Absence Procedure
If your child is going to be absent from school please call early and speak to a staff member or leave a message on the answer phone. Alternatively you can report an absence on the school app.
0151 263 8460
Attendance and Punctuality at St Michael's
Do you want your child to be successful in school?
Do you want your child to achieve the best academic standards they are capable of?
Do you want your child to excel in sport, art, music, dance and technology?
If the answer is YES to all 3 questions.
You need to ensure your child has excellent school attendance.
Weekly Attendance Information
Home Visits
Two members of staff will visit the home if we have no notice why a child is absent and we have been unable to contact a named adult. The aim is to establish why your child is absent from school and to check on the well being of the family.
Please Note:
If we are unable to make contact and we have concerns about a child’s welfare we will consider contacting social services and the police.
Persistent Absentee
If your child’s attendance falls below 90%, they will be classed as a persistent absentee. You will first be sent a letter regarding your child’s attendance if it hits 94%. If their attendance still does not improve, you will then be invited for a discussion with the school’s attendance team or class teacher to discuss ways in which we can support you to improve their attendance.
Please Note:
If attendance still does not improve, you will be invited to a further meeting with the local authority’s educational welfare officer (EWO) and continued persistent absence may well lead to the issue of a fixed penalty notice.
Lateness
When pupils arrive late, they miss out on essential instructions given at the beginning of the lesson. This can significantly reduce achievement, regardless of academic ability. Children may also feel awkward arriving to the classroom when everyone else is settled. Furthermore, when one pupil arrives late, it disrupts the entire class and the teacher. therefore, everyone’s education is compromised.
Lessons in Reception classes, Key Stage 1 and 2 start at 8.50am at St Michael’s Primary School. Gates open at 8.40am for the children to go into school so that pupils are in class and ready to be registered for 8.50am. Therefore, any child who arrives in class after 8.50am may well be registered as Late (‘L’ code in the register).
Once teachers have completed the Register, the Register is closed and any child who arrives late after the Register is closed will be registered as late.The only way to ensure that your child is not marked as late in the register is for them to be in their class line for when the teacher arrives to collect their class at 8.40am.
In the Nursery, sessions start at 8.45am for the morning group and at 12.15pm for the afternoon group. You should bring your child straight into the classroom at these times so they can be registered straightaway. It is really important that Nursery children are brought to school on time.
Please Note:
If your child arrives late on several occasions, you will be asked to attend a meeting with the class teacher/school’s attendance officer, Ms Hayes, to explain the reasons for your child’s lateness. The school will work with you in finding solutions if there are genuine difficulties. However, if lateness persists, you will be invited to a further meeting with the local authority’s educational welfare officer (EWO) and the persistent lateness may well lead to the issue of a fixed penalty notice. Please arrive at school on time every day.
Resources: Attendance & Punctuality
Just click a button below to View any document, you will then have the option to Download or Print the file. You can access all of our policies and reports on the website. Please contact the school if you would like any paper versions of our documents.
Attendance and Punctuality Policy
December 2023
