Attendance

Goldsworth Primary School seeks to ensure that all its pupils receive a full-time education which maximises opportunities for each pupil to realise his/her true potential.  The school will strive to provide a welcoming, caring environment, whereby each member of the school community feels wanted and secure. All school staff will work with pupils and their families to ensure each pupil attends school regularly and punctually.

Attendance Target: Goldsworth Primary School’s attendance target for 2023-24 is 97%.

ABSENCES

Illness

If your child is unwell and going to be absent from school, please report the absence by 8:30am by emailing absences@goldsworthprimary.co.uk or by telephoning the school absence line to report their absence: Tel: 01483 771 321, option 1. You must provide brief details of the illness.

Medical/Dental/Optical Appointments

We ask that medical/dental/optical appointments are made outside of school hours, in order to minimise disturbance to your child’s education.  If this is not possible, please ensure that you inform us of any appointments well in advance by emailing absences@goldsworthprimary.co.uk providing confirmation of the appointment i.e. an email/SMS/screenshot

Other Absences

If your child is absent without good reason it will be recorded as unauthorised.

Please note that the school does not authorise holidays during term-time.

In exceptional circumstances our Headteacher may authorise leave of absence. To request term-time absence, please collect an application form from the School Office or a form may be requested by emailing absences@goldsworthprimary.co.uk

Exceptional Leave of Absence form

Penalty Notices

Please note that if you take your children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive) in any three-month period, you will be liable to receive a penalty notice issued from Surrey County Council. Currently the amount payable under a penalty notice is £60.00 per parent/carer per child if paid within 21 days. Thereafter the amount increases to £120.00 if paid between 21 and 28 days. If the penalty notice remains unpaid after 28 days, the Local Authority will consider a prosecution in the Magistrates Court. Please note that penalty notices are issued per parent/carer per child so a family of two parents and two children will receive 4 penalty notices.

Punctuality

Being late for school makes it hard for your child to learn.

Please take note of the following times:

·         8:30am School gates open

·         8:40am Classes start

·         8:50am Gates are closed & School Registers are closed

If your child arrives at school after 8:50am, they are Late and must enter and Sign In through the School Office.

If your child arrives after 9:30am, they will also be marked as Late with an Unauthorised Absence.

Several unauthorised absence marks may result in legal action being taken against you.

DfE guidance can be found here.

Surrey guidance on their Inclusion Service can be found here.