What time does school start?

The doors open at 8.50 am and close promptly at 9.00am. 

After 9.00am children are recorded as late.

Did you know arriving after 9.30am counts as a half-day absence?

LATE REGISTRATION

Being late to school can have a considerable impact over the whole school year. The table below shows you just how much time can be missed over a year just by being 5 minutes late to school every day:

• 5 minutes late every day = 3 days of school lost a year
• 10 minutes late every day = 6.5 days of school lost a year
• 15 minutes late every day = 10 days of school lost a year
• 20 minutes late every day = 13 days of school lost a year
• 30 minutes late every day = 19 days of school lost a year

Ways to ensure your child is in on time

• Make sure they get enough sleep
• Make sure they have an alarm clock
• Make sure their clothes are ready the night before

ATTENDANCE TARGETS

 

At Signhills Infant Academy, our attendance target is 96%; this matches the national average for school attendance.

This means no more than 7 days absence from school each year.

 

Every time your child misses school, they also miss important learning opportunities. 

 

Every time they arrive late, they miss some of their lessons. 

 

PERSISTENT ABSENCES

The Department for Education classes children with attendance below 90% as persistent absentees. It therefore presents a concern if a pupils’ absence drops below 90% and we have a duty to work with families who fall into this group. We will work together with Attendance Matters (our attendance partner) to put additional targeted support in place to remove any barriers to attendance. This may include some or all of the following –

• Providing attendance information via written communication
• Telephone calls/visits from our attendance lead and/or Attendance Matters
• Meetings with families to discuss parent views and any underlying issues which may be affecting attendance
• Setting targets to help improve attendance

Where these measures are not successful and all avenues have been exhausted, we may decide to prosecute parents.

Please note that we will no longer be authorising absence for children with attendance below 90%  unless you are able to provide evidence to support the absence e.g. screenshot of a GP appointment, photo of prescription etc.

Attendance Matters was founded in 2014 in response to schools asking for help to address individual attendance needs.

We do this by:

• Promoting the importance of good attendance through effective links with parents and pupils, including parent meetings, letters, newsletters, and training courses.
• Investigating the causes of poor attendance through formal and informal casework, including home visits.
• Supporting parents to meet their statutory responsibilities.
• Reducing absence levels through a strategic approach.
• Undertaking all necessary investigations and assessments prior to enforcement proceedings.
• Reviewing and updating school policies and procedures.
• Devising and delivering customised one-to-one and group training packages.

Kate Bygott is our EWO and is a part of the Attendance Matters team.

Kate may on occasion visit you at home or call you on the telephone. Kate will attend most of the target setting meetings.

Kate is a very experienced EWO and is another supportive factor to helping us achieve excellent attendance.