Attendance and Punctuality

School Hours

It is very important that your child arrives and is collected on time.   School begins at 8:50am and ends at 3:20pm. 

The school gates open at 8.35am – please make sure that you stay with your child until the bell rings at 8.50am, unless they have permission, in writing to walk to and from school (only years 5 and 6 are eligible for permission). 

When the bell rings, the children will line up outside their classroom.   Ball games, bikes and scooters are not allowed on the playground before the start and the end of the school day.  

Attendance

While we understand that at times your child may be ill, we expect your child to attend school regularly. Please avoid arranging appointments in school time. Your child should have attendance of 97% or above to give them the best chance of making excellent progress. School attendance is regularly monitored and you will be contacted if concerns arise. Good attendance is vital for your child to make good progress in their learning and for them to form and maintain positive relationships in school. 

If your child is ill

If your child is unwell or is unable to attend school for any reason, please email admin@chaterjm.herts.sch.uk with full details, or telephone the school between 8.45am and 9.15am. If we receive no reason for an absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised on your child’s educational record. Children who have vomited or had diarrhoea should not return to school until 24 hours after their last episode. 

Late for school

Arriving late for the start of the school day can be very distressing for a child and disruptive to the whole class. Parents are asked to make every effort to ensure their child is in school on time.. The main school gates close at 8.55am. Class Registers close at 9.00am. 

Therefore, if your child arrives to school after this time, they will need to be accompanied by an adult into school via the school office to be signed in.

Lateness and poor attendance are monitored regularly by the Attendance Improvement Officer from Hertfordshire County Council.

You may not realise, but persistent lateness really does add up...

Holidays in Term Time

It is extremely important that school is not missed unnecessarily. Family holidays will not be authorised during term time. Absence from school affects your child’s progress.
Please see our policy for further details. 

Attendance Policy Attendance Letter