Attendance and behaviour

Newby and Scalby Primary School is committed to providing a quality education for all our pupils. We believe that pupils can only benefit from the education in our school through regular school attendance. We will, therefore, strive to achieve the maximum possible attendance for all pupils and we will make sure that any problems are identified and resolved quickly.

Please click here to view our Behaviour Policy

Please click here to view our Pupil Attendance and Punctuality Policy

It is the policy of our school to celebrate achievement. Attendance is a critical factor to a productive and successful school career. Our school will actively promote and encourage 100% attendance for all pupils giving a high priority to conveying to parents and pupils the importance of regular and punctual attendance. We recognise that parents have a vital role to play and that there is a need to establish strong home-school links and communication systems that can be utilised whenever there is concern about attendance. 

How we celebrate excellent attendance

We actively promote and encourage 100% attendance for all pupils.

Each week, the class with the highest attendance will receive a reward and will be asked to look after our attendance owl, Toffee, for the next week. Winners will be announced in assembly each Friday and communicated to parents/carers via the Newsletter.

Every Monday, every pupil who had 100% attendance the previous week will have their name put into a draw, the winning pupil will get to choose a book from the Headteacher's book shelf. The book will be theirs to keep. Winners will be communicated to parents/carers via the Newsletter.

Classes also have the opportunity to win prizes for their classroom by consistently achieving 100% attendance.

Absence

First Day of Absence – Parents must contact school before 9am if their child will not be in school that day. The school office will contact parents/carers of any children who do not have a reason for absence. For safeguarding reasons, if the school cannot establish the reason for absence or the whereabouts of the child, home visits will be made. Similarly, home visits may be conducted if there are any safeguarding concerns, queries about a persistently absent child, to check that a child is too unwell to attend or if a child is absent for 3 consecutive days. Regular and appropriate contact and updates with the families of children who are absent for longer periods of time will be requested by the attendance officer.

School will usually authorise absences for pupil illness. However, Pupils who are classed as persistently absent (below 90%) will not have illnesses authorised without medical evidence.

The school has the right to mark an absence as unauthorised if the reason given is not deemed to be valid.

Dentist and Medical Appointments

Parents are asked not to take their children out of school for dental or medical appointments with the exception of an emergency appointment or appointment with a consultant. Evidence of such an appointment, such as a letter, must be presented to the school office.

Our Process for Monitoring Attendance

Each pupil’s attendance and punctuality is tracked and logged daily and monitored by the Attendance Officer and the Head Teacher.

Where attendance or punctuality data causes a concern, parents will be informed by letter. Formal processes around attendance begin when your child falls below 95%.

Procedures for Poor Attendance

Attendance and lateness will be continually monitored by school staff. Where a pupil’s absence is persistent and/or patterns of attendance cause concern, parents will be contacted, and support will be put in place. This may take the form of written communication, meetings with the attendance team/SLT, the formulation of action plans to improve attendance, and if necessary, referral to other bodies, i.e. Social Care/ Extended Services, if appropriate.