Friday Round up 20/1/17

Dear Parents,

Crossing Patrol The funeral of Brian, our Church Lane Crossing Patrol will take place at 1.45pm on Thursday 2nd February 2017 at Parndon Wood Cemetery, Harlow. If any parents would like to attend and in doing so represent the school, please let me know. Our collection, which is still open, will be donated to St Claire’s Hospice in accordance with the wishes of the family.

Attendance

As you are aware the school is judged on its attendance record. Thanks to its close working relationship with parents St John’s continues to achieve an excellent level of attendance at around 97%. I monitor attendance regularly and use the following guide when looking at your child’s attendance
97% and above No concerns
90 to 96% Some concerns depending on the reasons for absence e.g one chunk of time taken off for an illness such as chicken pox is less worrying that repeated odd days here and there.
90% and below Any child with an attendance level of below 90% is deemed a persistent absentee (Government terminology not ours) and we would be very concerned at this low level Regular attendance at school is essential to ensure uninterrupted progress and to enable children to fulfil their potential. The Department for Education has published data on their website that clearly shows the link between attendance and attainment. This highlights the fact that there will be an impact on your child’s education and exam results if attendance is not consistently above 95% throughout their schooling. The government considers that minor ailments, such as a headache or slight cold, are not acceptable reasons for failing to attend school. Repeated absences may require the school to request that you obtain medical evidence from your doctor’s surgery or local pharmacy. Finally, I would also like to remind you that the law does not give any entitlement to parents to remove their child from school during term-time for the purpose of a holiday. Headteachers may only grant leave of absence where an application has been made in advance and the Headteacher considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. Many thanks for your continued support in this matter by continuing to work together we can maintain these impressive levels. A summary of your child’s attendance to date will be sent home to you on the 9th February as we finish for the half term holiday.

Reports

A Mid-Year Report for Years 1 to 6 will also be issued on 9th February along with details of the Spring Parent Teacher Meetings. Early Years (Reception classes) will receive their End of Year Report in July, but will be issued with the Parent Teacher information. After school arrangements Please note, if you give permission for your child to walk home from school on their own, a letter must be given to the class teacher in advance. I understand that, in some circumstances, Parents of children in Year 6 will want to start the process of nurturing independence. Where possible, we would always suggest that children are encouraged to walk home in twos. In addition, any other ad hoc arrangements (ie, children going home with other adults) must be communicated to the class teacher. Again, thank you for your co-operation in this.

Indoor Athletics

Please join me in wishing our Sportshall (Indoor) Athletics Team success as they begin their defence of the Essex County Sportshall Championship. We have won this title for some seven years now so the pressure is well and truly on!

Enjoy the weekend. Yours sincerely, P.J.Tidmarsh Headmaster