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 the school on: help@stmarks.brighton-hove.sch.uk 

ADVERSE WEATHER ADVICE

An AMBER Cold- Health Alert (enhanced response) has been issued for the South East due to the likely very cold temperatures over the next few days. The alert is currently in place from 12PM on 02/01/2025 until 12PM on 12/01/2025, but this will be reviewed on a daily basis, so please check the forecast and national UKHSA issues Cold Weather Alert as low temperatures forecast - GOV.UK
This means: Impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, with potential for the whole population to be at risk and where other sectors may also start to observe impacts, indicating a coordinated response is required.

There is particular risk to: People over 65; people with long-term health conditions such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or a mental health condition; pregnant people; young children (particularly those aged 5 and under)  people with learning disabilities; people at risk of falls; people who live alone and may be unable to care for themselves; people who are housebound or have low mobility; people on low incomes

Actions for you to take:

Please familiarise yourself and your staff with the key advice and actions you need to take in your services and plan ahead for very cold weather

• Read the guidance Looking after children and those in early years settings before and during cold weather: teachers and other educational professionals - GOV.UK
• Make sure you and your staff are aware of the effects of severe cold on a person’s health and action needed to be taken when you/they notice a pupil or member of staff is at risk of ill health due to the low temperatures.
• Identify and assess pupils or staff and have a plan in place to reduce their risk including tailored advice or mitigations you need
• Consider if any environmental changes are needed or changes to planned activities or events
• Share relevant advice and resources through your services and staff networks to help people stay warm and well and look after others
• If you haven’t already, sign up to receive the Cold-Health Alerts from UKHSA

Advice to keep warm and well and look out for others:
The cold weather can have a serious impact on health especially for vulnerable groups such as families with young children, older people and those living with long-term illnesses.
Being cold isn’t just uncomfortable it can be bad for your health. It can make health conditions such respiratory disease worse, increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and falls, as well as impacting on people’s mental health.
Guidance for staying safe in the cold weather (Gov.uk)
How to keep warm and well(BHCC)
Cost of living support (BHCC)