Attendance

At St Saviour’s school we strive to build a culture where all can, and want to, be in school and ready to learn. We aspire to high standards of attendance from all pupils as we know attendance at school is not just important for children’s learning, but also for their overall wellbeing, wider development and their mental health. For children who face complex barriers to attendance, school can offer a range of pastoral support and advice and, if needed, can access support from external services - we are here to help.

Informing the school of absence

Parents/carers must notify the school on the first day of an unplanned absence – for example, if your child is unable to attend due to ill health – by 8.45am or as soon as practically possible. Parents/carers can either telephone the school and leave a message on the answering machine or they can email the school on admin@stsaviour.sch.je

If it is likely that your child will remain off for a couple of days, you can inform the school on the first day, otherwise please call each day, and again no later than on the third day of absence.

In the case of vomiting and/or diarrhoea, public health guidance must be followed which states pupils can return to school 48 hours after the last episode.

Leave during term time

Schools may not grant any leave of absence to pupils during term time unless they consider there to be 'exceptional circumstances'. Please ensure that family holidays, travel and any other leave are arranged outside of school term time. Parents/carers should not remove their child from school during term time without having first requested a leave of absence in writing from the Headteacher. All requests for absence will be responded to in writing and will only be authorised in the most exceptional circumstances. All term dates and INSET days are available on the school website and gov.je.  Taking your child out of school without authorisation could impact on your child and their learning progress

If you’re worried about your child’s absence

If you are facing difficulties getting your child into school, it is important to discuss this with school at the earliest opportunity. We are here to help.

We work closely with the Education Welfare Team and a range of support services.

Punctuality

The school gates open at 8.30am each morning allowing children time to get to class, settle and be ready to learn by 8.45am. The register is taken at 8.45am each day by the class teacher and if the child arrives to their classroom after 8.45am they will be recorded as late.

What happens if my child is late?

If a pupil arrives late on 3 occasions within a fortnight, a standard letter will be sent home. Those pupils with persistent lateness, where the letter does not lead to an improvement and/or where there is lateness of more than 5 times in a fortnight, will be placed on a formal Punctuality Plan written by the school with the parent/carer. This plan will be reviewed fortnightly at a meeting with the parent/carer. This can happen twice before the next stage is implemented. The next stage involves the school referring to the Education Welfare Team for further support and action.

General attendance and absence triggers

The Secretary monitors pupil absence on a daily basis. Pupil-level absence data is collected and analysed weekly. Each term we compare the school attendance data with that of other island schools.

In the case of pupils with persistent absence leading to attendance under 92%, parents/carers will receive a letter to highlight concerns about the level of absence and to offer support. If this letter does not trigger an improvement and/or where the absence further decreases within two weeks an attendance planning meeting will be held. This plan will be reviewed fortnightly at a meeting between the school and parent/carer. This can happen twice before the next stage is implemented.

The next stage involves the school referring into the EWO for further support and action.

For further information please see our school policy on the School Policies page of this website and refer to the CYPES policy School Attendance Policy for Pupils of Compulsory School Age