Attendance
What happens if my child is ill?
If your child is ill at school
We take the health and welfare of our pupils very seriously. We will inform parents if a child has been injured or upset, or feels ill either through face to face discussion with parents, a phone call home, or a bump note. If it is deemed that your child is not well enough to be in school then we will phone their emergency contact for them to be collected. It is essential, therefore, that we have an up-to-date telephone number, and emergency number, so that we can make contact with parents/carers when necessary. We welcome parents to school to discuss any concerns they may have about their child’s welfare, progress or happiness.
Absence owing to illness
Please inform the school of your child’s illness on the first day of absence. This can be done through a phone call (01709 740751) or via our text service (07520660274). If we do not hear from you on the first day that your child is absent then, once registers close, a text reminder will be sent for you to contact us. This is to ensure the safety of all pupils and to establish whether you are aware that your child is not at school, or if they are truanting. Should the absence last for more than a day, we ask that you keep the school informed about when your child is likely to return to school.
Should we have concerns about a child’s attendance level then parents will be invited in to discuss any difficulties they may be having in getting their child to school and any support that the school can offer.
Appointments
Where possible, it would be preferable for appointments to be made outside of school hours. We are aware however that this is not always possible. In these instances we would encourage parents to ensure that their child misses the minimum amount of learning time in order to attend. Children should attend school before appointments when it is possible and return to school as soon as they can afterwards.
Attendance Tracking
The attendance system is operating in school, identifying issues early and all staff receive their class’s weekly attendance analysis in order to inform the teacher as to what action may need to be taken in regard to conversations with parents. First day calling takes place daily.
At Greasbrough, we know that good school attendance will give our children the chance to be the best that they can be. A study by the DFE gave a summary of the link between absence and attainment at the end of KS2. Pupils with higher KS2 attainment in 2019 had lower levels of absence over the key stage compared to those with lower attainment. Pupils who did not achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2019 had an overall absence rate of 4.7% over the key stage, compared with 3.5% among pupils who achieved the expected standard and 2.7% among those who achieved the higher standard.
The chart below, from FFT, a data analysis system, highlights the effects of lower attendance on attainment at the end of KS2.
According to the data, children who attend school more regularly are more likely to achieve the Expected Standard at the end of KS2.
Is my child too ill for school?
If you are unsure whether your child is too ill for school please check the website ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ or contact the school office. We are happy for children to come to school who may be a little under the weather and will always contact parents if we feel it is necessary.
Are you aware?
Just seven and a half days off school in a year would lead to your child being below the national average.
What is the School doing to help?
We know attendance is important and we also know that every family and their situation is different. We are always available to speak about how we can support children and families to improve attendance.
To reduce the risk of infections and illnesses spreading in school we monitor air quality through the use of CO2 monitors and ensure there is sufficient airflow in classrooms. School is cleaned daily and there are hand-cleaning antibacterial stations available around the school. We encourage thorough handwashing and build into our curriculum handwashing and hygiene.
Download our Attendance and Punctuality Policy on our Policies page.
