Attendance and Punctuality
At St Joseph's we expect all children to attend school every day unless they are unwell. St Joseph's places a high priority on achieving standards and feel that excellent pupil attendance and punctuality are essential. Regular, punctual attendance will establish good habits that will support children throughout their lives.
It is important that your child arrives at school on time. The school day starts at 8.45am; however the school gates open at 8.35am. Parents should supervise children until 8.40am when the classroom doors open.
Absence from school
Absence from school can only usually be justified when your child is ill.
Time off during term time is only authorised in exceptional circumstances. Family holidays during term time will not be authorised. If a parent/carer wishes to request time off during term time they must fill out the absence request form which can be obtained from the school office or printed below.
Parents are responsible for reporting any absence to the school by telephone by 8:45am on each day of absence, including the reason for absence. If you are running late you should also telephone the school.
If your child has a medical appointment or scheduled reason for absence then the school office needs to be informed before the period of absence, whenever possible. Any paperwork, such as medical appointments, should also be handed to the office. Where possible, appointments for their child should be made outside of the school day.
If pupils arrive late to school (after 8:45am), they must be escorted to the school office by a parent/carer and the adult must sign them in via the Sign-In system.
Studybugs
We have registered our school with Studybugs who will track our Attendance and Punctuality and this will report all data live to Southwark Local Authority. This data is shared instantly and will help Southwark to monitor and track our school’s attendance more closely. This means that Southwark LA will know when children are late or persistently absent. Studybugs continually monitors activity and makes sure those who need to know, do. Real-time alerts enable immediate action to ensure any issues around attendance and punctuality are addressed promptly.
Home Time
Children should be collected at 3.15pm. If your normal collection arrangements fail, please telephone to let us know before the end of the school day.
Who is there to support?
We recognise the need to tackle any issues surrounding attendance and punctuality. We have regular attendance meetings and work closely with Southwark Early help to support families with low attendance and lateness. Low attendance impacts significantly on children's wellbeing and progress.
Absence Request Form