Attendance

Here at Valence, we promote the view that regular attendance is essential to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. We also feel that this is the responsibility of the whole school community.

Did you know?

Whilst an attendance figure of 90% does appear to be good, this is equal to missing half a day every week and across the whole year, is equal to four weeks of missed school work! 

If you have any concerns regarding your child's attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the schools Attendance Manager. The following links are an excellent resource to help improve your child's attendance. All the links take you to articles on the attendanceplus.co.uk website.

Focus on lateness and the impact on learning 

School Refusal  

Absence Guidelines 

Holidays in Term Time  

Attendance and Punctuality

Why is attending school every day so important?

Attendance

There are 190 days in a school year, which leaves 175 days for family activities including taking holidays. Pupil absence can have a detrimental impact on pupil attainment.

The Department for Education found that the pupils with the highest attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 have higher rates of attendance over the key stage compared to those with the lowest attainment.

Impact – Learning Lost

Punctuality

Pupils are expected to arrive on time, the school is legally obliged to record the attendances of all children – pupils must be on time for registration. Being late to school is disruptive to teacher planning and children’s learning (i.e., both to the late child and other children).

Arriving to school late means children will miss:

  • important learning, which could affect their achievement.
  • social time to settle in class.

Impact – Punctuality

School hours

Group Start Finish Hours in a School Week
Nursery Bonham AM  8:30 am 11:30 am 15 hours
Nursery Bonham PM 12:30 pm  3:30 pm 15 hours
Nursery Bonham All Day 8:30 am 3:30 pm 30 hours
Nursery St. George's AM  8:30 am 11:30 am 15 hours
NARP AM  8:30 am 11:30 am 15 hours
NARP PM 12:30 pm  3:30 pm 15 hours
Reception, Year 1 & Year 2  8:45 am  3:15 pm 32 hours & 30 minutes
Year 3 to Year 6  8:45 am  3:20 pm 32 hours & 55 minutes


The school gates open at 8:40 am and the school doors are opened at 8:45 am so that children will be able to go straight into class. Support and non-classroom based staff will be in the playground and on the doors from this time, which will give parents/carers an opportunity to pass on any messages or concerns.  Class teachers will be in the classroom welcoming the children. Doors will close promptly at 8:55 am.

Parents of children who are late are requested to sign in their children in the school office.

Documents

You can download our Request for Leave of Absence Form, Attendance Policy and attendance records below.

Hard copies of the information published on our website are available free of charge. Please contact the office for further information.