Attending school punctually on a regular basis is the key to children doing well at school and sets them up with good habits for later life and the working world. It also gives children the opportunity to:
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make lots of friends and feel included,
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learn new things and develop many skills,
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increase their confidence and self-esteem,
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improve their social skills,
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achieve their potential and fulfil their aspirations,
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and most importantly to have lots of fun!
At St Martin’s, we value attendance and work closely with children and their families to ensure that they are in school on time every day.
Obviously children are on occasions ill, and when they are too unwell to attend school we ask parents/carers to contact the school by 8:30am to let us know.
Please make doctor or dentist appointments after school hours if at all possible. If this isn’t possible, bring your child to school and then collect him/her for the appointment, bringing them back afterwards where possible.
Changes to the Education Regulations regarding authorising school holidays came into force on 1st September 2013. As a result of this, the Headteacher can only grant leave of absence during term time if there are exceptional circumstances. If parents/carers believe that there are exceptional circumstances, they need to complete a Leave of Absence form, which is available below or from the School Office. The decision to authorise leave due to exception circumstances will be made by the Headteacher, based on guidance from the Local Authority and the Department for Education. Parents/carers should be aware that any absence without the agreement of the Headteacher will be unauthorised. Unauthorised absence can result in a Penalty Notice from the Hampshire Local Authority.