At Sudley Primary School we place a high importance on our children attending, on time every day.  For your child to have access to all the wonderful activities and events that we plan in school, they need to be in school and on time to enjoy them. Parents/carers should be aware that lessons begin at 8.55. In order to avoid missing any learning,  we expect that all children are in their classrooms by this time. Any children arriving after 8.55am will need to enter via the school office and will be marked as late in the register. All other gates will be closed after this time. Children who arrive after 9.25am will have an absent mark for the morning session.

The number of times a child is late will be recorded and reported on their School Annual Report. We ask for your co-operation in ensuring that your child is in school on time.  Children who are persistently late will receive a letter requesting that their punctuality improve. If the lateness is persistent then the Pupil Attendance and Educational Welfare Service may be asked to make a home visit.

If children do not attend school regularly, they may not be able to keep up with school work. It is not only the academic work that suffers – missing out on the social side of school life can affect your child’s ability to make and keep friends, a vital part of growing up.

We have incentives to promote good attendance at Sudley Primary.  Any pupil who gets 100% attendance in Autumn term is awarded a bronze badge and certificate. If they continue to achieve 100% attendance in Spring term they are awarded a silver badge and certificate. Finally, those who complete a full academic year with 100% attendance are awarded a gold badge and certificate.

If your child is absent you are required to call the school on 427-2941 by 9am and leave a message on the automated absence line, giving your child’s name, class and the specific reason for the absence. A call is required each day of the absence. As this is an answer service the call can be made outside of school hours.

Staff may contact you to ask for more details about the nature of the illness and how long you expect the absence to last.

Failure to log your child’s absence will result in contact being made to you by phone, email and/or SchoolPing message to remind you to call the school to log your child’s absence. 

Further failure to inform the school about your child’s absence will result in contact being made with other contacts you have provided us with. If we still do not have confirmed contact this could be classed as a safeguarding matter and a home visit may be carried out and/or a referral to Children's Services.

Is my child too ill for school?

When your child is unwell, it can be hard deciding whether to keep them off school. These simple guidelines should help.

Not every illness needs to keep your child from school.

Common conditions

If your child is ill, it’s likely to be due to one of a few minor health conditions:

Cough and cold. A child with a minor cough or cold may attend school. If your child has a more severe and long-lasting cough, consult your GP.

Rash. Skin rashes can be the first sign of many infectious illnesses, such as chickenpox and measles. If your child has a rash, check with your GP or practice nurse before sending them to school.

Headache. A child with a minor headache doesn’t usually need to be kept off school. If the headache is more severe or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as raised temperature or drowsiness, then consult your GP.

Vomiting and diarrhoea. Children with diarrhoea and/or vomiting should definitely be kept off school until at least 48 hours after their symptoms have gone or otherwise stated differently by the Head teacher. Most cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in children get better without treatment, but if symptoms persist, consult your GP.

Sore throat. A sore throat alone doesn’t have to keep a child from school.

Remember: if you are concerned about your child’s health, consult a health professional.

It’s important to inform the school if your child is going to be absent.