problem.
• Support families in difficulties or crisis.
• Support families to improve their child's attendance through meetings, support plans and attendance contracts.
• Seek Court Prosecution when needed, but we do this as a very last resort.

What happens if my child misses a period of time out of the school day? 

• They will miss learning that will take time to catch up on when they return
• They will miss out on the social side of school.

The following are the only exceptions for not attending school:

• If your child is not well enough to attend school with an illness
• Medical visits (which cannot be arranged out of school time i.e. hospital appointments)
• Exceptional circumstances (i.e. a funeral)
• Religious observance as dictated by the religious organising body.

Reporting Absence

If your child is not well enough to send to school please let us know as soon as possible on the day of absence by telephoning 01760 721831.  (Please do not send messages on ClassDojo.) For guidance on whether your child should attend school or not for a range of illnesses, please see this information from the NHS:  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Further guidance can also be found here:

https://www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/childhood-illnesses/

Why is it important to call if my child is going to be absent?

The welfare of every child at Swaffham Primary Academy is of the utmost importance to every member of our wonderful team. This means it is crucial we know where every child is and that they are safe and healthy. 

If we do not hear from you regarding your child's absence we will carry out the following steps. These steps are designed to ensure every child is safe:

Day One of Absence

The office will telephone parents/carers. If they cannot be contacted, they will leave a message. If parents/carers live at different addresses, we will contact both.

If we have no response by midday, we will telephone the emergency numbers we have on record for your child.

Day Two of Absence

If we have not yet had a satisfactory response, we will attempt contact again. If we cannot get in contact by 10am, we may carry out a home visit. 

If there is no answer at the door and we do not see the child at the home visit, we will leave a note requesting you to get in touch with us by 3pm. 

If we have not heard from parent/carers by 3pm we will contact the police and request a welfare check. If a child has social work involvement, we will contact their social worker as well.

Why do we do this?

To ensure every child is safe.

To ensure you are safe.

To ensure you have all of the support you need.

To ensure that, where possible, every child is in school so they can learn and flourish.

What do I do if I need help getting my child to school?

If you have any concerns, worries or questions we are here to listen. Our wonderful office team are your first port of call and they will direct you to the SAFs team. Our Student and Family Support team is made up of our SENDCo, Inclusion Support, Head Teacher and our EYFs/KS1 Lead.  Mrs Curtis is available during the school day and can usually be found on the gates in the morning and at the end of the day.

What is a persistent absence?

Persistent absences are if a child's attendance falls below 90%. This means a child has had 10% or more of absence. 90% attendance may sound like a lot - but this equates to 1 day a fortnight absent and this can have a detrimental impact on children's progress and development, well-being and social interaction. 

Our SAFs team discuss persistent absences regularly determining what support they, or their families, need in order to improve attendance 

Teaching staff are aware of their persistent absences in their class and will take the time to monitor and support these children's perspective of school, their progress and their well-being.

We aim to work together to ensure that every child makes the most out of every minute, of every day.

Although we understand there can be times when a child will not be in school, for example due to illness, persistent absences will impact a child's development and well-being. Don't let your child become a persistent absence.

3 and 1/2 days absent in the first half term, from September to October Half Term, will be deemed a persistent absence. 

Autumn Term: 7 days absent will make your child a persistent absence.

September to February Half Term: 10 days absent will make your child a persistent absence.

Autumn Term and Spring Term: 12 and 1/2 days absent will make your child a persistent absence.

September to May Half Term: 15 and 1/2 days will make your child a persistent absence.

Autumn Term, Spring Term and Summer Term: 19 days absent will make your child a persistent absence.

Did you know...

Being just 10 minutes later a day equates to 33 hours lost learning a year! 

90% absence a year is 2 days a month, or 2 day a fortnight.

Consistent, good morning and evening routines will ensure your child gets to school on time every day.

Always remember.,.

We are here to work with you, to help you and to offer our support. Call the office, send your class teacher a Dojo or ask to speak to one of the SAFs team.

The important legal information

The Government have introduced a single national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered by all schools in England. This threshold is 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period. These sessions do not have to be consecutive and can be made up of a combination of any type of unauthorised absence. The period of 10 school weeks can span different terms or school years.

Norfolk County Council provide more detail about Fixed Penalty Notices, which can be found here: 

If you wish to request a leave of absence during term time then please download this form, complete it and hand it in to the school office.  Alternatively, you can request a paper copy from the school office.