Attendance at Rotherfield Primary School

At Rotherfield Primary School, we believe that:

• Pupils need to attend school every day so that they can take full advantage of and enjoy the educational opportunities available.
• Less than 96% attendance  or persistent lateness undermines quality learning and leads to educational disadvantage.
•  Children who attend school every day make better progress and have better life chances.

Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that their children:

• Attend school every day
• Arrive at school on time, in uniform, ready to learn
• Are absent only for reasons that can be authorised (please see Attendance Policy)
• Inform the school of the reason for any absence and the likely return date, before 9.15am on the first day of absence. By note, personal contact or by phone. 
• Inform the school office or class teacher prior to a medical and/or dental appointment, a copy of the appointment letter will need to be seen. Please arrange these for out of school hours.

School contact details:

Telephone: 02072266620

School opens at 8.00am for Breakfast Club. All other children should be in the school grounds by 8:50am ready for lessons at 8:55am.

 Attendance Regulations from September 2013
 Changes to the law which govern attendance in schools and holidays during term time.
Amendments have been made to the 2006 regulations in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.

These amendments came into force on the 1st September 2013.

Term time holidays:
"The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 currently allow headteachers to grant leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday during term time for 'special circumstances' of up to ten days leave per school year. Headteachers can also grant extended leave of more than 10 days in exceptional circumstances.
Amendments to the 2006 regulations removes reference to the family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of 10 school days. The amendments make it clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted."

What this means is that we will no longer authorise holidays taken during term time. If there are exceptional circumstances, each case will be considered on an individual basis. All other non-medical absences will be treated as unauthorised.

These legislation changes have been made by the Department of Education in order to improve attendance and emphasise the importance of ensuring that no valuable school time is lost. If you take this in the context that even if your child has 100% attendance over the whole school year, this only accounts for 14% of their total time- so every hour of that 14% in school is absolutely essential for their future life chances.

Please work with us to ensure we make the most of every minute of your child's valuable time in school by getting them here everyday, on time and ready to learn.