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Attendance at Comper

Attendance at Comper

At Comper, we want all children to have an equal opportunity to flourish and succeed. Our principle aim will be to provide and engaging model of education, where children feel a sense of belonging that gives all children a rich and purposeful reason to attend school. Attendance and punctuality, and therefore participation in learning, will always be a more attractive option than non-attendance, both for parents and for children.

One of the single biggest factors affecting children's success at school is their attendance and punctuality rate. In the most recent DfE study, the percentage of children reaching the expected standard at the end of primary school declined by an average of 2% for each week children were absent from school.

Regular patterns of absence and/or lateness do not just impact on the children concerned, but also classmates, teachers and the broader school community, as they disrupt the planning, routines and collaboration on which the school depends. 

Based on historical trends, our expectation is that children should not be absent for more than 4 days per year which equates to 97% attendance. We are committed to working with children and parents within a culture of trust to establish and understand the underlying causes of non-attendance and to work together as a team to address them.  

In the UK, parents have a legal responsibility to ensure regular attendance; permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law. Absence from school may also be considered a safeguarding risk.

At Comper we monitor attendance of all the children very regularly. If your child is absent for any reason, please phone the school and let us know if they are unable to attend and the reason why. We will be in contact if we haven't heard from you, to follow up with why your child is not in school. Persistent absence will be addressed through working with you to unpick the reasons your child is not in school and support you to ensure they are. 

Term-time Absence 

We respectfully ask families to book breaks during the 13 weeks of school holiday available each year to ensure continuity of education and the greatest opportunity for children to thrive. Children follow sequences of learning that build knowledge over time. Missing chunks of this can lead to gaps developing and affect their academic progress.

Absences during term-time will only be granted for unavoidable circumstances. Should you need to remove your child from school during term-time, please speak to the Headteacher. 
 
The table below provides a useful summary of the impact of non-attendance on children’s education.
 
 
Nursery Attendance
 
Comper staff and governors recognise that nursery education is non-statutory and that attendance is not obligatory. However, nursery places are a valuable resource ( we have a waiting list) and it is expected that parents/carers will view their children’s attendance at Nursery as a serious commitment to their long term education outcomes.
 
Children benefit greatly from coming to Nursery regularly to build relationships with their peers and key people and to ensure that they are embedding their learning over time. Once you have agreed for your child to attend the Nursery School, it is expected that your child will take their full entitlement once they’ve settled in. Some children take a longer period of time to settle and, should this be the case, your child's key person will talk to you about an individual settling plan. It is important to us all that the process is appropriate for your child, so please come and speak to a member of staff if you have any queries or concerns. We are here to help and can usually reassure you that often your child settles shortly after you have left.