It is vitally important for children to attend school as much as possible. Nationally, children who miss a lot of school do less well academically.

Children who frequently arrive late miss out on learning and disrupt lessons.

Most children at Glebelands attend well but a small minority do not or are often late. 

The past three years for schools has been challenging in terms of attendance due to the pandemic. However in 2021/2022 our attendance was 93.8%. This is despite having outbreaks of Chicken pox, Scarlet Fever and various other illness. In 2022/2023 our target will be 96%.

Attendance figures

The Education (Pupils Attendance Records) Regulations 1991 require all schools to distinguish in registers between authorised and unauthorised absences of pupils and to publish the attendance rates for the school. Lateness is also recorded in the register.

The register is taken at 9.00 and children need to be in school before the doors close at 8.55am.

Please note: the doors will not be opened once they have locked from the outside. Children arriving after the doors have locked need to be brought to the office and signed in.

Children being signed in are recorded as late. Parents whose children are regularly late will be sent a letter at the end of a half term. Where lateness continues, the Education Welfare Officer will be informed and will take action.

If you have contacted the school about an absence or you inform them after your child has returned, this is recorded as authorised.

An absence will be recorded as unauthorised if:

• no information is received about the reason for absence

• a term time holiday is taken without the headteacher's permission

• the reason given for absence is considered insufficient (applies to families where the Education Welfare Officer has involvement)

High levels of unauthorised absence are referred to the Education Welfare Officer.

The number of half days your child has attended will be sent to you at the end of each month.

If your child is ill

The main reason for absence is sickness. Obviously if a child is unwell then they need to stay at home where they can be cared for and where any infections can be contained. However sometimes children can be kept off for minor aliments when they would be perfectly able to come into school. Keeping a child off school because their brother or sister is unwell is not acceptable.

If your child is absent you must contact the school office before 9:00am on the first day of absence with a full explanation for the absence.  If your child is absent on each further and subsequent days, you must contact the school office before 9:00am.

The school office will follow up any absences where parents have not notified school.

Sickness and Diarrhoea - please keep your child off school for 48 hours after the last symptoms to avoid infecting other children.

Communicable diseases - if you are concerned that your child may have an infection that could be easily passed on then either consult your GP or contact the office who have a list of recommended procedures for childhood diseases.

Holidays in term time

Children should not be absent from school for family holidays.

Under rules set out by the government, from September 2014, holidays in term time will only be authorised under exceptional circumstances. Should a holiday still be taken, parents may be liable to a fine per child, per parent.