At Coates Lane Primary School, we seek to ensure that all its pupils receive a full-time education which maximises opportunities for each pupil to realise their true potential.  We take a positive and proactive approach towards school attendance, because we know that children who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve well, and have more opportunities to socialise and experience the wider opportunities on offer. We 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.

We do expect your child to attend school almost every day.  This means their attendance should be above 96%.  To help raise awareness of your child's attendance, we do produce termly 'traffic light' letters for parents.  The ladder below explains further about attendance percentages. 

If your child's attendance starts to decrease, or they are frequently late, we will let you know so that you are aware of the impact this is having on their education.  Our approach is supportive - whatever barrier your or your child are facing we will work with you to find a solution.  This could be, for example, support for emotional-based school avoidance, signposting to breakfast club or morning social, orgainsing a meet and greet or finding a 'job' for your child in a morning.  Our support could also involve outside agencies where appropriate.

We aim to work proactively to prevent any child from becoming a persistent absentee - this is where attendance is less than 90%.  If a child does become a persistent absentee, school will work closely with the family and Local Authority to address this - parents/carers have a legal duty to make sure their child attends school.

For more information on our approach to attendance, please have a read of some of our documents below.

Punctuality

Pupils can come into school from 8.45am and the school day starts promptly at 8.55 a.m. If a child arrives at school after 8.55 a.m. without prior arrangements having been agreed, they will be deemed late.  Registers close at 9.25 a.m. and arrival at school after this time, without prior approval or extenuating circumstances, will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Pupils arriving at school after 8.55 a.m. must enter through the main gates and report to the school office to be signed in by an adult. Pupils leaving school for any reason must report to the office before they go so that we can ensure that they are appropriately chaperoned and signed out.  All children leaving school during the school day must be signed out using Inventry. Registers are also taken when the children return to classes after lunch. Unexplained absences will be investigated by the school.

What is expected of the pupils?

• To respect themselves and others
• To do all they can to attend school regularly and punctually

What is expected of the Parents?

• To keep requests for their child to be absent to a minimum
• To offer a reason, or medical proof, for any period of absence, preferably before the absence or on the first day of absence
• To ensure that their child arrives at school on time, a reason should be offered for any lateness
• To work closely with the school to resolve any problems that may impede a child’s attendance
• To take family holidays during school holiday periods and be aware that requests for holidays during term time will be refused except in special/exceptional circumstances.
• To be aware of curriculum requirements and be especially vigilant with regards to attendance during important academic times such as SATS

As part of Lancashire Local Authority, we work closely with the School Attendance Support Service to ensure that all children are attending school regularly.