Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Following on from the 'Cost of Living Survey' undertaken last term, I wish to update you on trip payments, expectations and actions in light of feedback and pressures on home budgets.
Parents are broadly split between reducing the number of trips out of school and maintaining them which means a balance must be achieved.
Do I have to pay for trips?
Whilst we will not stop individual children attending trips if their parents are unable to pay, trips off school site may be cancelled if there are not enough contributions reached.
This is because the school cannot maintain payments for multiple families on multiple trips. The budget simply does not accommodate this.
Can you support me making payments?
If you are unable to make a full contribution, a part contribution is better and may mean the difference between a cancelation and a trip going ahead. Likewise, if you would like to spread the payments over a period of time and make stepped payments, the office staff would seek to accommodate this and have been given my authority to offer this in many cases.
When would a trip be cancelled?
Every case would be individual. Broadly speaking, if the cost to the school for cancellation is lower than that of payments missing a cancelation is likely to occur. The cost of cancellation varies in each case.
Why don't the school simply pay for trips if it is curriculum linked?
In reality, parents are rarely asked to foot the true cost of trips. We do already heavily subsidise trips using the school Pupil Premium allocation and specifically for those who are entitled to the Pupil Premium directly.
The school would love to be in a position to pay the costs of trips, however this simply is not possible. As business costs rise in the current climate, so do pressures on school budgets and whilst we subsidise as much as we can, we cannot cover the costs for all pupils.
Trips off school site are designed to enhance the learning experience and are not a requirement, therefore, they are at risk if they are not financially viable.
Parent to parent conversations on the school playground and out of school.
The vast majority of parents at school are very considered in their responses to other adults when on school grounds, however I ask that a minority of parents re consider the manner in which they speak to each other and manage their own confrontations. Whilst I understand that adults are often impassioned in their responses to others, particularly if there is an element of disagreement, this does traumatise young children even if they do not show it and impacts on their wellbeing.
The impact on your child and others
All adults on school site have a civil responsibility to conduct themselves appropriately and to recognise that children (including their own) are affected by it.
Parent responses and actions too often cause children stress, trauma and anxieties– not to mention that children are likely to replicate the actions of the adult.
I do not find myself having to speak to the children at the school about behaviours often, but when I do there is commonly a correlation between their behaviour and how they have seen adults conduct themselves.
Role models and long-term impact
As adults we have a moral duty to model the behaviours expected of our children through our own actions. You would not accept me or my staff behaving in a confrontational manner, as you would legitimately have a concern as to the impact it would have on children. As parents, I ask that you apply this expectation to yourselves.
Section 547 Education Act 1996 – Power to remove permissive access licence
I have in the past been both praised and criticised for directly addressing questionable and challenging parental conduct on school grounds. Due consideration and thought are given to all and any intervention, but it is important to establish what is and what is not acceptable, enforcing it where necessary.
As headteacher I have the right, under law, given to me by the Education Act 1996, to remove access to school grounds to anyone (withdrawing the commonly accepted permissive right to access school grounds by those with parental responsibility) should I feel that doing so protects others or if it is in their best interest anyone in my care.
I am mindful that I have no legal power beyond my school gates; however, I will if necessary ban parents from school grounds if I am of the view that their conduct off site could / is likely to impact on the wellbeing of children when on site.
Cost of living survey (Click to complete the survey)
At Ashgate Primary School we are very aware of the impact the current cost of living crisis is having on families we serve and are seeking to find ways that we can support the most vulnerable.
We therefore ask families to complete the survey to guide us as to what we can do to assist.
The survey is anonymous and all information shared fully confidential. The time to complete the survey is estimated as being under one minute.
Click the red text at the top of this page to complete the survey.
Absenteeism, Persistent Absenteeism Letters
Dear Parents
Several parents have approached me or staff to question the school’s position on absenteeism. In particular queries have been raised around recent letters issued to parents informing them that their child's attendance is a concern and is to be monitored.
It is the Department of Education that dictate attendance below 95% as poor and that below 90% as ‘persistent absenteeism’, likewise it the measure by which Ofsted evaluate aspects of their judgements during inspection. It is however my duty as Headteacher (or my staff under direction) to inform you of your Childs attendance status.
Schools are duty bound to inform parents if attendance falls below 95% and we do so termly in conjunction with the Educational Welfare Officer guidance. The letters are standardised and designed to inform you of the attendance record of your child and potential consequences if improvement is not seen; they are neither a judgement or a threat - they are factual and appropriate.
Absence letters issued earlier in the academic year can register as a concern, even with fewer absences, as the proportion of days available is reduced. The earlier you are informed, the more opportunities you have to act and consider future absences. It is statistically the case that attendance is less likely to be a concern later if parents are informed early.
Parents would rightly be concerned if they were later subject to Educational Welfare involvement as a result of attendance when the school had failed to inform them of the fact that they fell below the 'good' expectation set out by the Department for Education.
But my child has been ill and I have told you this?
Authorising absence for illness does not mean the absence has not occurred or been recorded. Schools must legally record all absences, regardless of reason and all absences count towards the attendance percentage. This is a national and legal requirement.
Absence is absence, and impacts on a child’s learning and wellbeing, regardless of the reason. This is clear in the actions taken under national policy. Whilst I have utter understanding when parents state that absence has been a result of specific unavoidable illness, this does not negate the fact that their child has been impacted by it, or that the policy applies to all. A child, who is absent due to intermittent illness, has missed the same amount of time as a child who has been absent as a result of a parent’s failure to bring them to school for unauthorised reasons.
To be clear, under policy and in reality, absence through illness has the same impact as absence for any other reason and as such is included in your child’s absence figures. This is a national requirement.
So, are you saying you want me to bring my child into school when they are ill?
No. But I do ask parents to consider carefully if absence is really necessary. We are not medical practitioners and cannot make decisions on behalf of health professionals, or indeed parents – the choice is yours.
They are only children; does it really matter?
The fact is that children who attend school for less than 95% of the time underperform significantly and have ominously reduced lifetime opportunities. It is not good enough to send your child to a good school or be graded a ‘Good School’ if absenteeism impacts on achievement. Schools with poor attendance and diminished outcomes do not remain ‘Good’.
My child always attends school, yet you say that there are ‘unauthorised absences’, how can this be?
If your child arrives late, beyond the close of register, the late mark is converted to an unauthorised absence. Again, this is a national requirement, not the school’s. This is done because too much time in school has been missed. Arrive late and children may be considered absent; arrive persistently late, and it is easy to fall below the expectation.
I have been asked to attend a meeting. What should I do?
Ashgate Primary School is here to help you when and where we can.
The Law
Children must attend school under the Education Act 1989 (revised). Poor attendance at school can result in one or more of the following:
Parents should understand that attendance is an issue for too many children at our school –
This impacts on outcomes for children individually and the school as a whole.
I will actively seek to enforce the necessary legal actions to address absence affairs where improvements are not seen and /or parents do not engage with or recognise the legitimate concern.
I wish to end by stating that it is my duty as Headteacher to address poor attendance and the duty of my Governing Body to hold me accountable for it. The vast majority of parents at Ashgate Primary School ensure their children attend in line with the expectation and I am grateful for this, as are my staff. I cannot however ignore that attendance in my school, for too many children, is below that expected. It is a stark and frightening fact that whilst we are driving up standards across the school, many are missing out on and suffering as a result. This has a negative impact on the children and the wider school.
We have always had a firm stance on attendance matters and will continue to do so and I know that the wider community supports this. Your actions are appreciated.
Dear all.
As the most recent parent questionnaires evidence, parents recognise that as a school we take the business of ensuring children are safe at school very seriously. We are pleased that 98% of parents agreed and 71% strongly agreed that their child is safe at school.
However, we know that many of the risks related to harm are influenced by those beyond school and actions in the community.
Staff at Ashgate Primary School receive regular training and guidance on signs and triggers of abuse; sadly, I am acutely aware that much of the skill base developed and information staff access to keep children safe is rarely known to parents, other than in the media reports following incidents that are headline grabbing.
To remedy this and to support parents, I have added to our school website 'Safeguarding Page' a list of fact sheets to support parents and make them aware of risks, indicators of abuse and steps to address these if they are spotted.
These will be of use to families and I ask that you take time to read these so that we can extend the understanding and knowledge beyond our school boundaries.
Supporting documents can be found under >Key Information > Safeguarding.
Parents are legally responsible for ensuring their children receive education in accordance with section 7 of the Education Act 1996 and if on a school roll that they regularly attend school. Regular attendance is 95% or better.
Can the Headteacher authorize my holiday?
The Headteacher cannot, and will not, authorize school absence solely for the purpose of a family holiday. There may be many reasons for which a family may wish to plan a holiday in term time, including restrictions at work or financial opportunities, however, these do not over ride the constraints placed on Headteachers not to authorize ‘family holidays’. This includes re scheduled Covid holidays.
I want to take my child out of school at term time, and I think my reasons are exceptional. Can the school help?
There is a discretionary power held by Headteachers to authorize absence in ‘exceptional circumstances’. Although the DfE do not define ‘exceptional’, circumstances may include, for example:
Please note: a family holiday is not an exceptional circumstance. We advise that you do not plan for your child to be absent from school without gaining prior agreement from their school first.
If a request meets the above exceptional circumstances but falls within the following times, the Headteacher must be convinced that absence from school is the only option:
1) The first half term of any academic year (applies to all pupils)
2) Year six transition day (for pupils in year six only)
3) SATs week (for pupils in year six)
4) At any time other time specified by the school which is identified to parents prior to application.
NOTE: Attendance records taken for a pupil over a 12 month rolling period, that falls below 95%, is deemed poor attendance.
Other factors that are likely to impact on any request to authorize intern absence include:
- 4 or more unauthorised absences recorded in the last 12 months
- The absence request is greater than 5 days.
How long will I be given under exceptional circumstances?
Exceptional circumstances can only be authorized for the period in which the exceptional circumstance occurs and will not be extended beyond the minimum time required to attend. For example, the attendance at a funeral of a close family member may be authorized for the day of the event and time taken to travel. Any other time, before or after the event, will not be authorized. This includes events ‘overseas’.
What else may impact on authorization?
The Headteacher will not authorize absences if they believe it is to the detriment of a child’s education or if they have concerns that attendance is already a concern.
I forgot to inform the school that my child would be absent, can it be authorized on return?
The Headteacher will not retrospectively authorize absence from school.
What else do I need to know?
If your request is authorized, you are required to ensure your child catches up on any missed school work.
This is your responsibility and school are not obliged to provide work for your child to complete under such circumstances
What happens if I either take absence without requesting it, or if I do not abide by the judgment of the school?
Any unauthorized absence will be recorded on your child’s attendance records which will be submitted to the Local Authority. This may result in legal proceedings against you, either through a Penalty Notice or the Magistrates’ Court.
If your request is declined, and you still take your child out of school, each parent within your household will be issued with a £60 penalty notice for each child you have taken out of school.
If a penalty notice remains unpaid after 21 days it will increase to £120. If after 28 days it remains unpaid you may be summonsed to appear before Magistrates to explain why your child has unauthorized school absences and you may be liable for a fine of up to £1000.
How do I apply for ‘Exceptional Circumstances / in term absence?
If you feel you have an exceptional circumstance you must complete an ‘Exceptional Circumstances – In term absence request’ from, which will be reviewed by the Headteacher. In addition, you may also be required speak to the Headteacher.
Note: You may be requested to provide evidence to support your application.
Let’s Go Conkers!
Some children and parents have asked if conkers can be played at school. The answer to this is, ‘yes’, as long as they don’t beat me too many times. I am a poor loser!
Despite what you may have read about other schools over the years, common sense prevails in my school and there is no ‘ban’ on conkers. Children who have been deprived of playing conkers have been deprived of childhood.
How is it possible to expect children to learn to play nicely, take turns, lose graciously, win honourably and follow rules if we do not give them the opportunities to do so? We learn by doing, not sidestepping.
World Championship Conker Rules
Teachers are kind and caring people who only become grumpy when rules are broken. Follow the guidelines and no one will take your conker from you.
So, parents and carers, please encourage the children to find some conkers, bake them, soak them in vinegar, rub them four times clockwise and then 8 anticlockwise, do whatever your favourite strategy or placebo ritual is, and get ready to do battle. - ‘Audentis fortuna iuvat’
Yours sincerely
Mr Seargent
Headteacher
Conker Champion, Tameside, Manchester, 1979 (self appointed).
Flu Immunisation 2022 Ashgate Primary School
THE DATE FOR IMMUNISATIONS IS 10th OCTOBER
Dear Parents/Carers
For the school year starting September 2021 we will be continuing with the e-consent for the Flu Programme. This year we will be offering the Nasal Flu vaccination to children in Reception, Year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. When completing the e-consent please state the year group your child will be in at the beginning of the school year September 2021 NOT their current year group.
Please visit https://www.derbyshireandcityimms.co.uk/Forms/Flu
to complete the consent form. The option to consent or decline the vaccination is at the end of the questionnaire so please complete even if you do not want your child to have the vaccination.
If you wish to decline the Flu spray due to the porcine element we are now able to offer an alternative injectable Flu vaccine that does not contain porcine
.
Please complete the consent form as a decline due to vaccine ingredients and we will then contact you to arrange vaccination. For more information please contact the team as below.
Your unique school code for Ashgate Primary School and ERS is DC131685
For more information about the vaccination please visit our website:
https://www.derbyshirefamilyhealthservice.nhs.uk/our-services/5-19-years/school-age-immunisations