At Willington Primary School, we have the highest aspirations for your child: we know that the world is run by those who turn up, and that every lesson counts towards your child’s achievement. We also know that you, as your child’s parent/carer, want your child to get on well in life. Children only get one chance at school, and your child’s chances of a successful future may be affected by not attending school every day on time. When children do not attend or are late, they:
- struggle to keep up with school work
- miss out on the social side of school life – especially at primary school. Poor attendance can affect children’s ability to make and keep friendships, a vital part of growing up.
At Willington Primary we have a whole range of incentives to actively encourage children to come to school everyday. We have an ‘Attendance Super League’ which runs in a similar way to a football league. Children are entered into teams and each week they earn points dependent on how good their attendance is. The points are accumulated, and at the end of each term, the team with the most number of points will receive an extra special treat!
What does the law say?
By law, all children of compulsory school age must get a suitable, full-time education. As a parent/carer, you are responsible for making sure this happens. Once your child is registered at Willington Primary School, you are responsible for making sure he or she attends regularly. If your child fails to attend regularly – even if they miss school without you knowing – the Local Authority (LA) may take legal action against you. The LA is responsible for making sure that parents/carers fulfil their responsibilities, and the school must tell the LA if your child is regularly absent from school. As a parent/carer, you are committing an offence if you fail to make sure that your child attends school regularly. You run the risk of being prosecuted by the LA if your child’s attendance is poor.
The Government’s minimum standard for primary school attendance is 96%.
What about absences?
There may be times when your child has to miss school because she or he is ill. Please notify us of this on the first day (and every subsequent day) of absence. If we do not hear from you , you will be contacted by our administration team to ensure the whereabouts and safety of your child. If there are patterns of sickness, we work with your child, you and your health professionals to try and resolve these issues. Children may be offered medical or dental appointments in school time. Please try to make routine appointments such as dental check-ups during the school holidays or after school hours.
What can you do to help?
Make sure your child arrives at school on time every day.
Take an interest in what is happening for your child in school. Ask them about their day and praise and encourage their achievements at school.
If you think you might need to take your child out of school, discuss the reasons with the school as early as possible. Reasons such as family bereavement would be acceptable for short absences. Unacceptable reasons for missing school include shopping and birthdays.
If your child is ill or absent for any other reason, contact the school on the first day of absence – you can either phone the school on 01388 746414 or email willington@durhamlearning.net
Follow the school’s procedures for notifying absence, and always let the school know of any days that your child is unable to attend.
If you suspect that your child may be missing school or is unhappy at school, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can work with you to resolve any difficulties.
Make sure your child understands that you do not approve of them missing school and be on the alert for any particular reasons for non-attendance, such as friendship issues or problems with school work, please discuss these with us as early as possible.
Why attendance is so important – a parent guide
Sleep guide
Tips for attendance
