At The Hayes, we have a culture of encouraging high attendance levels in recognition of the close link between good attendance and maximising educational success whilst children are with us at this school, but also for their longer term education pathway, employment opportunities and life experiences.  We believe it instils good habits for so many aspects of the children’s future lives.

The Department of Employment recommends 96% as the minimum attendance level which schools – and by extension parents – should focus upon.  Whilst recognising that longer term illness, hospitalisation and medical conditions often are the reason for an individual year’s attendance falling below this level, at The Hayes we always investigate patterns of recurrent, random short term illnesses over longer periods of time.  As such, we pay very close attention to reasons for non-attendance.

When a child is unable to attend school due to illness, parents/carers must inform the school before 9am.  This can be by emailing the absence email address (absence@hayesprimary.croydon.sch.uk) or phoning the school preferably before 9am. The Attendance Officer will telephone and/or text parents if this does not happen.

The attendance register is taken promptly at 9am ready for the children’s educational day to begin.  Punctuality plays another important role in starting the pupils’ day off positively, as well as establishing good practice for when they move to senior school and then the world of work.

If a pupil arrives after 9am, they must be accompanied to the school office to ensure they arrive safely in school and that their reason for lateness is explained by their accompanying adult, rather than themselves.  If they arrive after 9.15am, their lateness is classed as unauthorised and impacts on their overall attendance percentage.

Persistent absence / lateness are both considered to be causes for concern for children beyond the realm of education encompassing potential issues with regard to their welfare and safeguarding.  As such, when this happens there may be reason to refer the matter to the Educational Welfare Officer.

You can find our Attendance Policy under our Policies tab.