Attendance
Attendance at St Peter Chanel, Sidcup
Attendance
At St Peter Chanel we have high expectations for excellent attendance. There is a clear link between attendance and achievement — pupils who are in school regularly are best placed to access the learning opportunities available to them and to enjoy school life fully.
Please call us before 9:00am
Let the school office know if your child will be absent, with the reason. We must have written notification and an explanation for every absence.
Why attendance matters
A legal duty
Parents and carers are responsible in law for ensuring children of compulsory school age receive full-time suitable education. Failure to do so can result in prosecution by the Local Authority.
Punctuality counts
The law requires attendance to be regular — punctually every day, for the whole school day during term time, unless there is a good reason such as illness.
Annual record
A record of your child's attendance, absences and punctuality is included on their Annual Report and Registration Certificate, which is passed on to secondary school.
Term-time leave
Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday during term time. Permission must be requested in advance, in writing, and the decision rests with the Headteacher and Governors.
Leave of absence is granted at the Headteacher's discretion and only in exceptional circumstances — such as a family funeral or sudden serious illness. Every application is considered individually. Holidays taken without agreement, or beyond agreed days, are recorded as unauthorised absence.
Punctuality
Our gates open at 8:40am, and all children are expected to be in school in time for registration at 8:55am. If a child arrives after this time, the parent or carer is asked to complete a Late Arrival Form recording the time of arrival and the reason for lateness. Punctuality is monitored regularly; where concerns arise, parents will be notified by letter, and a record is included on the child's Annual Report.
How we monitor attendance
We work closely with the Educational Welfare Service to support families. Where a child's attendance falls below expected levels, we follow a clear, supportive process to understand the cause and put help in place.
Termly attendance letter from school
The school issues a formal termly letter advising parents that their child's attendance is below the recommended average, forming part of the parental sanction process.
School concern letter
A formal letter from school raising specific concerns about the child's attendance pattern.
EWO concern letter
A letter from the Education Welfare Officer setting out the legal expectations and the further steps that may follow.
Meeting with Headteacher and EWO
Parents are invited to a meeting with the Headteacher and Education Welfare Officer to discuss the situation and agree an improvement plan.
Referral to Educational Welfare Service
A formal referral is made to the Educational Welfare Service. This step and its implications are always explained to parents in advance.
Attendance certificates
Each week we celebrate the two classes with the best attendance — one from Foundation Stage / Key Stage 1 and one from Key Stage 2 — by awarding an attendance certificate. We love recognising the classes that show up, on time, and ready to learn.
Unexplained and unauthorised absence
If a child's absence is unexplained, the school will write to parents asking for a written explanation on return — a reply slip is provided for ease. An unauthorised absence is considered to be truancy.
An Education Welfare Officer visits the school regularly to check on attendance, and any cases of unauthorised or protracted absence are flagged for action.
Attendance register codes
The codes below are used on the statutory Registration Certificate issued at the end of the academic year, which shows the total sessions attended, authorised absences and unauthorised absences.
| / | Present (AM) |
| \ | Present (PM) |
| B | Educated off site (not dual registration) |
| C | Other authorised circumstances |
| D | Dual registration (attending other establishment) |
| E | Excluded (no alternative provision made) |
| G | Family holiday (not agreed, or days in excess) |
| H | Family holiday (agreed) |
| I | Illness (not medical or dental appointments) |
| J | Interview |
| L | Late (before registers closed) |
| M | Medical or dental appointments |
| N | No reason yet provided for absence |
| O | Unauthorised absence (not covered by other code) |
| P | Approved sporting activity |
| R | Religious observance |
| S | Study leave |
| T | Traveller absence |
| U | Late (after registers closed) |
| V | Educational visit or trip |
| W | Work experience |
| X | Non-compulsory school age absence |
| Y | Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances |
| Z | Pupil not on roll |
| # | Planned whole or partial school closure |