Our Attendance
At St. Joseph's the gate opens at 8.35 am daily and closes at 8.45 am. Any child arriving after this time will need to register at the office.
BE A HERO!
Absence from School - a Reminder (taken from KCC Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices)
All parents of (or someone who is responsible for) a child aged 5 to 16, are legally responsible for making sure your child attends school regularly. Regular and punctual attendance is also essential in order for children to maximise the opportunities available to them. The percentage of attendance should be 96% or above.
(The Kent Attendance Officer has regular meetings with the school regarding absences, and persistent lateness. Where there are concerns he/she will visit those parents.)
| Attendance % | Days Missed | Impact on Learning |
| 100% | 0 Days | Outstanding! Best chance of success. |
| 95% | 9 Days | Good - Fewer gaps in knowledge. |
| 90% | 19 Days | Warning - Risk of underachievement |
| 85% | 29 Days | Cause for Concern - Serve risk of underachievement - persistent absentee (PA) |
| 0-85% | 38 Days | Extreme concern - Action with Local Authority |
Every Minute Counts
Punctuality is just as important as attendance. Arriving just 5 or 10 minutes late every day adds up to a staggering amount of lost time over a school year.
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5 Minutes Late each day = 3 days of school lost a year.
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10 Minutes Late each day = 6.5 days of school lost a year.
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15 Minutes Late each day = 10 days of school lost a year.
How we celebrate attendance in our school:
Positive postcards
Punctuality Award
Attendance Trophy
Ensuring regular and punctual attendance will:
- give your child the best possible start in life
- help your child make the most of educational opportunities
- instil in your child good time keeping habits
- prepare your child for the world of work
What can you do to help?
- Find out what time school starts, and how long it takes for you to get your child to school.
- Have a regular routine for the start of each day.
- Help your child get their clothes and equipment ready before they go to bed.
- Set a reasonable bedtime to make sure they get enough sleep.
- Get your child to school on time. If they start late, they have a bad start to the day.
There may be many reasons why a child is reluctant to attend school. These could be related or not related to school. Please contact the school office who will arrange a meeting for you to discuss strategies which can be put into place to support your child and their attendance at school. We are also able to offer a 'soft landing' morning club, to support your child into school.
Yes. As the child’s parent, you are expected to ensure that they receive an education. If your child does not attend school, you could face court action resulting in a possible fine and/or even imprisonment.
Illness
If your child is too ill to attend school, you are expected to telephone at the beginning of the day to tell us what is wrong with your child. This applies if your child has been absent from school the previous day.
If you do not contact the school or the Headteacher is not satisfied that the absence could not be avoided, it may be recorded as an unauthorised absence.
Holiday Absence
The Headteacher will not authorise absence for family holidays during term time.
Lateness
It is important that children arrive at school on time. This encourages habits of good time keeping and lessens classroom disruption. If your child arrives late without a valid reason, this may be recorded as an unauthorised absence.
At St. Joseph's the gate opens at 8.35 am daily and closes at 8.45 am. Any child arriving after this time will need to register at the office.