Attendance at Ospringe

Attendance is very important to us at Ospringe. When children have good attendance they are able to perform better academically and able to form meaningful relationships with their peers. 

95% - 100% - Here at Ospringe we encourage our children to have 100% attendance. However we understand that children will be unwell or there will be unforeseen circumstances that can affect attendance. 

<95% - Children who have 95% attendance or below will be sent out a letter reminding them of our 95% attendance policy. 

90% -If a child has a 90% attendance rate, a letter will be sent informing the parent that this now means their child is persistently absent. At this stage we may also write to you to request that your provide medical evidence when your child is off. 

<90% - Any attendance below 90% may mean that we would invite you into the school for an attendance improvement meeting and may need to involve the School Liaison Officer. 

<50% - If a child has an attendance rate of 50% or less, they would be considered 'Severely Absent' and we would be involving the School Liaison Officer for support to improve. 

We strive to help all of our parents and children with attendance and if there are any issues with getting your child or children to school we will offer support with this. 

Lateness 

Being late to school may not seem like that much of an issue but it can have an impact on learning. Children struggle to settle into class when they are late and can also disrupt other children around them. 

If your child is late after the close of registers, their entire morning session is marked a 'U' code, which means they have an unauthorised absence. 

Holiday during term time 

We understand that holidays during term time are cheaper than out of term time and this can be appealing to some families. However taking a holiday can disrupt a child's learning and can lead to them missing important sections of learning that they may not be able to catch up on. 

If you do decide to take a holiday during in term time, it will not be authorised, no matter the length or how good your child's attendance is. You may also be eligible for a penalty notice from the local authority. A penalty notice of £120 is issued to each parent (even if the parents live in the same household or live separately) and a penalty notice is issued for each child taking the holiday.  

Sickness

As a school we understand that children become unwell and young children in particular are likely to catch a number of illnesses from school. Below is a useful guide for some common childhood illnesses and how long they should be off school. 

COVID- 19

Guidance from the NHS states that if your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough and feels well enough, they can go to school.

You should try to stay home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and they either have:

• A high temperature
• Do not feel well enough to go to school or do their normal activities.

  Guidance from the NHS states that if your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough and feels well enough, they can go to school.

  You should try to stay home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and they either have:

• A high temperature
• Do not feel well enough to go to school or do their normal activities.