Attendance
Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential is an assumption so widely understood that it is insufficiently stated – pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school. The government expects parents to:
- Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence;
- Parents to perform their legal duty by ensuring their children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly.
- Encourage pupils to be punctual to school and their lessons
Contact Procedure
If your child is absent, you should call the main school telephone number 01322 556333 and press option 1 on their FIRST day of absence. This will re-direct your call to the Attendance Co-ordinator’s office. If necessary please leave a message, clearly stating your daughter’s name, Form, and reason for absence. Alternatively you can email the Attendance Co-ordinator to inform us that your daughter will not be attending school on attendance@stccg.co.uk Your telephone call should be followed up with either a letter or email upon your daughter’s return to school in order for us to authorise the absence.
In order to maintain the safety of all of our students we also use a communication package called Keep Kids Safe which allows us to send important messages to parents instantly via text, voice or email. We are asking all parents for their cooperation; should you receive a text regarding your daughter’s absence, please could you reply by text or call the number provided in the text message you receive as soon as possible.
Leave of Absence & Holidays
Parents/Carers who wish to take their daughter out of school for any length of time must apply using the “Application for Leave of Absence for a Student during Term Time”. This application must be completed by the parent/carer and forwarded to the Head Teacher not less than fifteen days before the proposed period of absence. The Headteacher may wish to consult with the Chair of Governors before a decision is reached.
We ask that Parents/Carers take note of the following before applying for a leave of absence for their daughter:
Any time missed during the school term will have an effect on a student’s learning, particularly during courses leading to external examinations. Parents/carers should therefore arrange annual holidays, etc., during school holiday periods whenever possible.
Parents/carers should not apply for more than 10 school days leave of absence in any one academic year, except in very exceptional circumstances which should be explained in full.
A student’s attendance record will be taken into account when an application is being considered.
A student’s absence from school to take annual holiday leave during term time is not allowed unless approval has been obtained beforehand and this will only be given in exceptional circumstances.
Absence in term time affects the school’s overall attendance figures. Adverse Weather Conditions
In the event that the school needs to close due to adverse weather conditions such as snow you will be informed in the following ways:
- Text message and email. It is important that you ensure we have current email addresses and mobile numbers for you.
- The School Website. We will place a message in the “Latest News” section on the Home Page.
- The Open Check Website. Click the OpenCheck map link at the base on the website below and from the drop down boxes select Bexley Then from the next box select "St Catherine's Catholic School for Girls" The status of our School will be shown OpenCheck map Once you go to the web site click the "Refresh Map" button to view our status
- Bexley Council. If you cannot find out any details then go to Bexley Council web site http://www.bexley.gov.uk and the details will be on their web site under School and Colleges
No Internet Access If you do not have Internet access then you can find the status by calling 020 8408 7508 and keying in our DCSF code 303 5402
If you have any further questions regarding this then please email us info@stccg.co.uk