Attendance

Regular attendance at school is crucial in raising standards of education and in ensuring every child can fulfil their God-given potential here at St. Mark’s.

Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children who are disadvantaged by poor attendance tend to achieve less in both their primary and their secondary education. Irregular attendance, even during a child’s earliest years in education can have a detrimental impact not only on their learning but also on their confidence, social relationships and life skills.

Therefore, it is important that children are only absent from school in unavoidable circumstances such as illness. Parents MUST NOT take their children out of school for term time holidays, shopping, visiting relatives, birthdays, or for any other avoidable reason. Children are often able to attend school with minor ailments and guidance can be provided to families on this matter. Please contact Mrs M Hussain in the school office for more guidance.

Finally, as mentioned above support is available for any family who may be experiencing issues with ensuring regular attendance. We ask that in the first instance, you contact Mrs M Hussain (our school attendance officer) or Mrs D Linley (Principal and lead DSL) at St. Mark’s school.

The steps below explain the process staff in school take to enable every child to maintain good attendance and punctuality to enable every child to thrive in school:

1. Monitor and review attendance and punctuality.
2. Meet with parents/carers to identify how we can improve attendance/punctuality.
3. Facilitate family support.
4. Formalise support (only if no or little improvement is made).
5. Where all other avenues have been exhausted and support is not working or not being engaged with, attendance will be enforced through statutory intervention or prosecution to protect the child’s right to an education.

Leave of absence during term time

Parents are requested not to take their children on holiday during term time. Holidays taken during term time will be recorded as unauthorised.

The school may legally authorise a request for leave where there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. Please send a written request to the Principal about the exceptional circumstance, where possible, we also request that parents send proof on the matter. Request letters are available from the school office or you can request a letter from the school office by emailing enquiry@stmarkrc.bham.sch.uk.

We cannot stress enough how vitally important good attendance is in ensuring your child makes good progress. If they are regularly late or missing days on a regular basis, this leads to the child falling behind in their learning.

Appointments in school time

Where possible, we ask that all appointments are booked out of school time so that children are not missing important learning time. Please speak to the office staff about any appointments your child will need to attend. Evidence of appointments will need to be shown to school staff and all appointments are recorded on the school attendance system. Should a child have to leave school to attend an appointment, then they should return to school afterwards. Parents must sign a child out of school on the signage screen in the foyer, and also sign the child back in, on their return to school.

Being on time is a good thing

• Gets the day off to a good start with everyone in a positive frame of mind.
• Helps your child make the most of their learning and sets positive patterns for the future.
• Helps children develop a sense of responsibility both for themselves and for others
• Helps your child make and keep friends.
• Improves self-confidence.