Attendance
At Chapelfield Primary School we expect all pupils to:
- Attend every school day
- Attend school punctually
- Attend school prepared for the day
We aim for excellent attendance at Chapelfield as we believe that attending school on time is key to to enabling children to make the most of the opportunities we offer to prepare them for their future. We will work in partnership with all our families to identify the reasons for poor attendance, supporting them in addressing any barriers to attendance for their child.
Please support the school with this by ensuring your child arrives punctually at the start of each school day and that family holidays are kept to school holidays.
The School Day
Children enter school via the Hall Doors between 8.40am and 9.00am and are individually greeted by Mrs Mcloughlin, Family Support Officer and Mrs Reed, Headteacher. They go straight to their classroom to choose their meal (if they have school lunches) and start their learning. The official school start time is 9.00am. Children who enter school after this time must do so via the Main Entrance where the time of entry and reason for absence is recorded.
| Doors Open |
Morning Registration |
Morning Break |
Lunch Break |
Afternoon Registration |
Home Time |
Total* | |
| Nursery Class (Foundation Stage 1) | 08:40 | 09:00 | 10:15 | 11:45 | 12:25 | 15:25 | 33h 30m |
| Infant Classes (Reception – Year 2) | 08:40 | 09:00 | 10:15-10:30 | 12:00 | 13:15 | 15:25 | 33h 30m |
| Lower KS2 Classes (Years 3 – 4) | 08:40 | 09:00 | 10:30-10:45 | 12:15 | 13:15 | 15:25 | 33h 30m |
| Upper KS2 Classes (Years 5 – 6) | 08:40 | 09:00 | 10:45-11:00 | 12:15 | 13:15 | 15:25 | 33h 30m |
What do you if your child is late, ill or has an appointment?
Registers are marked by 9.00am and all students will receive a late mark if they are not in by that time. At 9.20am the registers will be closed. In accordance with legal regulations, if a child arrives after that time they will receive a mark that shows them to be on site, but this will not count as a present mark and it will mean they have an unauthorised absence.
Late
Children who are late should come to the main school reception where they will need to be signed in by the adult bringing them to school. They must be brought to the school office by an accompanying adult who will be asked to complete the late register.
Illness
If a child is absent from school, parents should contact Mrs McLoughlin, Family Support Officer or Mrs Hannaby, School Business Manager, via Parent Hub or via the absence line on 0161 723 5519, on the first day of absence providing a reason for the absence and the expected date of return.
If the absence continues, parents should contact Mrs McLoughlin or Mrs Hannaby on each day of absence to identify the reason for absence and the expected date of return.
If a child is absent, and we have had no contact from the parent to provide a reason for the absence, we will:
- Activate first day contact procedures after the register is closed at 9.20am.
- If there remains no contact then a further telephone call will be made later that morning to the parent and, if no response, a call will be made to the pupil’s other emergency contacts
- If we cannot contact a parent and are concerned about the pupil then, a home visit may be carried out by Mrs McLoughlin, Family Support Officer and a Senior Leader, usually Mrs Reed or Mrs Macdonald. If the family is supported by a social worker then the social worker will be informed of the absence.
In the case of specific illnesses that require pupils to be kept off school, parents should follow public health advice to ensure the wellbeing of the whole school community. These illnesses are Chickenpox, Diarrhoea and Vomiting, Impetigo, Measles, Mumps, Scabies, Scarlet Fever and Whooping Cough.
Please see below for more information:
ukhsa should i keep my child off school guidance a3 poster.pdf
Appointments
A request for a child to leave school to attend an appointment will be granted providing evidence is provided. Where possible appointments should always be made outside of school hours. Children who need to leave the school during the school day for an appointment must be collected from the main entrance by a responsible adult.
Absence and Holidays During Term Time
A leave of absence will only be granted (authorised) under exceptional circumstances. In making our decision we will take into account the specific circumstances and context behind the request. If a leave of absence is granted, the head teacher will determine the length of the time the pupil can be away from school. Requests for a leave of absence should be made in writing to the head teacher giving as much notice as possible. The request should be sent via email to the school office on chapelfield@bury.gov.uk marked for the attention of Mrs Reed.
Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation will not constitute an exceptional circumstance
Parents are advised that is now against the law to take family holidays in term time. Penalty Notice Fines are issued where family holidays are taken in school time.
Parents/carers are also asked to arrange medical/dental appointments outside school hours wherever possible.
Recognising Good Attendance
We value and recognise the importance of good attendance. We use the following to promote and celebrate good attendance:
- clear expectations of good attendance and discussions at a whole school level regarding the importance of attendance
- whole class recognition for good attendance, tied in with class marble jars
- recognition of individual pupils who have worked hard to improve attendance through rewards with Mrs McLoughlin
school attendance silly school education 240922 203805.pdf
Attendance Records Monitoring
Regular attendance and punctuality are very important and we are required to keep detailed records of all aspects of attendance.
Our approach to attendance management is based on prevention, early intervention and targeted support. We will regularly analyse attendance data to identify pupils who are at risk of poor attendance, have poor attendance or are identified as being either persistently absence or severely absent.