Attendance

Attendance Expectations

At Wheelwright Lane we want your child to flourish and meet their full potential academically, socially and emotionally. Research shows that children that attend school regularly (96 – 100% of the time) are more likely to achieve academic success, make positive relationships with others and learn many important skills that can be transferred to the future. We firmly believe that every minute of every day in school counts towards future success.

It is the school’s responsibility to monitor pupils attendance and we are required to report poor attendance know as ‘persistent absence’ to the local authority. The local authority have the powers to prosecute parents who fail to send their child to school. We work closely in partnership with the local authority to ensure every child attends school regularly.

Holidays and Appointments in Term Time

Holiday from school in term time will not be authorised by school. We firmly believe that your child should attend school every day. School holidays are the time to visit the beaches, spend time with family and friends and explore new places and we actively encourage this.

Dentist and doctor appointments should be made outside of school hours. Any non emergency appointment will not be authorised.

Hospital appointments will only be authorised if a letter from the hospital is presented to school.

If you choose to take your child out of school for a holiday you must provide a letter explaining your reasons to the Head Teacher. You may be asked to come into school to discuss this with the Head Teacher.

Absence

All absences must be reported to the school office by 10:00 am at the very latest. Please give reasons as to why your child is not attending school. You may be contacted by one of the attendance leaders in school.

If your child is absent from school for more than 3 days, we may ask you to provide evidence in the form of a doctors note or prescription for medicine.

Persistent absence will follow a process of a letter and phone call from the head teacher and possibly a visit from the school Education Welfare Officers. Please refer to the absence process for further details

Is my child well enough to attend school?

It can be difficult to know whether to send your child to school or not. However, there are guidelines from the government that can be helpful in making your decision.

If you are not sure then please call school to enquire. It is perfectly fine to ask us to keep an eye on your child if that helps to reassure you.

Coughs and colds – It’s fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes.
Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.
Ear infection – If your child has an ear infection and a fever or severe earache, keep them off school until they’re feeling better or their fever goes away.
Head lice and nits – There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.
Ringworm – If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it’s on their scalp, in which case you should see the GP. It’s fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment.
Threadworms – You don’t need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms. Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.
Vomiting and diarrhoea – Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school for 2 days after their symptoms have gone.
Chickenpox – If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over. This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.
Cold sores – There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore. Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.
Conjunctivitis – You don’t need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis. Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.
Fever – If your child has a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes away.

Lateness

We encourage excellent punctuality at Wheelwright Lane. This helps children to greet their friends and adults in school, organise their belongings and settle down to their morning learning task. Children that arrive on time are more ready and focused to learn.

When a child arrives late to school they miss out on seeing their friends and settling into the morning routine. This can lead to anxiety and a feeling of being behind everyone else.

School is open from 8:45 and lessons start promptly at 9am. Please ensure your child is here on time every day.

If your child is late to school then please sign in through the office. Your child will be registered as late. If this persistent then a letter will be sent and you will receive a phone call from the attendance leaders.

Attendance Process

We work closely with the local authority attendance team. Please refer to the attendance process and our attendance policy for further information. Also see our Safeguarding and Child Protection and Child Missing in Education Policies.