Attendance Matters

At Downderry we aspire to high standards of attendance from all of our pupils, enabling them to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. Pupils with the highest rates of attendance have the highest rates of attainment and achieve best at school.

It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child attends school every day that it is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances.

% Attendance

There are 190 days in the school year, leaving 175 days to spend with family and doing other things. The school does not authorise holidays. Holidays should be booked outside of school time. A copy of the term dates is published in the Parents section of the school website.

5 or less days absence

97% or better

Very best chance of success

6 – 17 days absence

96% - 91%

Less chance of success

More than 18 days absence

Less than 90%

Persistent Absentee, not fair on your child. Educational Welfare Office could be informed

Punctuality

The school gates open at 8:30am and close at 8:50am, when children are taken to class.

Gates open for Nursery children at 9:00am, enabling time for parents of older siblings in the school to walk around to the Nursery entrance on Shroffold Road. The school also offers a breakfast club and after school Forest club (for children of Reception age plus) to support with attendance and punctuality.

Attendance Codes

When a child arrives late, they receive a late mark ‘L’ which permanently stays on their school record.

When a child arrives after 9:30am they receive a ‘U’ mark. This hugely affects attendance as it represents an absence mark for the whole morning session!

The Impact of Arriving Late

Your child must arrive at school on time to avoid missing important learning time: English, maths and phonics for younger children.

Being late for school also affects your child’s attendance and learning:

• They will miss the start of the lesson
• Being late disrupts the teacher and their classmates
• It can be embarrassing walking into a room late
• They may be unsettled and not ready to begin learning

Rewards & Sanctions

Pupils with the best attendance achieve best at school. Attendance is also rewarded by weekly 100% prize draw, termly prizes and end of year prizes for children who achieve 100%.

Penalty notices may be issued by the local authority to each parent who fails to ensure their child’s regular attendance at school.

Feeling Unwell

Your child may still be able to attend school if they are feeling unwell. Please ring the school office for advice or consult the "Should My Child Go To School Today?" leaflet below.

Reporting Absence

If your child is absent please call the school office on 0208 698 5768 before 9.30am.
You will need to call each and every day that your child is absent, even if the reason is the same.