ATTENDANCE

Celebrating Attendance:

At Kings Ash Academy we love to celebrate excellent attendance and punctuality. We have a number of different reward schemes to acknowledge when our pupils do well

During our Celebration Assembly at the end of July, it was wonderful to award so many of our children with certificates, trophies and rewards for their excellent or improved attendance.

Congratulations to the 16 children who achieved an amazing 100% attendance for the whole year!

Termly Attendance Draw

Congratulations also to the 3 winners of our termly attendance draw, Lexi in 1DP,  Jake in 2CW and Jessica in 5SC who won family tickets for Kents Cavern, Pirates’ Bay Golf and Vue Cinema respectively.

We look forward to rewarding more pupils for their excellent attendance and punctuality this year.

Weekly Attendance Reward

AB, our Attendance Bear, spends the week with the class that has achieved the highest attendance the previous week.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

WHY?

We know that attendance is a major factor which impacts directly on how children do at school.  Every day your child will learn, develop and practise skills that they will use throughout their lives. When children are in school they … 

• make new friends
• learn and enjoy new experiences
• grow in confidence
• keep up with school work and homework
• can achieve their full potential
• have better career prospects
• learn how to look after themselves and keep healthy
• are rewarded and made to feel special  when they do well

Children cannot learn if they are not in school

What can you do to help?

• If your child keeps getting ill, contact your GP or ask the school to make an appointment for you to see the school nurse.
• Organise non-urgent medical appointments after school or during the school holidays.
• Only take your children on holiday during the school holidays.
• Tell your children how important school is.
• Praise your child’s achievements and celebrate their success.
• Take time to talk to your child about what they have done in school and any problems that they might have

You should only keep your child off school if they are genuinely too ill to attend

• Holidays in term time which are not authorised by the school in advance
• Non urgent medical appointments
• Siblings being unwell
• Parents not well enough to bring child in
• Oversleeping
• Bad weather
  
• Birthday treats
• Days out
• Shopping
• Visiting relatives

We expect all children to attend school every day as long as they are fit and healthy to do so. Please contact the school if you have any concerns about your child’s attendance.

PUNCTUALITY MATTERS!

WHY?

It’s a great way to start the day, putting your child in a positive frame of mind to make the most of the day’s learning activities.  Punctuality is linked to good attendance and good attenders have more opportunities, more support and therefore achieve more.

Also
It also helps your child to make new friends in  the playground before school which leads to improved self-confidence.
and
It sets positive patterns for the future.

SCHOOL STARTS AT 8.50 A.M.

TYPES OF LATENESS

Late before register closes (between 9 and 9.10 am)

Although your child may be only a few minutes late, they have missed the opportunity to chat and play with their friends before school starts. They are also likely to feel unsettled and embarrassed as they come into the classroom late.

Late after register closes (after 9.10 am)

This counts as an unauthorised absence and will show on your child’s record. Your child has missed the start of lessons and may well feel anxious and less confident because they do not understand what is going on.

Your child’s lateness disrupts the lesson for everyone else.

What can you do to help?

• Get to know your child’s timetable and work together to make sure they have everything ready the night before (books, uniform. PE kit etc.)
• Get your child into the habit of doing their homework in the evening instead of at the breakfast table on the morning that it is due in.
• Make sure that your child has a good bedtime routine so they get plenty of sleep and don’t struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
• Invest in a reliable alarm clock and get your child to set it as part of their bedtime routine.
• Allow plenty of time for your journey. Set off 10 minutes earlier than you have been so that your child can start the school day punctually and calmly.
• If you are unable to bring your child into school, have a back-up plan to get them here: Ask family, friends or neighbours who are taking their own children anyway.
• Bring your child to our Breakfast Club – it is open from 8.00am and will give your child a great start to the day. Please contact the school office for details.

If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or are finding it difficult to get your child into school on time, please speak to the class teacher, Deputy Headteacher or Attendance Support Officer as soon as possible.