Why Attendance is important:

At Wadddington Redwood Primary Academy, we believe attending school regularly is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Evidence shows that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results. (Education Hub - here)

Attendance policy link here

Attendance Expectations:

Regular school attendance is an important part of giving children the best possible start in life. The aim should be to attend 100% of the time.

Students who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and do less well in exams.

School attendance:

 

If you have concerns or need support with your child’s attendance please contact the academy as soon as you can to ensure early support is available. 

Mrs Buckley is our attendance officer and there to support families. If you wish to speak to Mrs Buckley, in the first instance please email redwoodenquiries@prioryacademies.co.uk.

Punctuality:

It is also important to arrive at school on time. If a child arrives late to school every day, their learning begins to suffer. Below is a graph showing how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time over one academic year. The Academy day begins at 8.45am with the registers closing at 9am.What can parents/carers do to support their child?

• Support their learning.
• Talk positively about school and let your child know you're there to support their learning at home,
• Support them at exam time,
• Attend parents' evenings

As much as you can:

• Go along to other school events.
• Develop their resilience – is your child really too ill to attend school?

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

LATENESS

It is very important that all children arrive at the academy on time so that they do not miss morning routines and the start of lessons.  Parents/carers have a duty to ensure that children arrive on time and are prepared for the day.  Children should be escorted onto the premises at 8.50am and registers are taken at 9.00am.  Punctuality is closely monitored and parents/carers are required to sign children into the academy if they are late and provide a reason for lateness.  Parents/carers, who are persistently late, may be referred to the Educational Welfare Officer.

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE

At Waddington Redwood Primary Academy, we set a target for overall absence. If a child’s attendance falls below 95%, parents/carers will be contacted unless there are good reasons for the absence.

If for any reason your child is unwell, please contact the academy to let us know as soon as possible. If we do not hear from you, we will telephone that morning to find out why your child is absent. On his/her return, please write a brief note explaining the reason for their absence, and any details, as the class teacher may need to know. To read more about our attendance procedures, please read our Attendance Policy. 

REQUESTS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE

A list of academy holidays is available from the academy office and the academy website. This list will help you to plan your own holidays to coincide with academy holidays as far as possible, thus avoiding any loss of schooling for your child. We are committed to providing the very best education possible for your child. There is a close link between attendance and progress.

According to the Education (Amendment) Regulations 2013, Headteachers can only grant leave of absence in ‘exceptional’ circumstances. If leave of absence is requested, a leave of absence form is to be completed at least 4 weeks in advance. 

Please include evidence to substantiate requests e.g. medical appointment card, letter from employer. Granting leave of absence will be at the discretion of the headteacher taking into account the academy’s Attendance Policy, the child’s previous attendance pattern, the nature of the absence and the impact on the child’s education.

Requests for leave of absence during statutory assessment periods will not be authorised.

Please see the LA guidance in the attached documents.