Download Attendance Policy (pdf, 83kb)

The aims of the attendance policy in St. Fiachra’s Senior National School are to:

  • Encourage pupils to attend school regularly and punctually.
  • Share the promotion of school attendance amongst all in the school community.
  • Inform the school community of its role and responsibility as outlined in the Act.
  • Identify pupils who may be at risk of developing school attendance problems.
  • Ensure that the school has procedures in place to promote attendance/participation.
  • Develop, subject to available resources, links between the school and the families of children who may be at risk of developing attendance problems.
  • Identify and remove, insofar as is practicable, obstacles to school attendance,

The school will ensure that:

  • The importance of school attendance is promoted throughout the school.
  • Pupils are registered accurately and efficiently.
  • Pupil attendance is recorded daily.
  • Parents or guardians are contacted when reasons for absences are unknown or have not been communicated.
  • Pupil attendance and lateness is monitored.
  • School attendance statistics are reported as appropriate to:
  • The Education Welfare Board.
  • The Education Welfare Officer
  • The Board of Management

Punctuality

School is open from ( 8.30 ) a.m. and children are required to be in their classrooms not later than (8.50) a.m.. All pupils and teachers are expected to be on time. The school will contact parents/guardians in the event of pupils being consistently late. The Principal is obliged under the Education Welfare Act, to report children who are persistently late, to the Education Welfare Board.

Guidance for Parents

Section [(21) (9)] of the Act states that: “a pupil’s absence can only be authorised by the Principal when the child is involved in activities organised by the school or in which the school is involved”. The school principal cannot authorise a child’s absence for holidays during school time. However, it is essential that parents inform the school of such arrangements.

Parents should note that:

  • Reasons for pupils’ absences must be communicated in writing, by parents/guardians to the school and will be retained by the school. To facilitate this, such communications should not be in the homework diary, but on a separate page or sheet of paper.
  • If a child is absent, when the child returns to school s/he should give/send a written note to the class teacher which contains the child’s name, the dates of absence and the reason for the absence.
  • These notes will form a record which may be inspected by the Education Welfare Officer on a visit to the school. The school will contact parents when a written explanation for the child’s absence is not received by the school.

 

Parents/guardians can promote good school attendance by:

  • Ensuring regular and punctual school attendance.
  • Notifying the School if their children cannot attend for any reason.
  • Working with the School and education welfare service to resolve any attendance problems;
  • Making sure their children understand that parents support approve of school attendance;
  • Discussing planned absences with the school.
  • Refraining, if at all possible, from taking holidays during school time
  • Showing an interest in their children’s school day and their children’s homework.
  • Encouraging them to participate in school activities.
  • Praising and encouraging their children’s achievements.
  • Instilling in their children, a positive self-concept and a positive sense of self-worth.
  • Informing the school in writing of the reasons for absence from school.
  • Ensuring, insofar as is possible, that children’s appointments (with dentists etc), are arranged for times outside of school hours.
  • Contacting the school immediately, if they have concerns about absence or other related school matters.
  • Notifying, in writing, the school if their child is to be collected by someone not known to the teacher.
  • The names of children who leave the school earlier than the official closing time, will be recorded in the Sign Out book by the responsible person who will accompany the child from the premises.

Pupils

  • Pupils have the clear responsibility to attend school regularly and punctually.
  • Pupils should inform staff if there is a problem that may lead to their absence.
  • Pupils are responsible for promptly passing on absence notes from parents to their class teacher.
  • Pupils are responsible for passing school correspondence to their parents, on the specified day.

A strategy for promoting good school attendance

The Board of Management is committed to providing a positive school atmosphere which is conducive to promoting good school attendance. In this regard:

  • The school curriculum, insofar as is practicable, is flexible and relevant to the needs of the individual child.
  • The school will promote development of good self-concept and self-worth in the children.
  • Support for pupils, who have special educational needs, are in place in accordance with Department of Education & Science guidelines.
  • Internal communication procedures are in place to inform teachers of the special needs of pupils.