- "Serve one another humbly in love" Galatians 5:13b
At Charles Kingsley’s CE Primary School we believe that for a child to maximise their learning a high level of school attendance is essential.
We are committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all our pupils and endeavour to provide an environment where all pupils feel valued and welcome. Parents and pupils play a part in making our school so successful.
Every child has a right to access the education to which he/she is entitled. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all.
It is our duty to consistently strive to achieve a goal of 100% attendance for all children. Every opportunity will be used to convey to pupils and their parents or carers the importance of regular and punctual attendance.
For our children take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered at Charles Kingsley’s CE Primary School it is vital your child is at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.
The routines children develop around attendance and punctuality at school are the same as the expectations of any future employer in the world of work. High attainment, confidence with peers and staff and future aspirations depend on good attendance.
Understanding Types of Absence
Pupils are expected to attend school every day for the entire duration of the academic year, unless there is an exceptional reason for the absence. There are two main categories of absences:
A school can, if needed, change an authorised absence to an unauthorised absence and vice versa if new information is presented. Any changes will be communicated to parents/carers.
An example of this would be where a parent states a child is unwell but on return to school there is evidence they have been on holiday.
The school attendance target of 96%, is the minimum we expect for all students. Every lesson counts and it is this commitment to learning that will have a positive impact on attainment and progress. The table below shows the impact that missing just a few days of school can have over the course of an academic year.
Percentage | Description | Days Absent per Year | Number of Lessons Lost | Weeks Lost |
100% | Excellent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
98-99% | Very Good | 2– 4 days | Up to 20 | Almost one week |
97% | Good | 5.5 days | Up to 27.5 | Just over one week |
96% | Satisfactory | 7.5 days | Up to 37.5 | One and a half weeks |
93-95% | In school monitoring to ensure no further decline | 9.5 -13 days | Up to 65 | Almost two and a half weeks |
91-92% | Cause for Concern From September 2022 parents will be notified | 14—17 days | Up to 85 | Almost three and a half weeks |
90% and below | Persistent Absence. Meetings will be held with parents of pupils in this category. If no improvement then this could result in a referral to Children’s Services and the Attendance Legal Panel | 19 days or more | more than 95 | Four weeks and over |
How do I report my child's absence from school?
Please read Section 3.3 What do I do if my child is absent? of the Attendance Policy (found in the policy section of the website).
Contact us as soon as possible and by 9.20am on the first day of absence.
Call the school office on 01189 732187 or send an email to adminoffice@charleskingsleys.hants.sch.uk.
IS YOUR CHILD TOO POORLY FOR SCHOOL OR NURSERY?
NEW ADVICE WILL HELP YOU DECIDE
It is always a worry when a child becomes unwell, but it is not always obvious how to care for them and whether you should keep them at home. You can now find handy NHS guidance in one place online that will help you identify a possible condition, so you can decide whether to send your child to school or nursery.
On the website is a list of common childhood illnesses and conditions from conjunctivitis to head lice, as well as symptoms such as a high temperature and a sore throat and what these might mean. There is advice about what to do and when a child should return to education after being treated.
Visit the Should your child go to school/nursery today? website at
https://what0-18.nhs.uk/parentscarers/child-unwell-ok-go-nurseryschool-1
or go online and search for 0-18 should your child go to school. Please bookmark this website so it is easy to find if ever your child becomes unwell.
If you are unsure about a child’s wellbeing, please talk to your local pharmacist, call the NHS helpline on 111, or
contact your GP.
The guidance has been created by the County Council, with the NHS and local authority partners through the
Healthier Together initiative, which aims to improve the health of children and young people in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.