Attendance & Punctuality
New rules from the government on school attendance came in to effect in September. You will find 2 posters below which detail all the updates. Visit this useful link from Gov.uk - Everything you need to know about school attendance
Attendance and Absence
“attendance is the essential foundation to positive outcomes for all pupils” Working together to improve school attendance: DfE 2022
Attendance matters at St Mark's. Please click here for further information about school attendance. Our school target is 96% for attendance.
Is my child well enough for school?
Follow this NHS advice if you are not sure if your child is well enough to attend school. It contains guidance on a range of childhood illnesses and conditions. You can also use our handy traffic light guide, below.
Top Tips for Improving Punctuality
WHY IS PUNCTUALITY SO IMPORTANT?
It’s a GREAT START to the day, putting your child in a positive frame of mind to make the most of the day’s learning and activities.
Punctuality is linked to good attendance, and as we know, good attenders have more opportunities, more support and therefore achieve more
ALSO…
It helps your child make friends, as they settle into class in the mornings which leads to improved self-confidence and therefore SUCCESS
AND…
It sets your child up for their future – whether it is college, work or university, they could lose their place or lose their job if they think it’s ok to be late
TYPES OF LATENESS
1. Late before register closes Your child is a few minutes late – but they have missed the opportunity to say hello to and play with friends. They are likely to feel unsettled and embarrassed as they start morning lessons.
2. Late after register closes This counts as an unauthorised absence and will show on your child’s attendance record. Not only has your child missed the chance to meet with their friends before school, they are likely to have missed the start of lessons and could feel unsettled, embarrassed and much less confident than their classmates as the lesson moves on.
ST MARK'S TOP TIPS
Get to know your child’s school timetable – work together to make sure they have everything ready the night before e.g. books, PE or swimming kit, uniform
Get your child into the habit of doing their homework in the evening – instead of in the morning at the breakfast table.
Make sure your child has a good bedtime routine so they get plenty of rest and don’t struggle out of bed in the morning – not a bad idea for parents either
Invest in a good, reliable alarm clock – make setting it part of your child’s bedtime routine.
Try to ensure your child has a good breakfast to set them up for the day – we have a super breakfast club you could use if you need to be at work early.
Have a back-up plan for getting your child to school in case something crops up – friends or family, perhaps neighbours who are taking their children to school anyway.
Allow lots of time for your journey.
If you are finding it difficult to get your child to school on time, please contact Mrs Kettink on: help@stmarks.brighton-hove.sch.uk