Victoria Road Primary School is passionate about the continuous raising of achievement of all our pupils.  Regular attendance is critical if our pupils are to be successful and benefit from the opportunities presented to them.

We are committed to meeting our obligations with regard to school attendance through our whole-school culture and ethos that values good attendance. 

One of our basic principles is to celebrate success. Good attendance is fundamental to a successful and fulfilling school experience. We actively promote 100% attendance for all our pupils, and we use a variety of weekly, termly and annual awards to promote good attendance and punctuality.

It is a legal obligation of all parents/carers to ensure their child attends school regularly. By law, all children of compulsory school age (5-17) must get a proper full-time education. Parents are responsible for ensuring children attend regularly in a condition to learn. 

Children should be in school by 8:45 and in class to register by 8:50am. Parents should contact the school as soon as possible if a child is going to be absent or late for any reason. 

Parents may be required to provide medical evidence to substantiate that their child's illness required them to be absent from school. 

Leave of absence in term time

There are 13 weeks available to use when the school is closed, for going on holiday etc. You must not take your child out of school during term time. Time off school for family holidays, special events and outings will impact on your child's learning and will not be authorised.

The Headteachers cannot authorise leave of absence during term time. Leave taken in term time will adversely affect your child's academic progress and their attendance record and may result in a penalty notice.

Attendance below 90% is considered to be poor, and your child will be classified as being persistently absent.

The minimum percentage we expect is 97% attendance - this means no more than 5 days in a year.

What does 90% mean?

90% attendance = 1/2 day missed every week. Over the school year, this is 4 weeks of learning lost. 

Punctuality matters too

• Missed minutes = missed learning = missed opportunities
• Being frequently late for school adds up to lost learning and means children are often unsettled at the start of the day.
• Arriving 5 minutes late every day adds up to 3 days lost each year
• Arriving 15 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 2 weeks year
• Arriving 30 minutes late every day is the same as being abst 19 days a year.

Some strategies to improve punctuality:

• Bedtime routine - packing school bag ready for the next day, getting to bed earlier, setting a time for the television, IPad/computer and other devises turned off, No phone in the bedroom, setting your alarm with enough time to get things ready without rushing
• Morning routine - ensure children are ready for school in enough time, make sure shoes and bag are by the door before they leave so there is not a rush to find them as you attempt to leave, try to stick to the same or similar morning routine as children are comforted by this.  

Amendments to The Education (Pupil Registration)(England) Regulations 2006 make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The Headteacher can only authorise leave in exceptional circumstances

If you do take your child out of school during term time for a holiday, you may be liable for a fine from the KCC.

Thank you for working in partnership with us to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance and punctuality at Victoria Road Primary School.