Attendance

It is the aim of Mary Elton Primary School that pupils should enjoy learning, experience success and realise their full potential. The Attendance Policy reflects this and recognises that regular attendance has a positive effect on the motivation and attainment of pupils.

The school strives to consistently deliver excellent educational experiences for pupils, improving their life chances and serving the communities of which we are a member.

The school aims to meet its obligations with regard to school attendance by promoting good attendance; ensuring every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled; and acting early to address patterns of absence.

The policy below sets out the school’s position on attendance and details the procedures that all parents/carers must follow to report their child absent from the school. It is vital that children develop regular attendance habits at an early age. Therefore, the school will encourage parents/carers, and Reception children who are not yet compulsory school age, to send their children to every session that is available to them.

If a child is unable to attend school for any reason, parents/carers should inform the school of the reason on the first day of absence. If the school is concerned about a pupil’s attendance for any reason, the school will contact the parent/carer to discuss the matter, in the first instance.

The school will also support parents/carers to perform their legal duty to ensure their children of compulsory school age attend regularly and will promote and support punctuality in attending lessons.

Pupils should attend Mary Elton Primary School every day unless they are really not well enough to. Children who attend regularly are more likely to feel settled in school, maintain friendships, keep up with their learning and gain the greatest benefit from their education. The school wants all pupils to enjoy school, grow up to become emotionally resilient, confident, and competent adults who can realise their full potential. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential in the workplace and children who are used to attending school on time, and on every occasion, unless they are too unwell to attend, will be better prepared for the attendance expectations in the workplace.

Registers will be taken at 8:45am. Arrivals 8.50-9am will be marked as late; after 9am will be unauthorised absence.

Mary Elton Attendance Policy

Noble Education Services

At Mary Elton, we work closely with Noble Education Services to support our work on promoting high attendance.

Noble Education Services reviews pupils attendance, makes contact with parents/carers, holds attendance surgeries when attendance drops and can complete home visits.

Noble Education Services (NES) LTD was established in 2017 and is a local Independent Education Welfare Service offering school’s advice and direct work in raising school attendance and in turn improving outcomes for pupils and their families across the South-West.

NES apply for an annual service level agreement with the Clevedon Learning Trust to support all its schools and to offer encouragement to the families whose children attend these schools.

Founder Peter Noble, prior to this worked for 19 years with North Somerset Council Education Welfare department and his team are experienced professionals from education backgrounds.

All members of the team have enhanced DBS checks and have years of experience of working with children and families. Staff have ID badges which are on display for each visit. Below are the 2 officers who currently look after Clevedon Learning Trust Schools.

Peter Noble Teresa James