At Willow Lane we place great importance on children attending school regularly and punctually. Good attendance is vital for your child to progress effectively. We want all children to take full advantage of school and to gain the appropriate skills, which will equip them for life.
The school gates open at 8:40am. Morning registration is from 8:45am until 8.55am. Gates close at 8.55am. Afternoon registration is between 1.00pm and 1.05pm.
If your child is ill we ask parents/carers to inform school on the first day of absence by phone call. When children have not arrived at school by 9.20am and their parent/carer have not contacted the school with a reason for a pupil’s absence, school will ring the pupil’s contacts, in the order given for emergency contacts, until we get a response and reason for absence. If we are unable to speak to any of the pupil emergency contacts, school will undertake a home visit. This is for the children’s welfare and safety and so that we know that, if the child is not in school, that they are safe at home. If the school is not provided with a reason for the absence, this is marked as ‘unauthorised’.
Pupils who arrive after 8.55am (or 1.05pm) must go straight to the school office at the main entrance to sign in and give a reason for their lateness.
Pupils who arrive after the register has been taken (8.55am or 1.05pm) but before it is closed (9.25am or 1.30pm), will be marked as code L. This is classed as late but present for the session (i.e. the morning or afternoon).
Pupils who arrive after the register has closed and without a valid reason for being late (such as attending a dental or medical appointment) will be marked as code U, which is classed as an unauthorised absence but indicates that the pupil was physically present in school for part of the session.
Parents/Carers are asked where possible to make medical appointments after school hours. If they need to be made in school time, where possible, they should be made later in the school day. We advise that holidays should not be taken in term time. Holidays will not be authorised unless in exceptional circumstances. Where there are serious concerns regarding a child’s attendance, or unauthorised holidays are taken, the Local Authority can be asked to issue a fixed penalty notice in line with Lancashire’s policy.
The full Attendance Policy is available on the policies page and from the school office.
School attendance contacts:
Vicky Jameson, Clerical Assistant is the contact for parents to notify school of a pupil’s absence.
Kirsty Banks, Pastoral Manager is the senior leader responsible for the strategic approach to attendance in school. Also contact for day to day enquiries about attendance and specific and more serious attendance concerns.
