At Ralph Sadleir, we believe it is vitally important for pupils to attend school regularly and on time. This will give them the best opportunity to progress and achieve their full potential. Good attendance and punctuality encourages pupils to become responsible and resilient individuals which will serve them well in their future working lives.
Standards
- We expect every pupil to attend school every day.
- Pupils should arrive on time every day.
- Pupils should be on the School site by 8.45 am, ready for the start of registration at 8.50 am.
- We will support parents in their legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly and punctually.
Term Time Holidays
At Ralph Sadleir School, we believe family holidays should not be taken during term time. We will not authorise requests for holidays during term time unless they consider there to be “exceptional circumstances” for doing so. The Headteacher will consider each request individually taking into account the circumstances. All requests for leave of absence for the purpose of term-time holiday should be submitted to the Headteacher, on the appropriate application form, no less than three weeks before the commencement of the absence, except where exceptional circumstances determine that this time scale cannot be met. Further information can be found at:
Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013)
Holidays taken without the approval of the Headteacher may result in the school taking additional action which may include:
- Meeting with parents/carers.
- Intervention of the Attendance Improvement Officer.
- Imposing of a Fixed Penalty.
Ralph Sadleir School Term Date can be located at School Calendar
Recognising Good Attendance and Punctuality
At Ralph Sadleir, we understand the importance of rewarding good attendance and have developed our rewards systems to ensure that all pupils who meet our expectations are recognised and rewarded. The School Attendance Officer will:
- Award certificates to pupils who achieve excellent attendance.
- Give recognition to classes where attendance is 100% for a whole week.
- Oversee an Attendance Lottery to reward high attending pupils and provide an incentive for pupils to improve or maintain high attendance. One pupil from each Key Stage is to be chosen at random every half term to receive a prize. Pupils will secure one entry per week of 100% attendance in a half term.
Addressing Poor Attendance
We work diligently to support all pupils to ensure excellent attendance. We will communicate regularly with parents and provide support to overcome barriers to good attendance. We will also involve our Attendance Team to work with families when attendance falls to unacceptable levels.
Unavoidable Absence
Absences which are considered unavoidable will be authorised by Ralph Sadleir School. These include:
- Genuine illness.
- Attending a religious festival or ceremony with family.
- A medical or dental appointment that could not be made outside of school hours.
- Being in hospital or having hospital treatment.
- Attending a funeral of a family member.
Avoidable Absence
Absences which are considered avoidable will not be authorised by Ralph Sadleir School. These include:
- Trivial illness.
- Being on holiday – Penalty Notice may be issued.
- Helping with housework or a family business.
- Being unhappy or not getting on with others at school.
- Being up late the night before, including for family problems.
- Getting out of bed late in the morning.
- Missing the school bus.
At Ralph Sadleir School, we pride ourselves in working with parents to offer support and guidance to ensure that your child has a happy and positive experience at our school. If you have any queries or concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please email our School Attendance Officer, Mr Morgan at s.morgan@ralphsadleir.academy.
