The Importance of Regular Attendance at Fellside

We would like to remind all of our parents how important it is for your children to attend school regularly and avoid any unnecessary absence in order for them to reach their full potential.

During the mornings all children across the school focus on numeracy and literacy and this is an essential part of their learning. Arriving at school even a few minutes late means they will have missed some vital instructions at the start of a lesson and may subsequently find it difficult to catch up.

Please make an effort to ensure your child arrives promptly.  Our school bell rings at 8.55am promptly and lessons being from 9am. Children arriving after 9am are marked ‘late’ on our registers and this is closely monitored.

The government’s target for school attendance

The government target for attendance is 96%. So for example if your child is off 9 days during the academic year this would be the equivalent of a 95% attendance. It is vital, therefore, that parents aim to minimise time off due to sickness. If your child has a medical appointment, we would be grateful if parents could try and get this for the late afternoon so that children’s registration marks are unaffected.

What to do if your child is ill

If your child is unavoidably ill please remember to telephone school to report the absence before 9.30am. You can telephone the school on 0191 4887486. It is important that we know your child is absent so we can ensure their safety on site at school as well as supporting you, should you have any problems. If you do not report the absence then we have to record it as unauthorised absence with no reason given. Should this continue, we may have to report it to our Education Welfare Officer at Gateshead Council.

Ongoing issues/medical problems

If your child has an ongoing issue or medical problem, it may be necessary for us to complete a care plan with you. Please see Miss Knox initially to discuss this. Please remember persistent or regular absence can only be authorised if medical evidence is provided by a G.P. or Consultant. Failure to provide this evidence may result in the absence being recorded as unauthorised and again a referral to the Education Welfare officer.

If your child has a dentist/doctor/optician appointment, you will need to ensure you bring in the appointment card when your child needs to leave school early or late. Where possible, we would appreciate it if you could arrange appointments at the end of the school day or during the holidays.

The school nurses are always available if you need advice and can be contacted via the school office.

Some Statistics to Contemplate about Attendance at School:

• 98% attendance = 4 days absent from school
• 95% attendance = 9 days absent from school
• 90% attendance = 4 weeks absent from school
• 85% attendance = 5 ½ weeks absent from school
• 80% attendance = 7 ½ weeks absent from school (more than one half term)

Further Information