Attendance Information

Our school helps us to walk with Jesus, to be the best that we can be.  Through God’s love and guidance, we create an ethos of shared endeavour, friendship and co-operation to help us flourish academically, emotionally and spiritually.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Encouraging regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success, both in school and in life. When you make school attendance a priority, you help your child get better grades, develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behaviour and have a better chance of achieving their full potential.

Children who attend school regularly also feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to leave school with good qualifications, setting them up for a strong future.

At Baxenden we want to build a partnership with parents and seek your full support in ensuring that your child attends school every day, and on time. We are keen to work together with children and their families in resolving any difficulties or barriers to attending.

Supporting your child’s school attendance

Good school attendance habits are best started early. Children learn from those around them and you as parents/carers set the standards and expectations for them. Showing your child the importance of attending school every day not only helps your child to settle quickly when starting school but helps them to keep and maintain friendships and enjoy the school environment.

Be organised, have a plan, be consistent and involve your child.

You should:

• Create good routines for mornings at home so that your child can arrive punctually and they are properly equipped
• Talk to them about the things they have been learning. A short chat may produce a better result than a long list of questions.
• Read all school communications.
• Attend school parents evenings and functions.
• Check your child understands the homework and that it has been completed. Support them in completing homework by creating a calm space for them to work in.
• Avoid absence from school wherever possible. Avoid GP and dental appointments during school hours. Absence means your child will miss out on academic studies and begin to feel that education is not a priority. This can have a negative lifelong effect.

There tends to be good reasons why children become reluctant to attend school. Take the time to listen to your child, share any concerns you or your child may have with the appropriate member of school staff and seek support at the very earliest opportunity.

ILLNESS, ACCIDENTS & MEDICINES

If your child becomes ill or has an accident at school we may need to contact you. All parents are requested to give 3 emergency contact numbers at the start of each school year. Please inform us immediately of any changes.

Medicines should normally be administered at home. Some prescription medicines however may need to be administered at set times.

All prescription medicines should be clearly named, with the correct dosage. Parents should complete a form at the school office. Medicines should be handed into the office and collected at the end of the day by an adult.

SICKNESS

As it is difficult to determine whether a child has vomited due to an infectious bug or due to another reason, it is school policy that all children who have vomited are kept away from school for at least 24 hours since the last sickness episode. If you are confident that your child has a sickness and/or diarrhea bug and there is a risk of spread to other pupils and staff, you should keep them at home for 48 hours following their last episode of sickness and/or diarrhea as per the ‘Guidance of infection control in schools and other childcare settings’. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Please refer to our ‘Medical Policy and Proceedures’ policy and ‘Supporting Children with Medical Conditions’ policy for further details.

TICKS

Ticks are a common problem during the summer months, and it is worth knowing what to do if you come across one. On the following link is some advice from the government: https://www.leck-st-peters.lancs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tickbite-factsheet.pdf