Attendance

White Cliffs Primary and Nursery School believes that in order to facilitate teaching and learning, good attendance is essential. Pupils cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school.

We are committed to:

•Ensuring parents follow the framework set in section 7 of the Education Act 1996, which states that: “The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive efficient full-time education suitable –(a) to age, ability and aptitude, and(b) to any special educational needs he/she may have either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.”

•Promoting and modelling good attendance behaviour.

•Ensuring equality and fairness of treatment for all.

•Implementing our policies in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

•Early intervention and working with other agencies to ensure the health and safety of our pupils.

•Rewarding regular attendance.

 

It is expected that parents/carers contact school on EACH DAY of absence to inform us of the reason/update us.  If we do not hear by 9:30am, as part of our Safeguarding proceedures, we will contact you for a reason.

 

Illness -

Information taken from Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk) - updated April 2021

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school or nursery when they're unwell.

If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school Office or the nursery on the first day. Let them know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.

Important:Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Keep your child off school if they have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19:

• a high temperature

• a new, continuous cough

• a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste

Find out more about symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do at www.Gov.uk

Other illnesses

Follow this advice if your child does not have coronavirus symptoms or they had a test and it was negative (they do not have coronavirus).

Coughs and colds

It's fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.

High temperature

If your child has a high temperature, keep them off school until it goes away.

Chickenpox

If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over.

This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.

Cold sores

There's no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore.

Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.

Conjunctivitis

You don't need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis once they have began treatment.

Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.

Ear infection

If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, keep them off school until they're feeling better or their high temperature goes away.

Hand, foot and mouth disease

If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to school, there's no need to keep them off.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.

Head lice and nits

There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.

You can treat head lice and nits without seeing a GP.

Impetigo

If your child has impetigo, they'll need treatment from a GP, often with antibiotics.

Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.

Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.

Ringworm

If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it's on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP.

It's fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment.

Scarlet fever

If your child has scarlet fever, they'll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they'll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks.

Your child can go back to school 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

Slapped cheek syndrome (fifth disease)

You don't need to keep your child off school if they have slapped cheek syndrome, because once the rash appears, they're no longer infectious.

If you suspect your child has slapped cheek syndrome, take them to see a GP and let their school know if they're diagnosed with it.

Sore throat

You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away.

A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis.

Threadworms

You don't need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms.

Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school for 2 days after their symptoms have gone.

 

NHS guidance and support

For parents; smoking, alcohol, diet

Better Health - NHS (www.nhs.uk) - Healthy changes start with little changes. Whether you want to lose weight, get active or quit smoking, Better Health is here with lots of free tools and support. You can also find simple ways to lift your mood with Every Mind Matters.

One You Kent | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (kentcht.nhs.uk) - Whether you want to lose weight, get active, quit smoking, or just feel better about life One You Kent is here to support YOU.

Oral health

Oral health promotion resources | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (kentcht.nhs.uk) – Here you will find some oral health promotion resources that are useful for parents, adults with special needs and their carers, and professionals.

Dental services - NHS (www.nhs.uk) – Information about NHS dental services, how to find an NHS dentist and how much treatment costs.

Continence

Home - ERIC - Find out how you can keep your child's bowel and bladder working properly from birth. Clinically approved information and resources to help you and your child.

Immunisations

Immunisation Team | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (kentcht.nhs.uk) - The NHS has a guide to help you understand the vaccines offered in the UK and when to have them. It also explains how they work and why they're safe and important.

Sleep

Sleep hygiene in children and young people | Great Ormond Street Hospital (gosh.nhs.uk) – Here you will find an information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explaining about sleep hygiene. Having good sleep hygiene can help your child both to settle to sleep and to stay asleep.

Sleep problems in young children - NHS (www.nhs.uk) - Lots of young children find it difficult to settle down to sleep and will wake up during the night. For some people, this might not be a problem. But if you or your child are suffering from a lack of sleep, there are some simple techniques you can try.