Attendance

Why is Regular School Attendance so Important?

Chilham St Mary’s works closely with children and parents in connection with attendance so that each child can achieve their full potential. By law, all children of compulsory school age (five to 16) must receive a suitable full-time education.

Once your child is registered at school, you are legally responsible for making sure that they attend regularly. If your child fails to do so, you risk getting a penalty notice or being prosecuted. You also need to think about the negative impact upon the following:

• their friendships
• their learning
• their self-esteem and confidence.

Chilham St Mary’s monitors the attendance of every child in the school and in partnership with Kent County Council’s School Liaison Officer, we will work and support those children and their families who are not attending school regularly without sufficient reason. The minimum expected level of attendance is 97%.

Whilst 90% attendance may sound ok, it means that your child actually misses:

• nearly four weeks every school year
• one half day each week
• over one school year in a school career

Please see below for Chilham St Mary’s Attendance Policy.

Please see below for KCC Penalty Notices Code of Conduct (to be read in conjunction with the Attendance policy).

Please see below to visit Kent County Council’s website for further information regarding school attendance.

Timekeeping

Timekeeping is also important in the education of your child. If your child is persistently late then they are missing out on important learning opportunities at the start of the lesson.

The gates open at 8.35am and children can go into class once they arrive. All children must be in school by 8.50am so that they are in class ready for registration at 8.55am. Children arriving after this time must be signed in at the school office by the parent/carer and a reason provided for the late arrival.

The school day finishes at 3.15pm, and children must be collected promptly. We understand that on occasion parents/carers may be delayed, and a telephone call to the school office is requested where possible to advise staff and to ensure we can reassure your child that somebody is on their way.