Regular attendance is essential to children’s learning, wellbeing and development. Frequent or prolonged absence can make it difficult for a child to keep up with their learning and maintain friendships. We therefore take attendance and punctuality seriously and work with families to overcome any barriers to regular attendance.

Illness

We understand that children sometimes cannot attend school because they are unwell. Keeping a child at home is appropriate when their illness means that they are not well enough to participate in school or when attending could place other people at risk.

However, children with a mild illness, such as a cough or cold without a high temperature, can often continue to attend school. The NHS provides guidance to help parents and carers decide whether their child is well enough to attend:

NHS: Is my child too ill for school?

Reporting an Absence

If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, a parent or carer must contact the school by 9:00 a.m. on the first day of absence, explaining the reason.

Telephone: 01229 772554
Email: admin@thwaites.cumbria.sch.uk

Parents and carers should continue to update the school on each subsequent day of absence unless another arrangement has been agreed.

If we have not received an explanation, the school administrator will contact the child’s parent or carer to establish the reason for the absence and ensure that the child is safe.

Lateness and Punctuality

The school day begins at 8:45 a.m., and pupils should be in their classrooms and ready to learn at this time.

The morning attendance register is taken at 8:45 a.m. Classroom registration is completed by 9:00 a.m., but the school’s official morning register closes at 9:15 a.m.

A pupil arriving:

• after 8:45 a.m. but before 9:15 a.m. will be recorded as late before the register closes; or
• after 9:15 a.m. will be recorded as absent for the morning session due to arriving after the register has closed, unless another appropriate attendance code applies.

Pupils arriving after 9:00 a.m. must report to the school office so that their arrival can be recorded accurately. This also ensures that everyone can be accounted for in an emergency.

Repeated lateness will be monitored. Where it becomes a concern, the school will contact the family to discuss any barriers and agree appropriate support.

Medical Appointments

Whenever possible, routine medical and dental appointments should be arranged outside school hours.

When an appointment must take place during the school day, we encourage pupils to attend school before the appointment and return afterwards whenever it is practical to do so. Parents and carers should notify the school in advance and provide evidence of the appointment if requested.

Children collected during the school day must be signed out through the school office and signed back in if they return later that day.