Attendance

At St. Winefride's we place great importance on good attendance. Attendance has a direct impact on a Child's learning now and in their future. Those who are regularly not in school quickly fall behind and do not reach their full potential.

Attendance is monitored and reviewed every half term. Anyone whose attendance falls below 90% will be sent a letter, unless there are extenuating circumstances. If there is no improvement a second letter will be issued requesting medical evidence for any absences. Following this there will be a third letter inviting the family in for a meeting with the Head teacher and Education Welfare Officer (EWO). Continued unauthorised absence can lead to a fixed penalty notice being issued by the Local Authority. Our Headteacher and the EWO are happy to work with families to improve attendance and punctuality if you are experiencing problems.

Authorised Absences

These are relating to time off for a valid reason such as illness or an emergency dental appointment. Routine appointments should be made out of school hours. Absence due to a holiday needs to be approved by the Headteacher via a leave of absence form. These can be collected from outside the main entrance. Only one holiday per academic year can be approved and any requests must be accompanied by a letter explaining why you are taking your child away during term time.

Unauthorised Absences

This includes days off for a birthday, a day out, a holiday which is not previously approved. Not being able to bring your child to school due to sudden parental illness may be authorised for one day but following that alternative arrangements should be made to ensure your child can attend school.

Reporting an Absence

You should report your child's absence as soon as possible by sending a message on the School Gateway or by calling the school and leaving a message on the answer machine. Please state why your child is absent and when you expect them to return. If we are not notified of an absence you will receive a message via the school gateway requesting a reason why your child is not in school. If there is still no response this will be followed up by a phone call on day 2. Subsequent absence with no parental contact will be followed up with a letter and a home visit from the EWO.