How We Monitor Your Child's Attendance
We take absence very seriously at Town Farm Primary School. During term times, your child should attend school regularly unless he or she is ill or the school has authorised their absence. Regular attendance now means 100% of the time the school is open unless you have the permission of the Head Teacher to be absent. In these circumstances the minimum target is 96% attendance. To maintain good attendance, a pupil would need to have less than ten days of absence in any school year. This includes days off sick, lateness and medical appointments.
In order to keep your child’s attendance as high as possible, you can:
Ensure they are in school at the registration times of 8.45am and 1pm. The school day ends at 3:15pm.
Make any medical appointments between or after these times, so that they do not miss registration
Send your child in to school if you are ‘not sure’ if they are ill. Rest assured that we will send them home if they are unwell in school
Ensure that you do not take any time off school for holidays or other days unless there are exceptional circumstances, which will be determined by the Head Teacher.
Attendance is monitored on a daily basis by our Attendance Officer.
Fortnightly meetings are held with the Deputy Headteacher and Attendance Officer.
Attendance will be reported to parents/carers, three times per academic year. These are discussed in the Autumn and Spring Parents' Evenings and the Summer written reports.
Any attendance concerns we have will be discussed with parents using the following levels of communication:
| Attendance Levels | What happens at each stage? |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Phone call to parents/carers to discuss barriers to regular attendance |
| Level 2 | Letter 1 issued as attendance is a concern. Attendance to be monitored |
| Level 3 | Phone call to parents/carers to discuss barriers to regular attendance Informal support plan created between parents/carers and school, if necessary In school support measures put in place, if necessary Attendance to be monitored |
| Level 4 | Letter 2 issued as medical evidence is now required Attendance to be closely monitored |
| Level 5 | Parents/carers meeting in school Attendance Contract put in place Further supportive measures put in place, if necessary – these may include referrals to outside agencies such as The Family Centre, Children’s Services, CAMHs Attendance to be closely monitored |
| Level 6 | Review meeting in school to assess the actions from the Attendance Contract Attendance to be closely monitored |
| Level 7 | Second Review Meeting to access the actions from the Attendance Contract If no improvement, warning of penalty notice via a Notice to Improve letter Attendance to be closely monitored (15 days) |
| Level 8 | School to refer parents/carers to Surrey for legal intervention |