Key Parental Information:
Our attendance strategy helps us to work towards our attendance vision we have included are some key information and handy top tips for parents and carers.
Above is our attendance strategy that encapsulates everything we are currently doing to improve attendance within our school.
Our Attendance Vision
Through our clear, consistent and inclusive approach to school attendance, we are determined that all pupils will leave Huyton with Roby Primary school equipped with the skills and strategies to succeed and fulfil their potential for their next stage of learning. Enabling and encouraging our pupils to attend school each and every day is key to us at Huyton with Roby. We nurture curiosity in learning and we celebrate opportunities to build upon knowledge and skills ensuring that our children have high aspirations for the future and flourish in all aspects.
You may meet us in school or we may come out to see you at your home to chat about how we can support you getting into school
School Responsibility:
School has the following roles to support attendance.
- Inform parents/carers of their responsibilities for maintaining regular attendance for their child.
- Inform parents/carers every half term of their child’s attendance using the traffic light system.
- 97-100% – Good – Outstanding – GREEN LIGHT
- 94-96.9% – Satisfactory – AMBER LIGHT
- 93.9% and below – Unsatisfactory – RED LIGHT
- We aim to support any family in difficulties or crisis.
- Refer families requiring support to the Attendance Team
- We will actively seek Court Prosecution when needed, but we do this as a very last resort.
- We value and reward good attendance; weekly, half termly, termly and annually through certificates, praise in assembly, rewards and a class attendance trophy.
We will request an explanation from parents/carers if your child is regularly late for school. Parents/carers will be invited into school to discuss this concern with a member of our attendance team (including our Senior Attendance Champion or Headteacher) in the hope of resolving the problem.
To raise standards, please be aware, letters will be sent home if there are any concerns.
Research shows that the closer a school and family work together the more likely a child will succeed.
What to do if a child is absent from school:
If a child is to be absent from school, parents/carers should report absence by ringing the school office before 9.30am to report the absence.
Family Holidays
There are 190 statutory school days in one year. That means there are 175 days (weekends & school holidays) available to use for holidays!
There is no entitlement to time off in school time to go on holiday. Headteachers cannot authorise any leave in term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Any period taken without agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be classed as unauthorised and may attract a Penalty Notice. Family holidays should be arranged during school holidays. Parents/carers must request permission from the Headteacher in advance of the holiday by completing a Leave of Absence Request Form available from the school office. All leave must be requested.
Re: National Framework for Penalty Notices – School Absence
- Penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school are £160 per child, per parent. The amount will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
- A parent may be issued with a penalty notice if their child’s absence is unauthorised, and they miss 10 sessions within a rolling period of 10 weeks. Ten sessions are usually the same as 5 school days. The 10 weeks may span different terms or school years. For example, two unauthorised absences in the summer term and eight unauthorised absences in the autumn term.
- The changes apply to any unauthorised absence taken from the start of the new academic year.
- If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period, the penalty notice will be charged at the higher rate of £160. There is no option for this second offence to be discharged at the lower rate of £80.
- The Government has set a national limit of two penalty notices that can be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period.
- If the national limit of two penalty notices has been met, or exceeded, the local authority must consider the use of another tool to improve attendance. For example, prosecution or another attendance legal intervention.
- The local penalty notice code of conduct published on Knowsley Council’s website and has been drawn up in consultation with headteachers and the Merseyside Police Force.
- The Council believe good attendance is essential to support your child in getting the most out of their education and we thank you for your continued support.
Education Penalty Notice Parental Leaflet September 2024
A 2 week holiday in school time means your child has approximately 50 hours of missed work to catch up on! If children are taken away for a two week holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and appointments, then by the time they leave at sixteen, they will have missed a year of school.
