Good attendance and punctuality remain a top priority for us at English Martyrs Catholic Primary School. We share parents and carers views in wanting the best for your child and want to work in partnership with you.  Last year we achieved awards in the Autumn and Spring term for our attendance, and we are proud that our attendance for the school as a whole is significantly higher than the national average as this means that, by attending regularly, our children have more opportunities to succeed. However, for us at English Martyrs it’s not all about national averages but the experiences of individuals; we want to go beyond national comparisons to make sure that each and every child is attending school as regularly and as punctually as possible.   

Your efforts, working in partnership with school will ensure that your child will have the best chance to achieve their academic potential and have a real opportunity in further education and the world of work. It will also enable your child to:

• Access the lessons needed to achieve their potential
• Maintain friendships and develop new ones
• Have access to social and sporting events offered by the school
• Explore potential life skills
• Develop world habits such as good punctuality which are essential to thrive in the world of employment.

We strive to ensure your child has the best opportunities to be the best they can be, to feel safe and supported in school, and to develop a sense of belonging both with their peers and as a wider part of our school community.

To support that, regular attendance is key.

At English Martyrs school starts at 8.50 a.m. and finishes at 3.15 p.m.

You can find more information about our wraparound care by visiting our school website or contacting the school office.

Giving your child the best start

90% attendance may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, however in reality that means your child misses half a day of school every week, the equivalent of 19 school days (almost one whole month), during the year. Children who miss this amount of school do not achieve as well as their peers who attend more regularly.

We expect all pupils at English Martyrs to attend school as regularly as possible.  

Our attendance policy is available to read on our school website (https://www.englishmartyrs.w-sussex.sch.uk/attendance-and-punctuality/).  This explains how we monitor attendance and follow up absence. 

We recognise that on occasion some children may experience illness or have exceptional reasons preventing regular attendance. To assist parents deciding whether their child is too ill to attend school or otherwise, the NHS have produced a guide that you may find useful:

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)  - see link below

We know being a parent/carer can be challenging at times and we are here to help if there are any problems affecting your child. If you are worried about your child/children’s attendance please speak with your child’s class teacher in the first instance.  We will work with you as partners to ensure in such circumstances any identified barriers are discussed so we can best support your child’s wellbeing and education. Our school works closely with Early Help, Health and the Local Authority teams who may also be able to help if needed.

As parents/carers you can best support your child to secure regular attendance and punctuality by:

• Ensuring a good bedtime routine to enable your child to get enough sleep.
• Establishing a good routine each evening and each morning so your child is prepared for the school day ahead.
• Making sure your child attends school every day it is open, unless there is an exceptional reason preventing this.
• Ensuring your child arrives at school on time every day by 8.50 a.m.
• Arranging dental and medical appointments outside school hours wherever possible, where this is not possible ensure your child attends before and returns promptly afterwards.
• Informing the school if your child is ill and too unwell to attend by contacting the school office.
• Taking absence seriously – if your child is not wanting to attend, or has not attended as you expected why is this? Are they putting themselves at risk – Who are they with? What are they doing? Do you know who they are talking to online?
• Taking any holidays during school holiday periods, and not during term time - If children are taken out of school for a one-week holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and medical appointments, then by the time they finish Year 11, they will have missed the equivalent of two entire terms of schooling.               
• Talking positively to your child about school and taking an interest in their school day.
• Attending parents evenings and school events.
• Praising and rewarding your child’s efforts and achievements at school.
• Supporting school staff by working in partnership to best manage and support your child with any difficult or challenging behaviour or circumstances.
• Discussing any problems or difficulties with the school as soon as they arise – staff are here to help.

We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child’s education.

Illness

If your child is ill, please could you contact the school office (either by email or by using Option 1 on the phone).  It is helpful if you could let us know before the start of the school day.  Please be aware that if your child has had sickness and / or diarrhoea, they should not return to school until 48 hours after the last episode.  This is to ensure that this is not spread to the other children and adults in the school.