Attendance

We are proud of our good attendance rates and these are reported in our weekly newsletter, sent to all parents/carers. Congratulations to those pupils who achieve 100% attendance.

We believe that children can reach their full potential only by receiving full-time education, through regular and structured attendance. All staff are concerned for the children's welfare and happiness and everyone plays a part in promoting regular attendance among the pupils. Cardwell Primary School expects all pupils to arrive and leave school punctually and we emphasise this to parents.

Parents and Carers must notify the school by calling 0208 854 1051  or attendance@cardwell.greenwich.sch.uk with an explanation as to why your child will not be in or late. Parents and carers can call the main office when it is closed and leave an answer phone message confirming your child full name, class and reason for being absent. Children who arrive late to school must report to the main reception and sign in on the screen.

We will follow up any unexplained absence or lateness with a phone call and/or a letter. Punctuality and absences are regularly monitored by the Attendance Advisory Service.  School attendance is a legal requirement which is enforced by Royal Borough of Greenwich and can issue Penalty Notice Fines for School Absence.

In line with the current guidance and upon instruction from the Department for Education, school attendance is mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age and it is a priority for us to ensure that all children regularly attend school. Attendance and punctuality continue to be a key priority at Cardwell. Consistency in attendance is essential if children are to make progress and take an active part in school life. 

Please note:

• The local authority are monitoring unauthorised absence
• Holidays must not be taken during school term time
• The Executive Headteacher can only authorise certain absences in cases of absolute emergency.

Regular attendance at school will:

• give your child the best possible start in life
• enable your child to reach their full potential
• prove to employers that your child is reliable and assist him or her in getting a good job
• reduce the risk of your child becoming a victim of crime or abuse
• reduce the opportunity for your child to be drawn into anti-social or criminal behaviour.

Sickness

If your child is ill and you feel they are unable to attend school, you must contact the school as early as you can. Contact must be made on the first day of absence and each day they are absent. You can contact us via the Studybugs app, by calling 0208 854 1051 or emailing attendance@cardwell.greenwich.sch.uk.

When your child returns to school you must provide medical evidence to show why your child was absent. Children can return to school when they are feeling better and any prescribed medication can be given to your child throughout the day by a First aide. 

Term Time Holiday/Unauthorised Absence

The school will not authorise any time out for family holidays. Only at the discretion of the school and in exceptional circumstances, may leave be granted but parents must put their request in writing on the term time absence form. If the absence is for an extended period, the school may seek to off-roll the pupil and the parents will need to apply for re-admittance to the school. 

The guidelines from the DfE states that schools should not authorise absence for holidays or other circumstances on the grounds of cost. From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. If you do take your child on Holiday during school term you must complete a holiday request form and return it to the school office and also submitting your flight itinerary as proof or absence.

How close is your child to 100% attendance?

Medical

Doctors/ dentist appointments are not absences unless the child misses the whole session.  Please ask the service to give you an appointment at the beginning or end of the day so your child can attend school before or after the appointment. A child who has a medical/dental appointment and then comes to school later, can be credited with an attendance for the whole session provided they have attended at the first possible opportunity - this is acceptable lateness.  The situation is the same for children who leave school after registration for a good reason such as illness or to attend a medical appointment. Medical evidence is requested by the school for any absences to be authorised. This can be a copy of a prescription, an appointment card with the child's name or the medication itself. This is particularly important if an infectious illness is involved to allow the school to respond in line with Public Health England guidance.

Exceptional Circumstances

If you wish your child to be absent from school for any exceptional circumstances, please complete a Special Leave of Absence Request form (available from office). This has to be done at the earliest possible opportunity and with at least 2 weeks’ notice. You are required to supply appropriate evidence and dates to support the leave.

The school will give careful consideration to your application, and they may take your child's attendance record into account. If they do not agree to your request, any absence would be unauthorised.

Authorisation for absence for religious purposes will be considered on request.  The special circumstances code is to be used at the discretion of the school, e.g. death in the family, moving house etc.  All requests for absence must be discussed with the Head of School or attendance officer. If you wish to take your child out of school for a religious observance, you need to complete a Special Leave of Absence Request form or notify the school office well in advance of the day. You can contact us by calling 0208 854 1051 or emailing attendance@cardwell.greenwich.sch.uk.

Lateness

All children must come into school via their own gate. If their school gate is closed, they need to enter via the school office on Frances Street where they or you are required to sign in on the Inventry screen to ensure they are signed in on the register. This will show a late mark on your child’s attendance record and the minutes are recorded. 

 Persistent lateness can:

• Can cause embarrassment
• Can make it harder for the child to settle
• Can cause disruption to the rest of the class and teacher
• Can miss the morning reading and catch up work from the day before

We will follow up any unexplained absence or lateness with a phone call and/or a letter. Punctuality and absences are regularly monitored by the Attendance Advisory Service. School attendance is a legal requirement which is enforced by Royal Borough of Greenwich and can issue Penalty Notice Fines for School Absence.

Punctuality

As with attendance, it is very important that children arrive at school on time each day. Every minute missed adds up to a vast amount of learning time lost over the school year. Children who arrive late regularly miss starting the day with their peers and the beginning of lessons. School starts at 8.40am until 3:10 every day for Children in Reception to Year 6.  Nursery AM 8:30am-11:30 and Nursery PM 12:30pm-3:30. Gates open at 8:35 to 8:45 and your child will be classified as being late if they are not on the school premises by 8:50am.  

As with irregular attendance, if your child is continuously late for school, we will invite parents/guardians in to meet with Attendance Officer or members of the Executive Leadership Team if there is no significant improvement a meeting will be set up with the Attendance Officer from Royal Greenwich to discuss your child’s punctuality.

If there are any concerns you may have which you feel prevent you from ensuring your child’s regular attendance and punctuality at school, please contact the school office on 020 8854 1051 or email attendance@cardwell.greenwich.sch.uk

For further information please view the full Attendance Policy. 

 The Appendices on the policy include: 

• Request for absence during term time