Clements Primary Academy is committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all its pupils and recognises this can only be achieved by supporting and promoting excellent school attendance for all. This is based on the belief that only by attending school regularly and punctually will children and young people be able to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. Research suggests that high attainment is related to good attendance.

The whole school community – pupils, parents and carers, teaching and support staff and school governors – have a responsibility for ensuring good school attendance and have important roles to play.

Please take time to read the Attendance Policy in the attachments section on this page.

Registration

The school is required to mark the attendance register twice each day; once at the start of the day and once during the afternoon session. Classroom teachers are responsible for completing the attendance registers using prescribed codes.

1. The register will be called promptly at 9.00 am for Key Stage 2, 9:00 am for Key Stage 1 and 1.00pm by each class teacher and a mark will be made during this registration period in respect of each child.
2. The registers will close at 9.20 am for Key Stage 2, 9:30 for Key Stage 1 and 1.15 pm. Any pupil who arrives after the closing of the register will count as absent. Pupils who arrive before the register closes will be counted as present but will be dealt with under the school’s policy on punctuality and lateness

Absences

Clements Primary Academy recognises the clear links between attendance and attainment, and attendance and safeguarding children. It recognises that inappropriate authorisation of absence can be as damaging to a child’s education as authorised absence will potentially send a message to parents that any reason for non-school attendance is acceptable and can render children extremely vulnerable to harm. If absence is frequent or continuous, and except where a child is clearly unwell, staff at Clements Primary Academy will challenge parents about the need and reasons for their child’s absence and will encourage them to keep absences to a minimum. A note or explanation from a pupil’s home does not mean an absence becomes authorised. The decision whether or not to authorise an absence will always rest with the school.

Please read the attached Attendance Policy for examples of authorised and unauthorised absences.

First-Day Calling

Clements Primary Academy has in place a system of first-day calling. This means that parents will be telephoned on the first day a pupil is absent without explanation to establish a reason for the absence. This helps to identify, at an early stage, pupils who do not have a good reason for absence or who may be absent without their parents’ knowledge. Where it is not possible to make contact with parents on the first day of absence, the school will follow up with a Dojo message if no reason has been given for the absence in the meantime.