Punctuality and Attendance

Dear Parents/Carers

We would first like to thank the majority of parents/carers who arrive at school at 8:40am meaning their children can come into school on time and are ready for learning. As of 8:40am, children can enjoy breakfast, complete fluency activities for all subjects, organise themselves – promoting independence or just a chance to catch up with friends, for some it might completing there sensory circuits that helps with transition.

As we are an inclusive school we also realised that transition into school can sometimes be hard and that’s why we give parents a grace period of 8mins to help with this transition into school. However, the school register officially starts at 8:50am and gates are closed securing the school sight. We also understand that on the rare occasion a child, due to life, may come into school late. However, it has become increasingly apparent that a few families are regularly late and as a school we have not received any adequate reasons for this on going trend. I would now like to make reference to research and observations of the possible impact it is having on your children of being late on a regular basis.

• On the majority of occasions staff have witnessed children walking late into their classrooms with their heads hung low and negative body language, even though staff have positively welcomed the children into school (Emotion well-being). It is clearly effecting their self esteem walking into a classroom full of their friends (who have settled and are working) and it is quite clear to them and their friends they are late.
• Your children have missed the chance to have breakfast with the other children, as the other children have already finished (socialising)
• Your children will have missed vital fluency activities which help recap the work learnt in class.
• Research suggests that poor attendance and punctuality at school has been known to correlate to children that are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) or adults not in the labour force.
• As some families arrive at 8:50 and some want to chat, staff that are having to remain on the playground longer than 8:50am and are away from their class therefore this impacts on 29 other children’s learning.

We have taken the decision to track this regular lateness and we will arrange face-to-face meetings with those parents to try and ascertain the reasons for persistent lateness and work on the solutions.

In addition to punctuality, we would like to remind you of the notification that was sent out a couple of weeks ago about attendance and how the local authority are starting to crack down and use legal action. Please see below for the link to that post:

Attendance and Punctuality. Important Information.

Once again, our number one priority is the children’s learning and well-being and we want to see them all flourish. If you are struggling with lateness please come and speak with us. Please support us with making our goal of every child receiving the best education, by working with us in partnership.

Kind regards

Cookridge Team