Attendance and absence

Good attendance and punctuality are vital if pupils are to achieve their maximum potential. Stocksbridge Nursery Infant School is committed to working with parents/carers to ensure that each pupil benefits from the academic, personal and social opportunities available to them during their years with us.

 A high level of attendance at school is not only a legal requirement but is vital for all our pupils to enable a continuity of learning, thereby ensuring maximum progress for all. There is a clear link between good attendance and academic achievement, as well as enabling the development of personal, social and emotional skills.

 We aim to achieve an attendance level of over 96%. We also aim to minimise levels of unauthorised attendance. Our full Attendance Policy is available on the school website.

 

Registration

The main school gates for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children open 10 minutes before school starts so that children can be on site and ready to start their day when their class starts. Class registers open when school starts and close 5 minutes after. Pupils will be marked absent if they are not present at the time of registration. Pupils arriving up to 20 minutes after their class register closes are marked as late (recorded as an ‘L’ in the register). Pupils arriving more than 20 minutes after their class register closes are marked as an unauthorised absence (recorded as a ‘U’ in the register).

 

Responding to lateness

Pupils arriving after their class start time should enter via the school office only, not via any other opened gate.  This is so we can ensure that they are ‘signed in’ appropriately and lunches are ordered. It is also to avoid classes being disrupted and/or delayed by children arriving after the start of class. Parents/carers will be asked to sign in their child using the school’s Inventory system. This will ask parents/carers to provide a reason for their child’s lateness. We appreciate your cooperation in this regard.

 

Every Minute Matters! Lateness = Lost Learning

5 minutes late each day = 3 days lost!

10 minutes late each day = 6.5 days lost!

15 minutes late each day = 10 days lost!

20 minutes late each day = 13 days lost!

30 minutes late each day = 19 days lost!
(calculated over a school year).

 

The school monitors punctuality as well as attendance and will contact parents/carers in relation to punctuality when lateness is persistent. Contact with parents/carers is made via letter and in some cases parents/carers may be invited to attend a meeting in school to help resolve any ongoing issues relating to their punctuality.

 

Absence procedures

Parent/carers are required to report their child’s absence to the School Office by 8:30am every day of their child’s absence. Parents can report their child’s absence by:

• Using the Studybugs application at: https://studybugs.com/
• Emailing enquiries@stocksbridge-nur.sheffield.sch.uk
• Leaving a message on the school phone number – 0114 2883109
• Talking directly to a member of the office staff.

 They will be expected to provide:

• confirmation that their child will or will not be in school
• an explanation for the absence
• an estimation of how long the absence will last e.g. one school day.

 

Every School Day Matters!

365 days in a year 190 school days

100% attendance 190 days attendance 0 weeks absence

95% attendance 180 days attendance 2 weeks absence

90% attendance 171 days attendance 4 weeks absence

85% attendance 161 days attendance 6 weeks absence

80% attendance 152 days attendance more than half a term absence

75% attendance 143 days attendance 9 + weeks absence

 

Responding to absence

The school must contact parents/carers when a pupil’s absence from school is unexplained. The school will always follow up any absences in order to:

• Ascertain the reason for the absence
• Ensure the proper safeguarding action is being taken
• Identify whether the absence is authorised or not
• Identify the correct code to enter onto the school census system.

 The school’s attendance officer will contact the parents/carers by telephone call as soon as is practicable (normally before 10 a.m.).

 Unauthorised absences can lead to a pupil’s attendance being brought to the attention of Sheffield City Council’s Attendance and Inclusion Officer. It can also result the Local Authority issuing a Penalty Notice Fine and/or a summons to appear at Magistrates Court.

 

Requests for leave of absence during term time

Parents do not have an automatic right to remove their child from school during term time. Following Government guidelines, Sheffield City Council’s policy is to not authorise leave of absence for holidays during term time. School expects all holidays to be arranged out of term time.

 

All requests for term time leave should be made in writing on a Request for Exceptional Term Time Leave form. Hard copies are available from the school office.

 

The request should be submitted at least 20 working days in advance of the intended leave.  The actual date that the child will return to school should always be provided by the parent/carer. School will inform parents in writing advising whether the leave is authorised or unauthorised, clearly stating why a decision has been taken. Where there are genuine exceptional circumstances school may authorise leave during term time and will consider each request on its own merit.

 Parents should consider all requests to be unauthorised unless they hear otherwise.

 If an unauthorised holiday is taken a Penalty Notice Fine may be issued by the Council. The decision is made by Sheffield Council’s Prevention & Intervention Service and the Council undertakes any necessary action. The school must apply the Council’s policy consistently.

 

Changes to Penalty Notice Fines as of August 2024

From August 2024 each parent is fined for each child for 5 or more consecutive days of term time leave.  The fine is increasing to £160 per parent, per child within 28 days.  This is reduced to £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days.  If there is a second offence within 3 years the fine increased to £160 per parent, per child. The Council’s flyer in relation to these changes is attached for information.

 

Further information relating to the Council’s School Attendance Policy and the issuing of Penalty Notice Fines is available on the Council’s website at: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/schools-childcare/school-attendance-truancy