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Attendance

Our overall attendance last year was 93.7%

You can help us to reach national expectation of 96% next year by ensuring your child attends school every day.

Regular attendance at school promotes pupils’ well-being and gives them the best chance of learning and reaching their potential. Pupils should attend school every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

School Attendance |

Last updated: January 2023

Contact details for attendance matters
Email: office@orchardsinfant.school       
General attendance questions: 01903700234
Absence line, for reporting absence: 01903700234

Attendance administrator:   

Ms Clare Davies
Senior Leader for Attendance:            Ms Sandra Worsfold (Deputy Headteacher)

Good attendance is important because pupils:

  • get on better with learning and other children;
  • cope better with school routines, work and friendships;
  • find learning easier because they do not miss out;
  • are more successful moving between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training;
  • are known to be safe and well by us.

Research shows a direct link between high attendance and doing well at school. All children have the right to an education. We encourage and expect 100% attendance for all pupils. 

We will:

  • tell pupils and parents the importance of being at school;
  • check that pupils are at school every day;
  • follow up and check the absence of persistent non-attenders;
    • phone home on the first day of absence to check where absent children are
    • follow up an explained absence by phone call and email, and meetings for persistent absentees
  • aim for an attendance rate of at least 97%. 
  • monitor school attendance data of individual and groups and target our support towards removing barriers to attendance for individuals and groups who need it most;
  • discuss poor attendance with parents to understand any barriers the pupil or family might be facing;
  • facilitate support for families to help remove identified barriers to attendance. 
  • where absent persists and support offered is not being engaged with, we will communicate the consequences to parents. 
  • when all avenues of support have been exhausted and support has not worked or being engaged with, the Local Authority can enforce attendance through a statutory intervention or prosecution to protect a pupil's right to an education;
  • share and discuss attendance data with the Governing Board on a termly basis.
Parents:
  • by law, must ensure that their child attends school;
  • should arrange dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school holidays, whenever possible;
  • make sure that their child arrives on time at 8.45am
  • should contact the school on the first day their child is away from school.

Pupils should arrive and be collected from school on time:

  • registration is at 8:50am, for all children from Reception to Year 2.  
  • registration closes at 9 am, arrival after this time is an 'unauthorised absence' late arrival can cause children to feel anxious or upset;
  • we contact parents of pupils who have patterns of lateness to talk about how to arrive and/or be collected on time.