Regular attendance at school is paramount for any child. When a child is in school, they benefit from both the academic support, but also the social aspect of mixing with their peers and staff in school.
At Hamstead Primary School, we place a great importance on pupils attending school regularly and on-time. We aim to work with parents to ensure all of our pupils have high attendance (97% or above).
Attendance has been inconsistent over the last 12-18 months, however we hope for a more settled period ahead. We need parents help with this to ensure that you child attends school. We are extremely thankful to all of the parents who support high attendance and recognise the importance of regular attendance at school.
As a result, at the end of last year, nearly 30 pupils achieved 100% Attendance across school and were rewarded with a gift voucher. There will be additional rewards for pupils and classes throughout the year who display high attendance with:
Attendance guidance
100% = Excellent attendance
96%+ = Good attendance
90-96% = Attendance being monitored closely by school
Below 90% = attendance must be seen to improve.*
One area of improvement for school is to reduce the number of 'unauthorised' absences (for holidays taken during term time or lost time for days out). Under new Government guidelines, no leave of absence will be 'authorised' during term time - unless in extreme circumstances. The new Leave of Absence form (see below) must be completely accurately by parents prior to any requested absence. Unauthorised absences will be reported to Attendance and Prosecution where parents may be fined. We also have a new Attendance Consultant supporting school by working with pupils and parents. Mrs Thompson will carry out Home Visits to check on a child's safety and/or explore reasons for the absence if school has not been contacted.
We are aware that some parents still have issues getting their child to arrive at school on time. There are occasions when this may be due to transport issues; however we ask that you ensure that your child arrives in time for the gates opening at 8.40am. When a child is late for lessons it can be disruptive to the teacher and other pupils in the class. In addition, it is unsettling for the child.
A child who is five mins late each day, misses 25 minutes of learning a week - which means 950 minutes (15hrs 50mins) of learning a year!
Although some pupils are still arriving late on a regularly basis, this is something that is improving in school. We thank parents for their continued support with this.
It is vital that parents contact the school office on the first day of absence and state a clear reason why your child is absent. This can be completed via text message or calling the School Office on 0121 357 1557 to speak to directly, one of our office staff.
When a child's attendance falls below 90%, they are classed as a 'Persistent Absentee'. Parents will need to work with school to improve this attendance before a referral is made to Sandwell Attendance Team. Medical evidence may be requested for absences where attendance is low. Fines up to £1,000 can now be issued to those parents who do not ensure a reasonable percentage of attendance for their children.
For more details about HPS Attendance, please refer to the HPS Attendance Policy.
Sickness absence in schools - Guide for parents
