Attendance

At St Swithun's we believe that attendance is vital to ensuring that all pupils can meet their full potential.

Every school day, really does count!

Central Bedfordshire's attendance leaflet

Good attendance is important because:

• statistics show a direct link between educational achievement and absence levels
• regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically
• regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to maintain
• regular attenders find learning more satisfying
• regular attenders find transition points easier to manage

every school day counts.pdf

 Absence

Reporting your child absent from school

If your child is absent from school it is important that you let us know the reason for absence as soon as possible. You need to do this by 9.30am on the first day of absence.  You can do this by:

• ringing the school office on 01767 680692
• emailing the school office on schooloffice@stswithuns.cbeds.co.uk
• via the Parentmail App

Actions we will follow for attendance falling below 97% after first half of Autumn term.

• Attendance at 97% or below - class teacher will speak with parents / carers.  If there is no improvement within 4 weeks a letter will be sent to parents.
• Attendance at 93% or below - Letter 2 will be sent to parents/carers and medical evidence will be required for all future absences.  If there is no improvement within 4 weeks a meeting will take place with the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher.  The reasons for continued absence will be discussed and actions will be agreed to support better attendance in the future.
• Attendance at 85% or below - Letter 3 will be sent to parents/carers and a referral will be made to Central Bedfordshire's Education Welfare Officer.    

Lates

Please make sure that you arrive at school on time everyday.  If you are late for school, 5 minutes every day, then you are losing 3 whole school days a year.  If this rises to 15 minutes every day then you lose 10 school days.  

 Appointments during the school day

Wherever possible, we ask that all appointment are made outside of the school day.  However if your child does have an unavoidable appointment the school office must be informed prior to collection.  This can be done by letter, email or telephone call.  The child will need to be collected and returned to the main school office and signed out / in by an adult.

Returning to school after illness

If your child is in school and requires prescribed medication this can be handed into the school office for administering.  A copy of our administration of medicine form can be found here.

Holidays

We discourage holidays during term times and these will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.  You can request a holiday by filling in a request form which is available from the school office.  Please return it to school and it will be considered by Mrs Whitehurst.

There is no formal definition of 'exceptional' but exceptional leave is rare, significant, unavoidable and short.