Catsfield CEP SchoolAttendance
The Start of the Day
It is very important to develop good routines for getting to school on time. The parking around the school is very limited, so if you have to travel by car you should allow for this. The school operates a 'soft start'. This means we are open from 8.45am. The children can come straight in, organise their things and join the class for an early morning activity. All children should be in school ready to start the day by 8.55am. We take the register at this time promptly. Children who arrive after 9.00am are marked as absent or late if they then arrive.
Good attendance habits and being punctual are excellent skills our children can need for their future life in the world. Please help your child to have the best possible start to their school day by ensuring they are in school by 8.55am ready to learn.
Absence
If your child is unwell, please phone the school before 9.00am and leave a message; please don't email as there could be a delay in receiving messages. If you do not inform us of your child's absence we will contact you to find out where your child is. If we cannot contact any parent of carer then we will continue to work through the list of contacts you have given us. Your child's safety is paramount to us and knowing where they are when absent is essential.
If your child becomes unwell during the day, we will contact you to come and collect them. Please ensure that we always have up to date telephone numbers for you.
Under the Weather Form
We know that children don't always wake up feeling 100%, and it can sometimes be difficult to decide whether they are well enough for school. We also recognise that many minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds and headaches, don't necessarily mean a child needs to stay at home.
If your child is attending school but is feeling a little unwell, you can complete the "Under the Weather" form at drop-off and hand it to a member of staff. The form allows you to let us know about any symptoms, medication given, or support your child may need during the day.
At busy drop-off times, it can be difficult to have detailed conversations with staff while ensuring all children are welcomed safely into school. We hope this will provide a quick and simple way for you to share any important information about how your child is feeling, any medication they have received, or any support they may need during the day. This will help us gather the information we need without parents having to wait for a member of staff to discuss concerns allowing drop-off to remain calm and focused on the children.
End of the School Day
The school day for all pupils finishes at 3.20pm. The children are walked by their teacher to the playground at the end of the day. Please ensure you are ready to collect your child on time. If someone different is collecting your child it is very important that you have notified us of who will be attending on your behalf. You can share this at the start of the school day or contact us by phone. If someone comes to collect and we have not been notified then we will not release your child in to their care until we have been able to contact you.
Holiday in Term Time
There is no entitlement for parents to remove their child from school for the purpose of a holiday in term time. The Headteacher will look at each case individually and only authorise time out of school in exceptional circumstances, for example, a special family occasion such as a wedding or bereavement. The Local Authority will issue parents with a Penalty Notice of £60 per parent per child for taking holiday during term time if over a set number of days. If you do need to take your child out of school other than for medical reasons, please complete a an application form for absence which is available from the School Office. The Headteacher will then decide if the time out of school can be authorised.