Attendance
The law on school attendance and right to a full-time education
The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time
education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may
have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that
education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school.
10. Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an
additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly. This means their
child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of
allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an
absence in advance from the school.
This is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience,
including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. The pupils with the
highest attainment at the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 have higher rates of
attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment. At
KS2, pupils not meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and Maths had an
overall absence rate of 4.7%, compared to 3.5% among those meeting the expected
standard. Moreover, the overall absence rate of pupils not meeting the expected
standard was higher than among those meeting the higher standard (4.7% compared to
2.7%). At KS4, pupils not achieving grade 9 to 4 in English and Maths had an overall
absence rate of 8.8%, compared to 5.2% among those achieving grade 41. The overall
absence rate of pupils not achieving grade 9 to 4 was over twice as high as those
achieving grade 9 to 5 (8.8% compared to 3.7%).
For the most vulnerable pupils, regular attendance is also an important protective
factor and the best opportunity for needs to be identified and support provided.
Research has shown associations between regular absence from school and a number
of extra-familial harms. This includes crime (90% of young offenders had been
persistently absent)3 and serious violence (83% of knife possession offenders had been
persistently absent in at least 1 of the 5 years of study)4.
Talavera Junior School Attendance 2022-2023
Whole School
Present: 97.22%
Auth. Absent: 1.87%
Unauth. Absent: 0.91%
What to do if my child is unwell?
If your child is unwell please follow the link below before reporting an absence, please call the school on 01252 322156 or email the school on office@talaverajunior.co.uk as soon as possible on the first day of and every day of absence until their return to school.
Can my child go to school today?
The school day starts at 8:40am for early learning. Registers are taken at 8:50am. If your child arrives after 8:50am, they need to enter through the main reception and be electronically signed in by an adult. The school day finishes at 3:20pm for all children.
The total hours of provision is 32.5 hours per week with an additional 50 minutes of early learning work available.
If you are unsure whether your child is well enough to be at school, either call the office who will be more than happy to advise or follow the link below for advice from the NHS website.
Advice from Hampshire County Council and other authorities
https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/behaviour-attendance-parents
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Yourchildatschool/Pages/Illness.aspx
https://what0-18.nhs.uk/parentscarers/worried-your-child-unwell
Term Time Absence
Absence during term time is not authorised unless in exceptional circumstances. Term times are for education; this is the priority. If an event can reasonably be scheduled outside of term time, it will not be authorised. Absence during term time for holidays is therefore not considered an exceptional circumstance. Absences to visit family members are also not granted during term time if they could be scheduled for holiday periods or outside of school hours.
Absence for a bereavement of a close family member is usually considered an exceptional circumstance but for the funeral service only, not extended leave.
Absence for important religious observances are often taken into account but only for the ceremony, not extended leave.
Should you require leave of absence during term time, please complete the blue form from the school office.