UNCRC Commitment:  

Article 28 ‘You have the right to a good quality education. You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.’

We want to say how much we appreciate all our families for recognising that attendance and punctuality are vital to your children's education. 

The School target for whole school attendance is 96+%.

Why is good attendance important?

Good attendance and punctuality are vital for success at school and in establishing positive life habits that are necessary for future success. Through regular attendance, pupils can:

• Build friendships

• Develop their social groups and interaction with other pupils

• Engage in essential learning and other school social events

• Achieve their full potential

• Develop life skills for the future

• Minimise the risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour and becoming victims or perpetrators of crime.

Every child has the right to attend school every day.  Casual attendance and frequent absence really has a detrimental effect on children's education and emotional development. 

School Timings and Punctuality

• School gate opens: 8:35am

• School gate closes: 8:45am

• Registration: 8:50am

Please ensure that your child arrives at school by 8:45am at the latest each morning. It is important that children come to school on time every day so that they don't miss out on learning. Continual punctuality is important because if, for example, a child arrives 15 minutes late at school each day, they lose almost 2 weeks of education a year.

If a child does not arrive at school by 8:45am, they should enter via the main school office and parents should sign them in.

Holidays during Term Time

Term time leave for holidays will not be authorised at our school. Only in exceptional circumstances may our Headteacher grant permission for leave.  We ask that all families take their holidays during the school holiday periods. Parents/carers who choose to take their child out of school without written permission from the school may be issued with a fixed penalty notice from Westminster council.

Holidays during term time will not be authorised.

Is my child too ill for school?

Please click on the link below to access guidelines for further information regarding your child's absence due to illness or infection. 

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS

Providing Information to Parents about your Child's Attendance

We will work with you every step of the way to ensure your child has the best possible attendance and do all we can to help you get your child to school on time every day.  At the end of every half term you will be sent your child's attendance.  Our door is always open to discuss ways in which we can help.  If your child's attendance drops below 90% you will be invited in to meet with us to discuss barriers to attendance, how we can help and draw up an attendance contract.

Absences due to Appointments

We encourage you to make appointments during the holidays or around the school day.  Children with medical appointments during term time must write in or bring into school an appointment message in advance of the appointment. 

Persistent Absenteeism (PA)

Pupils are classified as ‘persistently absent’ if they miss 10% or more of school due to authorised or/and unauthorised absence. This equates to missing at least 19 days of their schooling across the full school year. Absence at this level is of significant concern. We have a monitoring system in place to identify children who are at risk of falling into this category. We will involve parents / carers in formulating specific attendance contracts to prevent deterioration and to build-back attendance levels.

Who can I talk to about attendance?

The attendance lead for St Peter's is Hattie Friedman.  If you you have anything you would like to discuss about attendance please contact Hattie via the school office or stop by for a chat on the gate.

Please also read the policy below as it sets out important information about authorised and unauthorised absences, including requests for leave of absence during term time.

Absence Procedures

If your child is absent you must:

• Notify the school as soon as possible when your child has to be unexpectedly absent (e.g. sickness) and not later than 9:30am on the day of absence.

• Provide medical evidence, such as a doctor’s note, prescription, appointment card or other appropriate form of evidence, if required.

If your child is absent we will:

• Call you on the first day of absence to ascertain the reason.

• Identify whether the absence is approved or not.

• Identify the correct attendance code to use.

• Ensure proper safeguarding action is taken where necessary.

• In cases where it is not possible to contact the parent/carer, the school will call other contacts listed for the child. The school may email/text the parent/carer as well if there is no response.

• If, after three days, we have had no contact from parents or other contacts listed for the child then we will contact the police.

• We will mark absence due to illness as authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness. The school may ask the pupil’s parent/carer to provide medical evidence, such as a doctor’s note, prescription, appointment card or other appropriate form of evidence. We will not ask for medical evidence unnecessarily.

Lateness Procedures

A pupil who arrives late:

• Before the register has closed (up to and including 9:30am) will be marked as late, using the appropriate code.

• After the register has closed (9:31am onwards) will be marked as an unauthorized absence, using the appropriate code.

Step 1: If your child is late three times or more within a 6-week period, you will receive a letter informing you of this.

Step 2: If your child continues to be late after receiving this letter, you will be invited for a meeting with the attendance officer to discuss strategies to support punctuality including attending breakfast club.

Step 3: If your child is recorded as late after the register has closed 8 times within a 6-week period, the school will work with the local authority to determine if a warning letter or a Penalty Charge Notice should be issued.