At Parkfield we value the importance of good attendance and punctuality, which as a school we take very seriously. Days off school soon add up and missing lessons makes it hard to catch up resulting in children having to work harder when they come back, even missing vital information that will prevent their progress.

The law does not grant parents an automatic right to take their child out of school during term time. Any absence from school will disrupt your child’s learning. You may consider that a holiday will be educational, but your child will miss out on the teaching that their classmates will receive during your holiday. Attendance is vital to academic success and lost education poses a potential risk of under achievement. This is something we all have a responsibility to avoid.

Although we would love all our pupils to have 100% attendance, our school target is 96% this year and we need your continued support to ensure that we meet this mark.

The attendance ladder below highlights how only a small number of days can have a significant impact on your child’s level of attendance and learning 

Please note that an up to date attendance policy can be found on our policies page.  

At Parkfield, we love to celebrate excellent attendance!

Class Awards – Weekly
Each week in assembly, we share the percentage attendance for every class. These results are also celebrated in our newsletters, on X, and here on the school website.

• Any class that meets or beats the school’s attendance target earns a star on their attendance ladder.

• When a class collects 5 stars, they enjoy a special whole-class reward.
  
  

Individual Awards – Half-Termly
At the end of each half term, we hold a special attendance celebration.

• To qualify, children must achieve 100% attendance during that half term.
  
  

Individual Awards – Yearly
We also recognise outstanding attendance across the whole academic year.

• Children with 100% yearly attendance receive a special certificate, an attendance badge, and a place in our grand prize draw.

Persistent absence is defined by the Government as attendance below 90%. This equates to 19 days or more of absence a year or 100+ lessons missed. If a child’s attendance drops below 90% this could lead to them becoming a safeguarding concern. This could also result in the authority taking legal action against parents, resulting in a fine or court appearance. Over the next few weeks I will be making contact by letter with the families of children whose attendance is below 90% to invite you into school for a discussion about how we can support you to improve your child’s attendance. 

It is really important that children arrive in school on time. Poor punctuality can lead to your child…  

• Feeling embarrassed in front of their friends  

• Missing the beginning of vital lessons making them fall behind  

• Missing important instructions for the rest of the school day 

At Parkfield children are to line up before school and doors open at 8.45am.  They close at shortly after.

If you arrive after the doors are closed you will have to come through the school office.

Arrivals after 9.30am are classed as an unauthorised absence for the morning session.

1. Parents and carers do not have a right to take their child out of school during term-time to go on holiday

2. It is a legal responsibility of a parent or carer to ensure that once their child is of school age, that they attend school

3. If a parent of carer takes their child out of school during term-time to go on holiday, the school will follow the LA's policy on term-time holidays and inform the council of your absence

4. Rochdale Council will then issue you with a fixed penalty notice (fine)

5. In very exceptional circumstances, the Headteacher does have the discretion to authorise term-time holidays. These cases are extremely rare and will normally be linked to occasions such as funerals, marriages or where a family works in an essential service such as the armed forces or for the NHS and can only take annual leave at given times.

In line with the school policy, fines will be issued to families that go on a term time holiday where children miss 5 consecutive full days. Currently the fine is £160 per child per parent which equates to a £640 fine for a two parent family with two children. This is reduced to £320 if paid within 21days. If you are going on holiday due to exceptional circumstances, please speak to the headteacher as a fine may not have to be issued. The image below gives a reminder as to the different levels of fines that can now be issued.