Attendance

Absences, Appointments and Late Arrivals

If your child is absent from school please call before 8.55am to inform us of the reason. If we are not informed that your child will not be in school a First Day Absence Call will be made to investigate why, similarly a third day call should be made to school for continued absence.

We expect all children to arrive on time for school, school doors open at 8.45am ready for lessons starting at 8.55am. If your child is late for school they must come into the building via the main entrance where they are asked sign in. Late arrivals are monitored and if a child is late more than twice in a half term a letter is sent home. If additional late arrivals happen parents are asked to meet with school to discuss any underlying reasons and plan for improvement.

We aim for each child to have 97%+ attendance over the school year. If we become concerned about your child's attendance we will consult with our Attendance Officer, who will follow our concerns up. 

It is very important that the school has your current address and contact numbers in case of emergencies. Please keep us updated of any changes.

Look at these worrying figures regarding the impact of absence over a 5 year period:

• 100% = full attendance

• 95% = 1⁄4 school year missed

• 90% = 1⁄2 school year missed

• 85% = 3⁄4 school year missed

• 80% = 1 full school year missed

• 75% = 1.25 school years missed

• 70% = 1.5 school years missed

• 65% = 1.75 school years missed

• 60% = 2 school years missed

Regular school attendance is the key to getting a good education so we adopt the phrase on time, all day, every day.  Put simply, term-time absence affects your child’s attainment. If your child is frequently absent from school, their future is in jeopardy. Regular attendance is necessary for success in school, and as a parent/carer you are the key person who can make a difference. Nearly all children enjoy the experience of school if they are secure and confident and feel that their parents/carers demonstrate that they too feel positive about school.

Promoting better attendance

In order to encourage good attendance we have introduced a number of incentives including:

• class of the week – extra playtime

• class of the month – non uniform day (day after the announcement so parents receive a text)

• class of the term – £100 to spend on wet play equipment for the class

• individual half termly incentives such as a family ticket for a day out / family meal for 4 / ToysRUs voucher

• 100% attendance individual awards

• reward for those with over 97% attendance

If you feel that we can support your child further in achieving outstanding attendance please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s teacher or contact Ms Meekley.

Persistent Absenteeism

At Cheadle Heath Primary, we class a pupil as a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 10% or more schooling across the school year for whatever reason. Absence at this level is doing considerable damage to any child’s education and we need parent’s fullest support and co-operation to tackle this.

We monitor all absence and the reasons given thoroughly. Any case that is seen to have reached the PA mark or is at risk of moving towards that mark is given priority and we will inform the parents/carers immediately.

PA pupils are tracked and monitored carefully. We also combine this with academic tracking where absence affects attainment. All PA pupils are highlighted to our EWO and an identified plan of action agreed.