Contact Details
Barkston & Syston Church of England Primary School
- 01400 250553
- enquiries@barkstonsyston.lincs.sch.uk
Church Street, Barkston, Grantham, NG32 2NB
Attendance
Why we want excellent attendance
Being Safe in school – Any child receiving an education at school needs to attend regularly (above 97%). We need to ensure children are safe in full time education.
Access to the full curriculum – At Barkston & Syston CE Primary School we offer an extensive and engaging curriculum. Students are expected and are entitled to access the full curriculum.
Sense of belonging – School is not just about learning; we work hard to ensure all our students really feel part of a community.
Life skills – Having good attendance and punctuality is a life skill and it is one that we promote here at Barkston & Syston CE Primary School, preparing your child for the future in every way.
Friends – Undoubtedly, friendship groups are strengthened the more you are in school. Children that miss school more than their peers often find it more difficult to maintain positive friendships. Friendships are so important for school aged children.
We are committed to promoting and modelling good attendance and behaviour – which is essential for pupils to achieve their potential. Poor attendance is directly correlated to a pupil’s level of success and development in their education.
As a parent, you have a legal requirement to ensure that your child is on time and attends school on a regular basis.
We understand that there are times when children will need to be absent from school. This could include:
- Sickness or ill health.
- Medical or dental appointments which fall during school hours.
- Religious or cultural observances.
- Family emergencies.
- Bereavement purposes.
We ask that all parents follow our Attendance and Absence Policy when reporting absences. Any parent who has not reported their child as absent will be contacted by the school via telephone, text message or email. Failure to provide reasoning for your child’s absence may result in your child receiving an unauthorised absence and could lead to penalty notices being imposed on you.
Absences during term time will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances and the length of any authorised absences will be determined by the headteacher. Requests for leave of absence during term time for the purpose of a family holiday will not be accepted.
Authorisations will not be granted for absence in the following instances:
- Day trips and holidays in term time
- Leaving school for unnecessary reasons during the school day
- Not attending school for an unnecessary reason such as shopping or birthdays
- Truancy before or during the school day
- Absences which have not been properly explained or have failed to follow the absence procedure
I must also state the importance of punctuality with regards to the beginning of the school day. Should your child arrive after the register closes (9am), they will receive a mark to show that they are on-site, though this will still be recorded as an absence. Continuous lateness will, therefore, result in several unauthorised absences, despite your child being on-site for the rest of the school day.
Should I keep my child off school?
For further NHS guidance about whether you need to keep your child off school when they are ill please follow this link: