Absence

The attendance of pupils is closely monitored in schools nationally and for some years Claydon Primary has been noted as having low attendance. Overall, for the last few years our pupil attendance has been lower than the national average and for some groups of pupils (those who are eligible for free school meals and those with SEN) attendance is particularly low. Nationally, the average absence for all pupils is 4% - this equates to 7½ days absence during the whole school year for each child.

We are using many strategies to improve attendance and it is improving - thank you for working with us.

Important Information:

We request that parents inform the school on the first day of an absence - messages can be left on our telephone. If the illness continues, we request that parents phone everyday with an update on your child's condition.
If children feel unwell at school the teacher will initially keep a close eye on them, monitoring their well-being. Depending on their age they will then make a decision on their behalf or in consultation with them as to whether they need to go home. If your child is in distress, seriously hurt or very unwell we will contact you immediately. In order that we can contact parents or carers at all times during the school day, we request that we are provided with at least two telephone contact numbers and that these are updated when any changes are made.
Our school registers are closely checked and monitored by the Educational Welfare Officer and support is offered to families to improve attendance of children where necessary. The Local Authority issues Fixed Penalty Notices for unauthorised absence.
Please note that absence for holidays is only authorised in the most exceptional circumstances - absence for holiday is not a right.
The Headteacher has the right to determine whether or not absence is authorised in any circumstance and reserves the right to request medical evidence to support the decision making process.

Our Attendance Policy can be found on the policies page.