1st September 2022
Headteacher: Mrs Edwina McDonnell
16 September 2022
Dear Parents and Carers,
Important Update: Attendance
As part of our Governing Body meeting last night, we undertook a review of attendance figures at the school for the last academic year. I am saddened to report that our figures fall well below expectations. Pupil attendance is not only a good habit, it is a legal requirement. Poor attendance has a negative effect on learning and prevents children from reaching their full academic potential. Although we understand that there are exceptional circumstances when a child may not attend school, such as when they are too ill, there are many instances at our school where pupil absence is unrelated to illness.
As our falling attendance numbers are a serious issue and impact negatively on pupil learning, we have taken the decision to add improvement of attendance to our School Development Plan for this academic year. We will set out our expectation: that we aspire to high standards of attendance from all pupils, and a culture where attendance at school is prioritised by parents, pupils and the school alike. We would ask, therefore, that parents refrain from taking holidays during term time, as these will not be authorised. We have regular visits from a School Attendance Officer and we will continue to monitor attendance figures at the school with the Local Authority.
We also note that some families are persistently late in getting to school in the mornings. Did you know that if a child is ten minutes late to school every day, that this equates to missing 61/2 days of school in the academic year? We would appreciate parents’ support with ensuring that their child’s day at school begins on time, therefore minimising the negative impact of repeated lateness of their child’s learning.
This Week in School
We were delighted to welcome parents into classes on Monday afternoon for our ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions. The afternoon went well and teachers were really pleased with number of parents and carers who were able to drop by. Thank you to those who came and we look forward to welcoming parents again in October for our Autumn Term parents’ evenings. Please make a note in your diary the dates and times for these evenings below. We will make you aware when bookings have ‘gone live’ on the website. Please be aware that due to attending a course which is a Diocesan requirement for teachers new to Catholic education, our Year 2 and Year 4 teachers will hold their Monday session on the 10th October instead of the 17th October, with same timings.
Bank Holiday
You will no doubt be aware that a bank holiday has been announced for the coming Monday, 19th September. The school will close for the day for the funeral of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Parent Governors
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Richard Mansell and Mary Tighe to our Governing Body. Richard is a parent of two children who currently attend our school. Mary Tighe is eligible to be a parent governor as she is a past parent. She has kindly offered to fufil the role in the absence of a current parent applying for the role. We are grateful to both Richard and Mary for giving up their time to support our school.
Best wishes for a lovely weekend,
Edwina McDonnell
Upcoming Dates:
Monday 19th September – SCHOOL CLOSED for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
Tuesday 20th September – SCHOOL OPEN
Wednesday 12th Oct – Harvest Festival Service in School, 9:30a.m.
Sunday 16th October – Harvest Mass at Church, 9.30 am
Monday 10th October – Year 2 and Year 4 Parent Evenings (alternative date due to teacher’s course)
Monday 17th October – Parents’ Evening 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm
Tuesday 18th October – Parents’ Evening 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Saturday 22nd October – Sunday 30th October: SCHOOL CLOSED (Half-Term)
