Regular attendance and punctuality are considered very important here at Emsworth Primary School – not only does it help our pupils to build and strengthen firm relationships with their peers and members of staff it is also a proven factor in better attainment.

When your child is unwell and or unable to come to school it is crucial that the following steps are taken for each day of their absence:

• 1) Telephone the school office on 01243 375750 and leave a message on the absence line at your earliest opportunity.
• 2) Report your child’s absence via admin@emsworth.hants.sch.uk

Please be aware that if you fail to inform the school of your child’s absence it will be recorded as unauthorised. Absences are monitored very closely by our Welfare Officer and if your child has recurring absences then the advice of the Attendance Legal Panel will be sort.

Please feel free to contact the Welfare Officer if you have any concerns or require support with getting your child to school on time. 

Whilst as a parent you may think you can give your child permission to be at home, you cannot. The only person who can give permission for a child to be absent from school is the school’s Headteacher.

A GUIDE TO ALL THINGS MEDICAL

 Unreasonable medical absences

Head lice – No time off required, treat lice and send to school

Conjunctivitis – Children can return to school after the first dose of eye drops

NB When making dental, doctors or optician appointments, please try to arrange them for out of school hours. Please be aware that an appointment during the school day does not require your child to miss the whole day at school. Other than in exceptional circumstances, it will be expected that your child either returns to school following an appointment or comes in before the appointment.

 While in school if your child has had a bump to the head and/or eye/nose/face they will bring home a note from the school office informing you of any treatment they have received in the medical room. If your child requires paracetamol or any other prescribed medication, our trained staff members can administer it with written consent from parents/guardians.

 HOW GOOD IS YOUR ATTENDANCE?

 If your child achieves 90% in an exam you would be really proud but what does this means in terms of attendance?

 90% attendance = ½ day missed EVERY WEEK!

 1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed.

 As a parent/carer you want the best for your children. Having a good education is an important factor in opening up more opportunities in adult life. Did you know that?

• a child who is absent a day of school per week misses an equivalent of two years of their school life
• 90% of young people with absence rates below 85% fail to achieve five or more good grades of GCSE and around one third achieve no GCSEs at all
• poor examination results limit young people’s options and poor attendance suggests to colleges and employers that these students are unreliable

GCSEs may seem a long way off for you and your child but all absence at any stage leads to gaps in your child’s learning. This in turn can:

• mean that they fall behind in work
• affect their motivation
• affect their enjoyment of learning
• lead to poor behaviour
• affect their desire to attend school regularly
• affect their confidence in school
• mean they miss Out on the social life of school and extra-curricular opportunities and experiences

• affect their ability to have or keep friendships.
  

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE

Regular attendance is vital for good progress. If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, please contact the school office on the first day of absence – the administration staff will inform the class teacher. If the illness is prolonged and you require the assistance of the school in helping your child maintain progress, please contact the school and we will be happy to work with you.

In the event of your child having a medical appointment during school time, please inform the school office.

Holiday in term time will not be authorised other than in exceptional circumstances. A special application should be made in writing to the headteacher.

The school works hard to ensure the best levels of attendance. Monitoring takes place on a regular basis to discuss any children who have problems with this. Letters are sent to parents to inform them if attendance falls below 95%. The Parent Support Advisor and school nurse can help and advice any parents who may have concerns in this area.