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  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Morningside
      • Headteacher’s Welcome
      • Key Priorities
      • Rights Respecting School
      • Morningside Ethos and Values
      • Staff List
      • Join Our Team
      • Children’s Centre
    • School Policy
      • OFSTED Report
      • School Policies
      • Primary Advantage Policies
      • Pupil Premium
      • Sports Premium Funding
      • Privacy
      • Snow and bad weather
      • Data & Results
      • Equality
      • SEND
      • Safeguarding & Child Protection
    • Governance
      • Our Governors
      • Local Advisory Board
    • Primary Advantage
      • Introduction
      • Our Teaching Schools
      • Our Partnerships
      • Primary Advantage Vacancies
  • News & Events
    • News Archive
    • Calendar
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • Term Dates
    • Letters Home
  • Curriculum
    • Teaching & Learning
      • Home Learning Links
      • Assessment
      • Curriculum Maps
      • Termly Overviews
      • Early Years Foundation Stage
      • Our School Day
      • Homework
    • Subjects
      • Art & Design Technology
      • Computing
      • English: Reading & Phonics
      • English: Writing
      • Humanities
      • Mathematics
    • Subjects
      • MfL: Spanish
      • Music
      • PSHE and Citizenship
      • Physical Education
      • Religious Education
      • Science
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      • Reception
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Attendance & Punctuality

Attendance & Punctuality

Home > Parents  > Parent Information > Attendance & Punctuality

The school day begins at 8:55am and the school gates are opened at 8:45am. Children are recorded as late if they are not in classrooms ready for registration by 8:55am. All lateness is recorded and monitored, so it is important that your child arrives at school on time.

Regular attendance at school is important for your child’s education; however there may be times when your child is too unwell to attend school. To report your child as absent, please call the office on 0208 985 5382 or visit the office in person. If your child is absent for more than one day, please remember to phone the school each morning.

Requesting leave during term time

Leave during term time is only considered in exceptional circumstances. If you do need to remove your child during term-time, it will be necessary to complete a request form which you can pick up from the office.

Attendance

Good attendance at school is not just valuable, it’s essential. Going to school is directly linked to improved learning outcomes which should in turn lead to further opportunities and better job prospects. As well as this, going to school helps to develop:

  • Friendships
  • Social skills
  • Team values
  • Good mental health
  • Life skills
  • Cultural awareness
  • Career pathways

 

Good attendance should begin as soon as children start school, whether this is in pre school or Nursery or in Reception classes. Good habits and high expectations start here!

 

Absence from school

We record details of pupils’ attendance and absence at school. We do this at the beginning of morning and afternoon sessions meaning that each day your child receives two half day marks.

If your child is going to be absent from school, (e.g. for an unavoidable appointment) then you should let the school know as soon as possible. If your child has been absent due to an unexpected event such as bereavement or illness then you must also let the school know on the first day of absence in line with our attendance policy.

We will then record the absence. If you fail to tell the school as to why your child has not been present then the school may record that period of absence as being unauthorised.

 

Attendance in figures

We will advise parents of a child’s attendance levels at least once a year. This will usually include a percentage attendance figure.

Achieving 90 per cent in an exam or test is a fantastic result but if your child is at school for only 90 per cent of the school year then they will have missed 19 days – almost four whole weeks of school. For primary-age children, this can mean almost 120 guided learning hours. This is a big gap for any child to make up.

The expected level of attendance for Hackney school children is at least 95%. Our school target for attendance is 96.5%.

Because attendance is so important, we check attendance each month and will  let you know by text message as soon as your child’s absence falls below 95%.

 

Your legal responsibilities as a parent

By law, all children of school age must receive a suitable full-time education. For most parents, this means registering your child at a school or you may choose to make other arrangements to provide a suitable, full-time education.

Once your child is registered at a school, you are legally responsible for making sure they go regularly.

 

What YOU can do to make sure your child is successful in school, all day, every day

You can help prevent your child missing school by:

  • having a routine from an early age and sticking it to it
  • making sure your child understands the importance of good attendance and punctuality
  • making sure they understand the possible implications for themselves and you as a parent if they don’t go to school
  • taking an interest in their education – ask about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities
  • discussing any problems they may have at school and letting their teacher or principal know about anything that is causing concern
  • not letting them take time off school for minor ailments or holidays during term time

To avoid disrupting your child’s education, you should arrange (as far as possible), appointments and outings:

  • after school hours
  • at weekends
  • during school holidays

Term time holidays

Term time holidays have been increasing over the last number of years. Parents should make every effort to make sure that their child does not miss school due to holiday plans. Schools are not obliged to agree to you taking your child on holiday during term time. They are entitled to record such holidays as being an unauthorised absence.

The beginning and end of the day

 

Being punctual is as important as good attendance

Pupils need to arrive on time from 8:45-8:55am and unless they attend clubs, be collected promptly at 3:30 pm. Any children arriving after 8:55am, or picked up after 3:30pm is late.

Year 5 and 6 pupils may make their own way home with parental consent and agreement from the class teacher.

Illness

If you are not sure how long your child should be off school the table below will provide a guide for you.  For more information on an illness or condition and the latest up-to-date guidance please visit nhs.co.uk.

Condition

Recommended period to be kept away from school (once child is well)

Comments

Chickenpox Until all spots have crusted and formed a scab – usually five-seven days from onset of rash Chicken pox causes a rash of red, itchy spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters. They then crust over to form scabs, which eventually drop off.
Cold sores None Many healthy children and adults excrete this virus at some time without having a ‘sore’ (herpes simplex virus)
German measles Five days from onset of rash The child is most infectious before the diagnosis is made and most children should be immune to immunisation so that exclusion after the rash appears will prevent very few cases
Hand, foot and mouth disease None Usually a mild disease not justifying time off school
Impetigo 48 hours after treatment starts and/or until lesions are crusted or healed Antibiotic treatment by mouth may speed healing. If lesions can reliably be kept covered exclusion may be shortened
Measles Five days from onset of rash Measles is now rare in the UK
Molluscum contagiosum None A mild condition
Ringworm (Tinea) None Proper treatment by the GP is important.  Scalp ringworm needs treatment with an antifungal  by mouth
Roseolla None A mild illness, usually caught from well persons
Scabies Until treated Outbreaks have occasionally occurred in schools and  nurseries.  Child can return as soon as  properly treated.  This should include  all the persons in the household.
Scarlet fever Five days from child commencing antibiotics Treatment    recommended for the affected
Slapped cheek or Fifth disease (Parvovirus) None Exclusion is Ineffective as nearly all transmission takes place before the child becomes unwell.
Warts and verrucae None Affected children    may go swimming but verrucae should be covered
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting (with or without a specified diagnosis) Until diarrhoea and vomiting has settled (neither for the previous 24 hours).  Please check with the school before sending your child back. Usually there will be no specific diagnosis and for most conditions there is no specific treatment.  A longer period of exclusion may be appropriate for children under age 5 and older children unable to maintain good personal hygiene.
E-coli and Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome Depends on the type of E-coli seek FURTHER ADVICE from the CCDC
Giardiasis Until diarrhoea has settled for the previous 24 hours) There is a specific antibiotic treatment
Salmonella Until diarrhoea and vomiting has settled (neither for the previous 24 hours) If the child is under five years or has difficulty in personal hygiene, seek advice from the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control.
Shigella (Bacillary dysentery) Until diarrhoea has settled (for the previous 24 hours) If the child is under five years or had difficulty in personal hygiene, seek advice from the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control.
Flu (Influenza) None Flu is most infectious just before and at the onset of symptoms
Tuberculosis CCDC will advise Generally requires quite prolonged, close contact for spread on action.  Not usually spread from children.
Whooping cough (Pertussis) Five days from commencing antibiotic treatment Treatment (usually with erythromycin) is recommended  though non-infectious coughing may still continue for many weeks
Conjunctivitis None If an outbreak occurs consult Consultant in Communicable Disease Control
Glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis) None
Head lice (nits) None Treatment is recommended only in cases where live lice have definitely been seen
Hepatitis A See comments There is no justification for exclusion of well older  children with good hygiene who will have been much more infectious prior to the  diagnosis.  Exclusion is justified for  five days from the onset of jaundice or stools going pale for the under fives  or where hygiene is poor
Meningococcal meningitis/septicaemia The CCDC will give specific advice on any action needed There is no reason to exclude from schools siblings and other close contacts of a case
Meningitis not due to Meningococcal infection None Once the child is well infection risk is minimal
Mumps Five days from onset of swollen glands The child is most infectious before the diagnosis is made and most children should be immune due to immunisation
Threadworms None Transmission is uncommon in schools but treatment is recommended for the child and family.
Tonsillitis None There are many causes, but most cases are due to viruses and do not need an antibiotic.  For one cause, streptococcal infection, antibiotic treatment is recommended
HIV/AIDS HIV is not infectious through casual contact.  There have been no recorded cases of spread within a school or nursery.
Hepatitis B and C Although more infectious than HIV, hepatitis B and C have only rarely spread within a school setting.  Universal precautions will minimise possible danger or spread of both hepatitis B and C.

 

Related Pages
  • Online Payments
  • School Uniform
  • Parent Information Leaflets
  • Marvellous Me
  • Attendance & Punctuality
  • Behaviour
  • Parents Evenings
  • Parent View
  • School Meals
  • Online Safety
  • Covid-19 information
  • Badu Sport Covid-19 Support line
  • Kench Hill
Get in touch

Morningside Primary School and Children’s Centre
Chatham Place
London
E9 6LL

Tel: 020 8985 5382
Email: admin@morningside.hackney.sch.uk
Executive Principal: Sian Davies
Headteacher: Janet Taylor

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