Attendance & Punctuality
Attendance & Punctuality
The whole school starts at 8:55am and finishes at 3:15pm. After school clubs run until 4:30pm. Pupils attending Granton Guardians attend until 6:00pm.
We expect pupils to arrive and to be collected punctually at the start and end of their school day.
Our Aim
At Granton Primary School we work hard to ensure all pupils are welcomed into a safe, secure and creative learning environment so that they can achieve their full potential.
We aim;
- To work together in partnership with parents/carers and children to ensure excellent attendance and punctuality.
- To reduce unauthorised absence and lateness through promoting positive attendance.
- To ensure that systems are in place for monitoring attendance and for early identification of difficulties.
- To ensure the policy is consistently applied throughout the school.
Authorised / Unauthorised Absence
Authorised
A message or explanation from a parent/carer does not necessarily mean an absence becomes authorised. The decision whether or not to authorise an absence will always rest with the school.
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An absence is classified as authorised when a child has been away from school for a legitimate reason which is accepted as valid by the school; even if it is an authorised absence, it will still affect the child's attendance percentage.
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Parents/Carers will be asked to provide medical evidence if a child is persistently absent due to illness.
Unauthorised
Absences are recorded as unauthorised if a child is away from school without good reason.
- Ongoing and repeated lateness or absence is considered as unauthorised absence and may be subject to legal action.
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If absence/lateness persists, parents/carers will be invited to attend a meeting in school to discuss concerns and agree an Action Plan going forward.
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If concerns persist, the school will refer concerns to Lambeth Education Welfare Officer. This may involve consideration/issue of a Fixed Penalty Notice or the beginning of legal action.
Holidays Taken During Term Time
Taking holidays in term time will affect your child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents/carers to help us by not taking children out during school time. Permission for holidays during school time will not be given and such absences will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and a referral will be made to Lambeth Courts Team for a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Requests may be made in writing to the Attendance Team should a leave of absence need to be taken in exceptional circumstances. Fixed Penalty Notices may be issued if parents remove their child from school during term time without seeking permission in advance and/or if attendance has been poor prior to the request. Please note parents/carers will be asked to provide evidence should any absences fall on either side of a school holiday.
If there are personal issues that are affecting your ability to bring your child to school please contact Jane Costin Designated Safeguarding Lead.
It is vital that pupils attend school, on time, every day in order to gain the greatest benefit from their education
96% - 100% (less than 9 days absence in a year) is good attendance.
96.4% is the national average attendance rate for a child at primary school.
There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time.
Failure to secure regular school attendance" is a legal offence under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 in the UK, where a parent or guardian fails to ensure their child, who is of compulsory school age and registered at a school, attends regularly
