St Christopher'sAttendance
Being on time
It is important your child arrives to school on time.
In normal times the school gates open at 8.30am and close promptly at 8.50am. Any pupils arriving after this time are required to sign in at the main reception.
Any children arriving after 8.50am will need to sign in at the main reception.
If your child is absent from school due to illness, you must telephone the school office before 9.30am to give a reason for the absence.
If the office have not received a reason for the absence by 11am, you may receive a home visit to check the welfare of your child.
Punctuality to school is crucial
Lateness causes disruption to that individual’s learning and to the other children in the class.
Daily telephone calls are being made to families whose attendance causes concern and calls are made to all families where the reason for absence has not been reported to us. Weekly checks on individual percentages are carried out, and pupils whose attendance has fallen below 95% or have increased sessions of illness or lateness are informed in writing and requested to attend a meeting with the attendance officer and the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO).
Absence during school time
Please try where possible to make doctor and dentist appointments out of school hours. If it has to be during the school day, booking an appointment between 9am -12.00pm and after 1.15pm will still make it possible for pupils to achieve 100% attendance and have medical/dental appointments during the school day.
Leave of absence during term time
A leave of absence form can be obtained from the school office or downloaded from this page. We request this form is completed and returned to school at least two weeks prior to the first day of absence. An absence now can only be granted in ‘exceptional circumstances’ and the parent/carer must provide a letter making a case for taking a child away from school. Absence which has not been agreed in advance by the Headteacher will lead to the pupil being marked with ‘unauthorised absence’. If your child has 8 or more unauthorised sessions (half days) in a year, this may then be referred to the Local Authority for consideration of a Penalty Notice. The Local Authority may then issue a £60 penalty per child, per parent. This must be paid within 21 days or it will increase to £120 per child, per parent. If this is not paid within 28 days, the Local Authority will refer the matter to Court, where the maximum penalty is £1000.