Attendance
For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend school regularly and punctually. In order for any attendance and punctuality policy to be effective it must be consistently applied throughout the whole school, by its staff, pupils and parents
Although being absent cannot always be helped as we all do become ill from time to time, please take a look at the table below to show you exactly how much time your child could be missing.
| 365 Days in a Year | 190 School Days in Total | Absence |
| 100% Attendance | 190 Days | 0 |
|
95% Attendance |
180 Days |
2 Weeks |
| 90% Attendance | 171 Days | 4 Weeks |
| 85% Attendance | 161 Days | 6 Weeks |
| 80% Attendance | 152 Days | More than half a term |
| 75% Attendance | 143 Days | 9+ Weeks |
Key Information for Parents/Carers regarding Attendance and Punctuality
Returning to school after sickness/Injury
If your child is returning to school after a serious injury or illness, parents/carers should report to the school office in case a risk assessment needs to be completed, especially if your child needs things put in place upon their return, e.g. no PE lessons whilst on crutches, etc
Absence
You must notify the school on the first day of an unplanned absence, e.g. if their child is unable to attend due to ill health - by 9:00am or as soon as practically possible. Absences are followed up on a daily basis by the school office.
You must notify the school by registering the absence on ParentMail, telephoning the school or leaving a message on the absence line. You must provide a detailed reason for the absence. If sufficient detail is not provided, then the school office will contact you to request further information.
Holidays during term time
The Head Teacher and the Governing Body are not able to support holidays taken during term time, as per our policy. All such absences are recorded as unauthorised and may be subject to a penalty fine.
Medical or other appointments
A medical or dental appointment is counted as an unauthorised absence; advance notice is required for authorising these absences. An email should be sent to info@dulverton.education confirming the date and time of the appointment, along with supporting evidence e.g. hospital letter.
We do, however, encourage parents/carers to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary.
The Education Welfare Service (EWS):
We work closely with the London Borough of Bexley Education Welfare Service and jointly monitor and review the attendance of all pupils, including lateness and holidays taken during term time. If there is an attendance concern we work closely with parents/carers in order to support improved attendance.
If there are queries regarding school attendance or the Education Welfare Service, please email educationwelfare@bexley.gov.uk or contact Ms Keri McDermott (Education Welfare Officer) on 0203 045 435.
How to improve your child’s school attendance and where to get support
Department of Education - Moments Matter, Attendance Counts Link
What if my child is too ill to go to school?
It’s usually safe for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild illnesses, like a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat.
However, children should stay at home if they have a high temperature of 38C or above.
The NHS has published guidance to help parents and carers decide whether their child is well enough to attend school, including information on a range of common childhood illnesses and conditions, such as coughs, colds, chickenpox and headlice.
