A CARE FOUNDATION TRUST SCHOOL
 

Attendance

Why is Regular School Attendance so Important?

Mersham Primary School works closely with children and parents in connection with attendance so that each child can achieve their full potential. By law, all children of compulsory school age (5 to 16) must receive a suitable full-time education.

Once your child is registered at school, you are legally responsible for making sure that they attend regularly. If your child fails to do so, you risk getting a penalty notice or being prosecuted. You also need to think about the negative impact upon the following:

  • their friendships
  • their learning
  • their self-esteem and confidence.

Mersham Primary School monitors the attendance of every child in the school and in partnership with Kent County Council’s School Liaison Officer, we will work and support those children and their families who are not attending school regularly without sufficient reason. The minimum expected level of attendance is 95%.

Whilst 90% attendance may sound ok, it means that your child actually misses:

  • nearly four weeks every school year
  • one half day each week
  • over one school year in a school career

Please click here for Mersham Primary School’s Attendance Policy

Please click here to visit Kent County Council’s website for further information regarding school attendance

Timekeeping

Timekeeping is also important in the education of your child. If your child is persistently late then they are missing out on important learning opportunities at the start of the lesson.

The gate open at 8.45am and children go straight to their classrooms. The gate shuts at 9.00am. Children arriving after this time must report to the school office. 

At the end of the school day children must be collected promptly. We understand that on occasion parents/carers may be delayed, and a telephone call to the school office is requested where possible to advise staff and to ensure we can reassure your child that somebody is on their way.