Attendance
Expected Attendance at Mersea Island School
From the start of your child’s entry into school, it is important that your child develops good attendance habits. From the start of Year One you are legally obliged to send your child to school and below are the expected levels of attendance and related colour coding that will show on your child’s attendance on school reports and records during their time at Mersea Island School. Attendance is monitored closely and follow the government guidelines for school attendance set out below. Absence through illness, GP, dentist and hospital appointments will all affect your child’s attendance levels.
Attendance
100% - 99% |
| Excellent or Good Attendance (up to 2 days absence per year) |
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98% - 96% |
| Good Attendance (between 2.5-7.5 days absence per year) |
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95% - 90% |
| Cause for Concern. The school will look for improvement in your |
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| child’s attendance. (between 8 and 17 days absence per year) |
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Below 90% |
| Unsatisfactory / Poor attendance (Above 18 days absence per year) |
If your child’s attendance falls below 90% both parents will be invited to an attendance meeting with the Head teacher where we will look at any concerns and also to look at various strategies to help you improve your child’s attendance or punctuality. If, after this meeting, your child’s attendance does not improve, an official meeting with the school and the Education Welfare officer will be arranged.
Punctuality
Being on time for school is also really important. When your child arrives late at school, he/she misses the teacher’s instructions for the day and the induction to the lesson. Your child may also feel embarrassed at having to enter the classroom late.
Punctuality (Late) for the whole year
| 6 or below – |
| between 7-12 – |
| above 13 - |
| good (up to 2 per term) |
| cause for concern (3-4 per term) |
| Unacceptable (more than 4-5 per term) |
Number of sessions* available for the Academic Year 2023-24 are: 380 sessions (190 whole days).
* School days are: One morning session and one afternoon session
Minutes late per day during the school year | Equal days-worth of teaching lost in a year |
5 mins | 3.4 days |
10 mins | 6.9 days |
15 mins | 10.3 days |
20 mins | 13.8 days |
30 mins | 20.7 days |
If you are unsure whether to send your child into school the poster below gives advice on childhood illnesses and the potential impact on school attendance. If you are have any queries, please contact the school and we will be happy to advise you whether your child should be in school or not.
