Attendance Information

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Just like you, we want the best for all our GRPS children. We want them all to achieve, to have  the best opportunities and to succeed. One of the many ways we can help them is by asking them to be a GRPS HERO!

HERE

EVERY DAY

READY

ON TIME

We run several incentives in school to promote good attendance including the ‘Glaggo Gifts’ shop. By being in school and contributing to their class attendance your child is helping the class earn virtual money which they can spend on a ‘gift’ of their choosing. These range from an extra playtime, a casual day or the top prize of story time with Mr Johnson himself!

If school becomes aware that your child’s attendance is becoming a cause for concern Mr Johnson and/or Mr Philps (Attendance Learning Mentor) will contact you. They will work with you and your child to identify barriers and implement strategies to improve attendance. You are more than welcome to contact Mr Philps in the first instance if you are concerned about your child’s attendance, for example if are reluctant to come to school but they won’t share the reason with you.

Punctuality

Good attendance includes arriving in school on time. Punctuality is important as it forms good habits for later in life. Arriving late in school may cause difficulties for your child; they may miss announcements in registration or assembly and they may find it embarrassing to walk into a class that has already started.

If your child arrives very late, they will be marked as “Unauthorised Late” – this is the same as an Unauthorised Absence!

If your child is going to be unavoidably late please contact school before 8.45am to inform us and order your child’s lunch.

Late Arrivals

Before 9.15am    All children arriving late to school before 9.15am will need to be signed in at the Lower Door, at the Gladstone Road end of Wooler Street.

After 9.15am      Any child arriving after 9.15am will be signed into school through the School Office at the top of Wooler Street.

Appointments

Hospital, medical & dental appointments etc. should, where possible, be made out of school times. If this is not possible we will require confirmation of the appointment via an appointment card, text or letter to be able to authorise the absence.

Late collections

If you are running late to collect your child from school, please let us know as soon as possible and when it is safe for you to do so. We understand life is sometimes unpredictable so don’t worry. Your child will be taken to the Main School Office and supervised until you arrive.

How to report your child’s absence

If your child is going to be absent from school you must inform school no later than 9.00am on the first day of absence. We have several ways available for you to report your child’s absence:

• Call 01723 372566 ~ Option 3 and leave a voice mail
• Text 07520 634751 with name, class and reason
• Email attendance@gladstone.n-yorks.sch.uk
• Note A note in advance to the Attendance Officer

If your child is a Looked After Child, on a Child Protection or Child in Need plan and is absent Mr Philps will place a phone call to parents/carers to check in with your child and see how they are doing. If Mr Philps is unable to speak with your child he will carry out a home visit.

If your family is receiving Early Help Support or has been identified by school as needing support with your child’s attendance Mr Philps will attempt a telephone check in with your child on their first day of absence, if he is unable to speak with your child Mr Philps will attempt this check in again on the second day of absence. If he is still unable to speak with your child Mr Philps will carry out a home visit.

For all children in our school family who are absent Mr Philps will carry out a telephone check in if your child is absent for three days or more. If he can’t speak with your child Mr Philps may carry out a home visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as an authorised absence?

• Authorised absence may include illness or days of religious observance.

Authorised absences do NOT include

• minding the house
• looking after siblings or parents
• going shopping
• celebrating a birthday
• oversleeping
• arriving late for school
• going on a day trip without the school’s permission

My child attends school most of the time, what difference does the odd day or two here or there make?

• By law, children of compulsory school age registered at a school must attend daily
• County Councils can issue fines to parents & carers whose children do not attend regularly.
• Days missed add up. There are only 190 school days a year. Missing just 8 of these days mean a child will not achieve the minimum school target of 96% by the end of the year.

We are only late by 5-10 minutes every morning, why does school worry about this when the other children are still only just taking their coats off?

• Parents & Carers have a responsibility to ensure their children are in school on time everyday ready to learn.
• Poor punctuality can lead to the morning session being marked as an unauthorised absence which could result in a fine being issued by the County Council.
• The start times for each year group are the times lessons begin – not the time the children come into school
• The dinner register is taken promptly at the start of the day.
• First thing in the morning is a vital time for input from the teacher about the day.

My child is meeting all their targets in school so why does it matter if I take them out of school for a holiday?

• Holidays in term time are not a parental right and there are 13 weeks of the year when school is closed that holidays could be taken.
• Parents who remove their children from school during term time for unauthorised absences may be issued with a fine from the County Council
• Absences from school are more than just missing school work. Your child might not only miss out on important input from their teacher, but their friendship circles, confidence & behaviour may all be impacted by their absence.
• A week or two away from school may not seem that long to you but to the children it can seem a long time to be away from their friends and school family. It can be difficult to settle back in after a holiday.