Attendance and Absences

Noel Park's Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

The school attendance target for every pupil is 97% or higher.

Attendance is important

Research has shown that regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in students achieving their full potential in education. At Noel Park Primary School we wish to work in partnership with families and so we are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends school everyday and on time. We are always pleased to work together with families in resolving any difficulties but we are also committed to improving attendance levels at school.

It is a legal requirement that parents to inform the academy of the reasons for a child's absence. You can do this by :

· Telephoning the office on 0208 8888 967.

· Email absence@noelparkprimaryschool.org

If no reason is given for not attending, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

What can you do to avoid being late all the time?

• The night before you can set your alarm to go off 15 minutes earlier than usual, giving enough time for breakfast and any unavoidable incidents while getting ready to leave.

• The night before, make sure your school bags are packed, including homework and PE kit. This saves looking for it all in the morning.

• Ensure school clothing is organised the night before as well.

• See that you leave home early enough to account for the worst traffic jam ever and the longest queue in the newsagent’s. In this way your child can arrive at school with plenty of time to catch up with friends, compare homework, and take part in your lessons from the start.

Noel Park start and end times

Nursery

8.45am - 11.45am (am children), 12.30pm - 3.30pm (pm children) and 8.45am - 3.30pm (full time children)

Reception - Year 6

Start Time: The school day begins at 8:45am for all year groups from Reception to Year 6. The gates will open at 8:40am and will close at 8:50am. Any pupil arriving in school after the gates closed will be marked as late.

Finish Time: The school day will end at 3:15pm for all year groups. The gates will be open from 3:10pm.

Why is being on time so important?

Lessons start at the times above, so if a child is late for school they are missing out on learning time.

Therefore:

Five minutes late each day = 3 days lost learning time

10 minutes late each day = 6.5 days lost learning time

15 minutes late each day = 10 days lost learning time

20 minutes late each day = 13 days lost learning time

30 minutes late each day = 19 days lost learning time

Fines

How much could I be fined if my child misses school?  

In the majority of cases, schools and local authorities will try and provide support to help you improve your child’s attendance first, but if this isn’t effective or the absence is for unauthorised term time holiday, parents may face paying a fine.

It’s the responsibility of the local authority to decide when to issue fines to parents, meaning the process varies from council to council.

However, under the national rules, all schools are required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons.

From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012.

In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.

Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.

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