Attendance

How do we promote positive school attendance?

We celebrate good school attendance throughout the year. In our weekly Friday Awards assembly, we also celebrate the best weekly class attendance, with winning classes receiving additional playtime minutes. The winning class also gets to keep our class trophy in class with them.

All pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education – it is central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school. Parents need to perform their legal duty by ensuring their children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly.

The government expects:

• Schools and local authorities to:
  • Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence;
  • Ensure every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled;
  • act early to address patterns of absence.

St Mary Magdalen’s recognises the vital role good attendance plays in your child’s school life and academic achievement. We expect all children to attend school regularly and punctually in order to take advantage of the educational opportunities available to them.

The school day begins at 9.00 a.m. and finishes at 3.15 p.m (3.10 for EYFS)

We understand that, on occasions, there may be unavoidable reasons for your child’s absence. You should notify the school by 8.45 a.m. on the first day of your child’s absence. You can leave a message regarding your child’s absence by telephoning the main school number 0191 5813055. In the event that your child’s absence is likely to be prolonged please contact the head teacher. St Mary Magdalen’s works in conjunction with the Education Welfare Service to support pupils to achieve good attendance. Those pupils achieving 90% attendance and below will be closely monitored. Unauthorised absences for any reason can lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice issued to each person with parental responsibility.

Punctuality

The school gates officially open at 8:40am for children to enter the school.  A member of staff will be present at the school gate to meet the children.  Please make sure your child does not enter any earlier than this time as there will not be any adult supervision.  Registration takes place in class at 9:00am.  If your child arrives 9am or later please report to the school office.

Further information, on school attendance, can be found on the Durham County Council website.

Downloadable Forms

Here is a selection of our forms which are available to download in PDF format.

Annual Consent Form
Data Checking Sheet
Free School Meals Eligibility   (click here for Durham link)
Holiday in Term Time

Any requests for copies of any information from our website can be requested through the school office.