Attendance, Lateness and Absence
To help children achieve their very best in school, it is important that they are good attenders and also punctual. It is essential that your child is in school as many days as possible. One week’s absence is the same as missing 25 lessons.
At Howitt Primary Community School we offer a supportive approach to attendance and encourage our families to contact us should there be any barriers to your child arriving at school on time every day.
If your child is absent, please telephone the school office before 9:30am to inform us of the reason why. We will no longer be accepting emails with reasons for pupil absence.
A member of staff is on duty at all gates in the mornings to welcome your children.
Reception 8:40am-8:50am
Year 1 & 2 8:40am-8:50am
Year 3-6 8:45am-8:55am
Registers are taken at 8.55 every day, followed promptly by the first lesson. Parents play a pivotal role in supporting children to arrive on time every day, so children are calm, focused and ready to learn.
Any children arriving after 9:05am will receive a late mark and children arriving after 9:15am will receive an unauthorised late mark.
All children arriving after the gates are shut must be accompanied by an adult to the main office where they must be signed in and a valid reason for lateness must be recorded.
The nursery doors will be shut at 8:40 and any nursery children who arrive after 8:40 must be signed in by an adult at the main school office.
Ministers have now published guidance on managing school attendance that is mandatory from September 2024.
Absence fines charged to parents will rise from £60 to £80, or £160 if not paid within 21 days. From autumn term 2024 only 2 fines can be issued to parents within a 3 year rolling programme. Any notices thereafter will automatically be charged at £160.
Parents will also receive 'improvement notices' where they are informed that this is their last opportunity to engage with education and improve their child's attendance before a fine is issued.
National fine thresholds
From September 2024, schools will have to consider a fine if pupil misses 10 sessions (half days) of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. This could be through 'any combination of unauthorised absence' such as 4 sessions in term time and 6 instances of unauthorised late arrivals.
Attendance updates September 2024
Attendance- whole school | Attendance - disadvantaged pupils | |
2023-2024 | 93.13% | 91.78% |
2022-2023 | 94.14% | 92.16% |
2021-2022 | 94.88% | 93.89% |
2020-2021 | 96.70% | 95.60% |