Attendance & Punctuality

The whole school starts at 8:55am and finishes at 3:15pm. After school clubs runs until 4:30pm. Pupils attending Young People Matters finish at 6:00pm. These timings may vary slightly if your child is in the Nursery. Registration time is at 9:00am - 9:05am.

We expect pupils to arrive and to be collected punctually at the start and end of their school day.

Our Aim

At Granton Primary School we work hard to ensure all pupils are welcomed into a safe, secure and creative learning

environment so that they can achieve their full potential.

We aim;

• To work together in partnership with parents / carers and children to ensure excellent attendance and punctuality
• To reduce unauthorised absence and lateness through promoting positive attendance
• To ensure that systems are in place for monitoring attendance and for early identification of difficulties.
• To ensure the policy is consistently applied throughout the school

Authorised / Unauthorised Absence

Authorised

A message or explanation from a parent/carer does not necessarily mean an absence becomes authorised. The decision whether or not to authorise an absence will always rest with the school.

• An absence is classified as authorised when a child has been away from school for a legitimate reason which is accepted as valid by the school.
• Parents/Carers will be asked to provide medical evidence if a child is persistently absent and may request a medical evidence form to assist with this.

Unauthorised

Unauthorised Absence is unauthorised if a child is away from school without good reason, even with the support of a parent.

• Ongoing and repeated lateness or absence is considered as unauthorised absence and may be subject to legal action.
•  If absence/lateness persists parents/carers will be invited to attend the school for a School Attendance Panel meeting (SAP) to discuss the problem and offer support
• If absence continues after a second SAP meeting, the case will be referred to Lambeth’s Educational Welfare Officer who may instruct the issue of a penalty notice or begin court proceedings

Holidays Taken During Term Time

Taking holidays in term time will affect your child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children out during school time. Permission for holidays taken during school time will not be given and such absences will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Requests maybe made in writing to the Attendance Team should a leave of absence need to be taken in exceptional circumstances. Penalty notices (fines) maybe issued if parents remove their child from school during term time without seeking permission in advance and/or if attendance has been poor prior to the request.

A parent will be asked to provide evidence should any absences fall on either side of a school holidays.

 If there are personal issues that are affecting your ability to bring your child to school please come and speak to Jane Costin in the Family Support/Pastoral Care Team

It is vital that pupils attend school, on time, every day in order to gain the greatest benefit from their education.

96% - 100% (less than 9 days absence in a year) is good attendance.
96.4% is the national average attendance rate for a child at primary school.

There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time.