Every day counts!
Having good attendance at school is very important. We want children to attend Carlton Primary whenever they are well enough to do so. Every day counts! It is also really important to know that children like routine. If they have broken attendance they can find work, learning and friendships more difficult.
Reporting an absence at Carlton Primary School:
Please let us know if you child is unwell and not well enough to attend.
You can do this via:
- Email : carltonprimary@setschool.uk
- Phone: 01405 860736 – please do leave a message if you call out of hours or your call is unanswered!
- The Scholarpack App
This is a really useful guide to help you make an informed decision of whether your child should be in school or not: Is my child too ill for school? – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
A child who misses school just twice per month will lose out on 18 days’ education across the school year – that’s nearly four weeks.
Other useful information & links:
School attendance and absence: Overview – GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk )
Information from The Department for Education (DfE’) s) Attendance blog:
Being around teachers and friends in a school environment is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral care.
That’s why school attendance is so important and why the Government is committed to tackling the issues that might cause some children to miss school unnecessarily.
Here’s what you need to know about school attendance.
How does attendance affect outcomes for pupils?
Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Evidence shows that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results.
Our research found that pupils who performed better both at the end of primary and secondary school missed fewer days than those who didn’t perform as well.
The data also shows that in 2019, primary school children in Key Stage 2 who didn’t achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths missed on average four more days per school year than those whose performance exceeded the expected standard.
What are the risks of missing a day of school?
Every moment in school counts, and days missed add up quickly. A child who misses school just twice per month will lose out on 18 days’ education across the school year – that’s nearly four weeks.
The higher a pupil’s attendance, the more they are likely to learn, and the better they are likely to perform in exams and formal assessments.
Data from 2019 shows that 84% of Key Stage 2 pupils who had 100% attendance achieved the expected standard, compared to 40% of pupils who were persistently absent across the key stage.
What if my child needs to miss school?
Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure your child gets a full time-education. Usually, that means going into school from the age of 5 to 16.
There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend.
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances.
- Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event.
- Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it’s not available or has not been provided yet.
- Your child does not have a permanent address and you are required to travel for work. This exception only applies if your child attends their usual school or another school where you are staying as often as possible. This must be 200 half days or more a year if they are aged 6 or older.
These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.
Information from the Chief Medical Officer and colleagues:
The Department for Education (DfE) have asked us to provide you with a clinical and public health perspective on mild illnesses and school attendance.
We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused some parents to feel less confident with assessing whether their child is well enough to be in school so we have laid out some information which we hope you will find helpful.
There is wide agreement among health professionals and educational professionals that school attendance is vital to the life chances of children and young people. Being in school improves health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout the life course. The greatest benefits come from children and young people attending school regularly.
It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above. Is my child too ill for school? – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
In addition to respiratory illnesses, we are aware that more children may be absent from school due to symptoms of anxiety than before the pandemic. Worry and mild or moderate anxiety, whilst sometimes difficult emotions, can be a normal part of growing up for many children and young people. Being in school can often help alleviate the underlying issues. A prolonged period of absence is likely to heighten a child’s anxiety about attending in the future, rather than reduce it. DfE has published useful guidance on mental health issues affecting a pupil’s attendance and those who are experiencing persistent symptoms can be encouraged to access additional support.
Mental health issues affecting a pupil’s attendance: guidance for schools – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Yours sincerely,
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, England
Pat Cullen, General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners
Dr Camilla Kingdon, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
William Roberts, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
Dr Lade Smith, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists