Our school has promoted attendance for years with rewards, prizes, certs, homework passes, medals, plaques, breakfasts, photos on website, Christmas annuals, Easter eggs and school trips.
Thanks to these initiatives and parents supporting their children’s education, the school has enjoyed a steadily improving attendance rate, rising to 94% attendance for many years. This, due to Covid, has now dropped to 81% and will probably drop further.
The school staff are saddened by the impact Covid has had on school attendance and we know going forward we will have our work cut out with some families who are susceptible to poor attendance, regardless of Covid.
The huge progress that has been made over the years will be damaged going forward long after Covid for some families. The school will be ready to begin all of that work again but in the meantime public health advice is clear and the school must follow it. We would like parents to know we are as frustrated and concerned as you about children missing school.
We don’t send children home unless they have displayed a symptom or make it known they are unwell. We would appeal to parents to try to even begin to understand the tremendous strain the school is operating under.
Our main aim is to keep the school open and functioning for the children but we can only do that with your co-operation. If you get a call to request that you come pick up your child, we ask that you do it promptly and with a supportive attitude.
We look forward to the day when the bell rings and lessons begin without the threat of Covid spreading through a class by 2.30 pm.
This is the reality of what we are dealing with at the moment.
We thank you for your co-operation.
