Attendance & Punctuality

It is vitally important that our pupils attend school every day, and arrive on time so that they don't miss out on learning, or disturb the learning of others by arriving late.

Rewards for good attendance

We value and recognise good attendance at St. Peter’s Methodist Primary School. Pupils who maintain excellent attendance records throughout the academic year are eligible for special rewards and recognition.

Each week, a class is recognised for having good attendance. After 4 weeks of being recognised (not necessarily consecutive), there will be a whole class reward
In Friday’s Celebration Worship, all children with 100% attendance will receive a gold sticker
The school recognises 100% attendance each term
The school recognises improved attendance each term
The school recognises 100% attendance each year
Every half term, 100% attendee children will be entered into a draw to win a significant attendance prize / experience
Every half term, there will be a parent raffle for those with children achieving 100% attendance. They will be entered by the school into a draw to be in for a chance to win one of four £25 vouchers

Why is regular school attendance so important for my child?

Consistent school attendance allows your child to:

Fully engage in learning and make academic progress
Develop critical social skills by interacting with their friends and teachers
Grow in confidence in a supportive and nurturing school environment
Build a sense of routine and responsibility, essential for future success

Please look at the video below made by the Stour Academy Trust as it has very useful information:

Attendance video

Absence from school

If your child is going to be absent from school for any other reason, please ring the main school telephone number before 8.45am, 01227 464392, use option 1 and follow the instructions given.

A First Day Call policy operates where we try to contact parents/carers by telephone on the first day of absence if you do not contact school. All absences must be explained.

If your child is absent for more than one day please can you continue to update the school to let us know how your child is progressing.

If you are having any problems with your child's attendance then please speak to our FLO, Mrs Pearson.

Dentist, Doctor or Hospital Appointments

Wherever possible please make appointments outside of school hours. If children need to leave school at any time for an appointment they must be signed out at the school office. Parents/ Carers must provide a note outlining the reason for the absence or take an appointments` slip from the school office to be stamped at the appointment venue.

To view the school's attendance letter to parents, please click below.

/docs/Attendance_letter_to_parents_September_2024.pdf

Regular attendance at school means that your child can make the most of their education, improving their chances in adult life.

Sanctions for unauthorised absence

The headteacher may issue a fine (known as a fixed-penalty notice) for unauthorised absence. If issued with one, you’ll need to pay this directly to the local authority – £80 within 21 days, or £160 within 28 days.

The decision whether to issue a fine will take into account whether the national threshold has been met – namely 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks – as well as other factors.

Before a fine is issued, you may receive a notice to improve to give you a chance to engage with support.

Please click to see

St Peters attendance flier