The school gate on Bolingbrook Road opens at 8.30am and closes at 8.55am.

Children are expected to arrive at school by 8.55am. All children need to be in their classrooms and ready to learn by 9am.

Children arriving after 8.55am are considered late and must enter the school through the main entrance gate on Addison Gardens.

Attendance 

Attendance is a whole school priority and requires the full support of everyone in the school community.

Children must only be absent from school if they are ill. Our school acknowledges that sometimes our pupils cannot come to school because they are really unwell - and that's the right thing to do for them and other students. Medical advice is clear however that children with mild illness will often be well enough to attend - for example if they have a cough, or cold, without a temperature. The NHS guidance https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/ is designed to support parents in their decision making about mild illness. 

If your child is going to be absent, please contact the school before 9am and provide the reason for the absence. Please email admin@addison.lbhf.sch.uk or call 0207 603 5333.

If we have not received a message that your child is absent, a member of staff will telephone you to find out the reason for your child's absence. This is for your child’s safety and to ensure that we know they are safe, so please be understanding if you receive a call from us.

Regular Attendance

Regular attendance at school promotes pupils’ well-being, maximises progress in learning and helps pupils reach their potential. The attendance pattern for all children is monitored weekly with the school seeking to work actively with parents to ensure a regular pattern is maintained.

One of our basic principles is to celebrate success. Good attendance is fundamental to a successful and fulfilling school experience. It is our duty to promote 100% attendance for all children. For our children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered it is vital that our pupils are at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

All children have the right to an education and we have put in place appropriate procedures to support this. We believe that the most important factor in promoting good attendance is development of positive attitudes towards school and learning.

Good attendance is important because:

• statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and absence below 95%

• regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically

• regular attenders find school routines, school work and friendships easier to cope with

• regular attenders find learning more satisfying

• regular attenders are most successful in transferring between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training

The Governing Body and Head teacher, in partnership with parents have a duty to promote full attendance at school.

Attendance Rewards

A report is run fortnightly for attendance and punctuality. The class that achieve the highest attendance within a fortnightly period is awarded in assembly with a class certificate and trophy. The class that achieve the highest attendance overall during a half term will be given a reward e.g. with a trip to the cinema. 

100% Attendance

At the end of each half term, those pupils with 100% attendance are given a certificate during assembly. All pupils who achieve excellent attendance are entered into a raffle for a chance to win a prize. This raffle takes place towards the end of the school term.

Absence during term time

The law does not grant parents an automatic right to take their child out of school during term time. Permission must be sought in advance and must be for ‘exceptional circumstances’.  Absence from school will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. When deciding whether to allow term time leave, for any reason, the school will only consider:

• the reason for the leave, including

  • if the absence is unavoidable,

  • and, beyond the control and/or decision making of parents;

• the time and duration of the leave;

• whether or not the leave could have been taken during the statutory school holiday periods;

• child’s record of attendance;

• learning that will be missed.

If the Head teacher refuses your request and the child is still taken out of school, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and may make you liable to a Fixed Penalty Notice fine of up to £120.

Punctuality 

Please ensure that your child is in school on time, arriving between 8.30am and 8.55am. Children who arrive at the main entrance gate after 8.55am will have their minutes late recorded. Children who arrive after 9am are recorded in our register as an unauthorised absence for the morning session.

If a pupil is late within a two week period a letter will be sent informing Parent/carer of the child's minutes late. If no improvement, Parent/carer are invited to attend a punctuality meeting with the school's Attendance Officer to discuss poor punctuality and reasons why. If pupil continues to be late, another punctuality meeting will be held with the Attendance Officer and Head Teacher or Senior member of staff and an Action Plan is created.

A referral to Local Authority will only be made if there has been little to no improvement and a Penalty Fine maybe issued.