Attendance

We love to see your child in school everyday!

Good attendance at school (over 96%) is a fundamental part of your child’s education. Poor attendance impacts significantly on progress, learning, friendship groups and the child’s overall happiness at school.

As poor attendance at school is seen as an indicator for neglect, the school has a duty to work with social services and the educational welfare service to ensure families support attendance.

For those who fall below the 96% target for attendance, parents and carers can expect the school to consider further action that could include social services involvement, penalty notices, court proceedings and fines.

 

DID YOU KNOW…?

If your child has 90% attendance this is equivalent of:

  • one half a day lost every week.
  • four whole weeks lost in the school year.
  • half a school year lost over five years.
  • If your child is 5 minutes late every day this is the equivalent of:
  • 3 whole days lost in the school year.

One of our attendance team are available to meet parents and carers should you wish to talk further about any attendance concerns.

Report a pupil absence

If your child is absent from school please contact the school office as early as possible on the first morning of absence. Parents and carers can leave a voicemail message at any time. Please remember to state your child’s full name and the reason for absence when leaving a message.

Sickness or lateness should be notified to the school by note or by phone. Such information is important as it ensures we can carry out our responsibilities to the children in our care. We need to know why they are not at school. We request evidence of appointments, such as an appointment card of prescription. If we do not receive notification of your child’s absence we will telephone in order to carry out our responsibilities.  Attendance is a safeguarding responsibility, so is followed up in all cases.

Children will only be allowed to leave school during school hours to visit the doctor or dentist if they are accompanied by a parent and it would be appreciated if the school could be notified beforehand of such an appointment. As a safety measure we do ask parents to sign their child out and back in again on return (if it is the same day).

Parents and carers can also report absences by emailing parents@westoverprimary.co.uk or via the MCAS app.

The apps mentioned above can be downloaded free of charge and are available for Apple, Android and Windows devices.

Punctuality

Punctuality is very important and late arrivals are recorded and monitored with similar follow up activities for children with poor attendance.

If your child arrives at school late they must report to the school office to be added to the register.

The school day

The school day begins at 8.30am and finishes as 3.10pm.

Parents, carers and children are able to have access to the school site from 8.25am.

When the playground doors open at 8.30am children can quietly and sensibly walk into the school building, giving them time to get organised for their learning and have the opportunity to talk to their friends and teacher.

At the end of the day teachers will open their door and dismiss from their classrooms on to the playground. Children will be told not to leave until the adult they are expecting collects them.

Parents and carers must notify the school in writing if their Year 5 or Year 6 child is allowed to walk home without an adult.

Parents and carers must notify the Class Teacher or School Office before 2.30pm, if someone else is collecting their child.

Important Documents

For more advice on attendance please follow the link to Portsmouth City Council support https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/ext/schools/school-attendance