The Facts
• OGPS expects that ALL children will achieve a minimum of 96% attendance regardless of their year group. Every stage of a child’s education is of equal importance.
• Regular attendance at school is a legal requirement and it is vital if your child is to benefit fully from their education.
• Any absence can disrupt your child’s education, whether through illness or holidays in term time.
• Everyday your child is absent they miss important lessons (summer born children already have 2 full terms less than autumn born children)
• It is very easy to fall behind with work, but very difficult to catch up.
• Having an education will give your child the best possible start in life.
• Two weeks absence means that your child loses 60 hours of learning which they can never get back. Your child could miss a whole topic which will not be revisited.
• A two week holiday during term time every year of your child’s life equals almost two full terms of education missed over their whole school career.
• Friendships suffer – during two weeks absence social groups change – your child may not fit back into the same friendship group on his/her return.

PUNCTUALITY The law states that children should arrive at school on time, every day. Schools are legally required to take a register of pupils first thing in the morning and in the afternoon. We do this from 8.45am each morning – if a pupil is late but the register is still open they are marked as late. Once the register is closed, if a pupil arrives after this time, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Children who are dropped off by parents at school late, must be brought into school by a parent so they can be signed in. This is to ensure accurate reasons for lateness are recorded, and to ensure that children arrive safely in school.

Parents Responsibilities As a parent, you have a legal responsibility to ensure that your child attends school regularly. You must make sure that your child:- ·         Arrives at school on time ·         Attends regularly ·         Please make sure that your child leaves home on time, if travelling any distance please allow ample time for traffic or other delays.

School Responsibilities To work with parents to encourage regular attendance and punctuality of their child. A record of attendance must be kept giving the exact reason for the child’s absence If no reason is provided by parents (by telephone, in person, in writing) the absence will be recorded as unauthorised (DfES class this as truancy) and will remain on the child’s record. If your child is absent, it may be that school will contact you to establish the reason for absence. The school will promote and encourage good attendance via its reward system. The school and Local Authority will conduct attendance checks throughout each half term. Children with poor attendance records and lateness will be monitored and followed up by the school in partnership with the Local Authority. In extreme cases absence could lead to official warnings or even prosecution and fines. This information can be transferred to secondary schools.

 

National framework for penalty notices PENALTY NOTICES Penalty notices are issued to parents as an alternative to prosecution, where they have failed to ensure that their child of compulsory school age regularly attends the school where they are registered.   ·         A penalty notice can be issued to each parent liable for the offence or offences. ·         The threshold is 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. A school week means any week in which there is at least one school session. This can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence, consecutive or not. The period of 10 school weeks can also span different terms or school years. ·         In addition to this, where a pupil has arrived late after the register has closed but before the end of session, the code U (arrived in school after registration closed) will be used.   Oliver Goldsmith School will actively discourage persistent absence and late arrival and expect seek an explanation from the parent in these instances.

Poor attendance or punctuality is unacceptable and persistent absence and/or lateness will be referred onto the Education Welfare Service and parents may be at risk of legal action being taken against them.

Please see the link for our attendance leaflet

Attendance leaflet

The 2024 Summer Olympics, which will be known as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in France.

To represent Team GB is to stand on the shoulders of giants, each athlete laying a stitch in a tapestry of triumph and adversity lasting 126 years and counting.

For more than a century, Black British athletes have been blazing a trail and iconic figures like Daley Thompson, Anita Neil and Kelly Holmes have emerged.

Miss Angie has put together this amazing display, showcasing some of the UK talent in the field of athletics.  She has also set a competition for the children, for which they will need to undertake some research.  There will be prizes or those who submit the correct answers!

If you are on school site – do come and have a look at the board.

There is a special addition on the board – see if you can recognise who it is – here’s a clue – it is someone from Oliver Goldsmith School!!

 

Speech and language therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals. They work with parents, carers and other professionals, such as teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and doctors.

 

We will be holding a Parent and Carer Coffee Afternoon on  Monday 4th March 2024, from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm at the school.
You will have an opportunity to meet the Speech and Language Therapists: Ella Jarvest and Sian Carberry
There will be a short presentation, followed by an opportunity to chat and ask questions.
For more information on Speech and Language Therapy: Speak to your school SENCO, Chontel Audain OR ask at the school front desk to talk with your Speech and Language Therapists.

 

Parent coffee afternoon flyer (4.3.24)

Registration and Punctuality

Frequent lateness to school is associated with lower grades & lower levels of achievement. Research shows that children who are routinely late are more likely to struggle in secondary school.

When children arrive late it creates a huge disruption for other children’s learning, the teacher and for the child who is late themselves.

Oliver Goldsmith School recognises the importance of education and learning and therefore our gates are opened at 8:40am, allowing the children (KS1 & KS2) to walk straight to their classrooms.

All children should be in their classrooms by no later than 8:50am, so that when the school gates are closed and registers taken, all children will be in class ready for learning.

Morning registration ends at 9am, so if a pupil arrives after this time he/she should be accompanied by the parent to the main reception, where they will be recorded as late, parent requested to sign the pupil in and the time of arrival noted. Any pupil arriving after 9:30am will become an unauthorised absence and marked as an absentee for the whole of the morning session (as per the Pupils Registration & Attendance legislation).

It is essential that children arriving outside the normal school hours are signed in at the school office. This is used in the case of an emergency or a fire drill.

Please note the school day ends at 3:15pm for all children. Please be prompt when collecting your children from school.

Southwark Council’s Education Inclusion Team will be informed of any frequently late arrivals or collections.

 

Don’t be Late Through the Gate!	School starts at 8.45 am
Being late on a regular basis adds up to a loss of learning time.
5 mins late every day	3.4 days of learning lost every year
10 mins late every day	6.9 days of learning lost every year
15 mins late every day	10.3 days of learning lost every year
20 mins late every day	13.8 days of learning lost every year
30 mins late every day	20.7 days of learning lost every day