Attendance
Attending school every day it is open is essential for giving your child every chance to improve their achievement, strengthen their wellbeing, and support wider development. As parents or carers of a child, you have a legal responsibility to ensure your child receives an education, which is why regular attendance at school is so vital.
Regular attendance is so important.
Attending school every day that it is open is important. Data shows that pupils with higher attainment at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, had lower levels of absence over the key stage, compared to those with lower attainment. This proves that absence from school, even the odd days, impacts heavily on children’s attainment. However, it is not just attainment that is affected, the well-being and confidence of a child can be greatly impacted too. This can lead to lack of friendships, low self-esteem because the work is too difficult and a child not enjoying school.
Attendance Help and Support
If you would like support with your child's attendance please contact:
Mrs A Matsangou (Deputy headteacher and school attendance lead) - 01604 765037 (Please ask to speak to Mrs Matsangou)
or Email - office@wvps.northants.sch.uk and mark for the attention of Mrs Matsangou
When can my child be absent from school?
When you register your child at school, you have a legal duty to ensure your child attends that school regularly. This means that your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend that day.
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances.
- Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance (only 1 day permitted each academic year)
- When directed by the school e.g. Snow Day, INSET day
Be a HERO - Here. Everyday. Ready. On time.
At Woodland View Primary School we want every child to be a HERO! Being a HERO is easy; you just need to be in school every day and ready to learn on time (Here, Everyday, Ready and On-time). Our gates open at 8.40am and close at 8.55am. Your child needs to be in school before the gates close. If you are having to send your child through the Reception front door, they are late!
Every day, in every class, learning starts immediately. This can be a range of early morning challenges that revisit previous learning or set things up for the day ahead. If your child misses this or is late for this, it can often make them feel on the ‘back foot’ for the rest of the day.
These morning slots are also key times when individuals or small groups may receive targeted interventions for their specific learning needs.
All this is lost if your child does not get into school, through the gates on time! We recognise the stresses and strains on families in the mornings. However, it is key that everything possible is done to ensure your child is on time.
Of course, if you really are struggling, please get in touch and we will always do our absolute best to help in whatever way we can.
Is my child too ill for school? Help and Advice.
It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell.
There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about health protection and managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.
If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school as soon as possible on the first day of absence. Please let the office know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.
You can also email: office@wvps.northants.sch.uk
If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.
For more information, please visit the NHS website - Is my child too ill for school? https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
Condition |
Advice |
|
Coughs and colds |
It's fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes. Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly. |
|
High Temperature |
If your child has a high temperature, keep them off school until it goes away. |
|
Chicken Pox |
If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over. This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared. |
|
Cold sores |
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore. Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels. |
|
Conjunctivitis |
You don't need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis. Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly. |
|
COVID-19 |
If your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, and feels well enough, they can go to school. Your child should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and they either: · have a high temperature · do not feel well enough to go to school or do their normal activities WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD HAS TESTED POSITIVE Your child is no longer required to do a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test if they have symptoms. But if your child has tested positive for COVID-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test.
|
|
Ear infection |
If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, keep them off school until they're feeling better or their high temperature goes away. |
|
Hand, foot and mouth disease |
If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to school, there's no need to keep them off. Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly. |
|
Head lice and nits |
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice. You can treat head lice and nits without seeing a GP. |
|
Impetigo |
If your child has impetigo, they'll need treatment from a GP, often with antibiotics. Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment. Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school. |
|
Ringworm |
If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it's on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP. It's fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment |
|
Scarlet fever |
If your child has scarlet fever, they'll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they'll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks. Your child can go back to school 24 hours after starting antibiotics. |
|
Slapped cheek syndrome (also called fifth disease) |
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have slapped cheek syndrome because, once the rash appears, they're no longer infectious. But do please let the school or teacher know if you think your child has slapped cheek syndrome |
|
Sore throat |
You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away. A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis. |
|
Threadworms |
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms. Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment. |
|
Vomiting and diarrhoea |
Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours). |
Absence from school during term time
We seek to work in partnership with parents to ensure that each child’s experience is one that will enable them to make good progress by building on the skills and talents within a continuous and consistent learning environment. If together we are to achieve this aim, regular attendance at school is vital and full parental support and co-operation in this matter is necessary.
School attendance regulations changed on 19th August 2024 under Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 which amends the existing 2006 regulations.
Under current government legislation, the school is unable to allow absence in term for the purpose of a holiday under any circumstances. The regulations do allow the school to continue to authorise absence in “exceptional circumstances”.
It is still possible for parents to ask school to authorise an absence for an exceptional circumstance (such as family bereavement, a music exam, etc). The form for this can be found via the link below.
Please be aware that any holiday in term time or any unauthorised absence totalling 10 or more sessions (5 days) could result in a fine of £80-£160 per child, per parent, being issued by West Northants County Council.
For absence relating to illness, schools may request medical evidence to support the absence.
We hope that parents will understand that schools are bound by the government legislation and make every effort to comply with the attendance regulations.
Here is a helpful guide on attendance for parents/carers produced by the Office for the Children’s Commissioner: https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2022/12/aaa-guide-for-parents-on-school-attendance.pdf
