Attendance

Attendance and punctuality are essential for your child to get the most out of their time at school and develop important life skills for their future. Our school is working hard to achieve our overall attendance target of 96% this year. We are collaborating with parents to ensure that each child attends school regularly and on time.

Regular school attendance is crucial for every child to reach their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. We expect all children to attend school every day and arrive to the classroom door by 8.50am. Absences and poor punctuality disrupt children’s learning and send negative messages about the value of education. We ask parents and carers to support us in ensuring their children do not miss out through unnecessary absences.

We monitor all pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Any child who attends school less than 90% of the time is considered a Persistent Absentee and will be referred to Educational Welfare. From this academic year, we will send out termly attendance reports in Autumn and Spring for all pupils to keep parents & carers informed and allow the opportunity to discuss any queries they may have. The final attendance report will be sent in July with each child's final report.

Further information can be found in the Department for Education's Working together to improve school attendance guidance and Waltham Forest Council's School Attendance Advice.

Holidays

We expect holidays to be taken during school holidays. Parents do not have the right to take their children out of school for holidays during term time. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of Headteachers. All requests for absence are treated sympathetically, but only in exceptional circumstances will they be approved. A Leave of Absence form should be completed for any request for leave, including holidays, and is available from the school office. Holidays during term time are not allowed and will be classified as unauthorised.
Collection Arrangements

Please inform the school if there is any change in collection arrangements for your child. Office staff are available from 8.15 in the morning for you to talk to. If there are any last-minute changes, such as someone other than the person known to staff collecting your child at the end of the day, please call the School Office on 020 8523 3228 before 2.30pm. Calling before 2.30pm allows us time to get messages to classrooms before the end of the day.
Punctuality

All late arrivals must sign the late register in the entrance area. Failure to do so means that your child will remain absent on the school register and would be considered absent in an emergency. It could also mean that your child will not be included in the school meal numbers for the day.
Absences

If you know your child will be late or absent due to a hospital appointment or school visit, please provide the office with the relevant appointment letter in advance of the absence. Letters regarding absence should be handed into the office, not the class teacher. This enables us to keep all documentation regarding your child’s absences on file. Where possible, please make essential appointments after registration in the afternoon. All unreported absences will be recorded as unauthorised until we establish why your child was not at school.
Sickness

Please report your child’s absence in person or by telephone to the School Office on 020 8523 3228 before 9.00am or via office@whittinghamprimaryacademy.org.uk. The school telephone system has an attendance reporting mailbox. Please refer to Public Health Agency guidance if you are unsure whether your child should remain at home.

What being late really means

It is important for your child to arrive on time at school as lateness means they miss out on valuable learning and disrupt the learning of others.

Minutes Late for school	Amount of Learning lost per week	Amount of Learning lost per month	Amount of learning lost per half term	Amount of learning lost per term	Amount of learning lost per year
5 minutes late	25 minutes	1 hour and 40 mins	2 hours and 30 mins	1 day	3 days
10 minutes late	50 minutes	3 hours and 20 mins	1 day	2 days	1 week and 1 day
15 minutes late	1 hour and 15mins	1 day	1 and a half days	3 days	1 week and 4 days
20 minutes late	1 hour and 40 minutes	Over 1 day	2 days	4 days	2 week

Attendance

What being late really means

PARENTS AND CARERS

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