School attendance is very important for every child to make the most of their education and to help them fulfil their potential.  Pennington C of E Junior School is committed to improving its level of attendance to at least 96%.  With this in mind, we award the class with the highest percentage attendance every week in celebration assembly.  At the end of term, the class with the highest percentage attendance has a special reward. 

Attending school regularly plays a vital part in successful learning.

How do I report that my child will be absent from school?

• If your child is absent from school, please contact the school office on 01590 672104
• Please ring on the morning of each absence.  You can leave a message if the school office staff are not available to take your call or email adminoffice@pennington-jun.hants.sch.uk.  

The Department for Education (DfE) asks schools to identify the reasons a child is absent from school.  Authorised absences are for illness, dental/medical appointment, religious observance, school visits and approved sporting activities. All other absences will be recorded as unauthorised. 

My Child is ill

• A child that is clearly unwell should not be in school. If you are not sure then this NHS guidance may help - Is my child too ill for school?
•  If your child has been suffering from a sickness related bug, they should not return to school for 48 hours after sickness has subsided to ensure it is not passed on to other children or staff. 
• If your child is taken ill during the day we will phone you. Please ensure the office has up to date contact numbers.
• The school number is displayed as a withheld number, so please answer our call.

Good attendance is essential for children's success and we have produced a leaflet to explain. 

Click on the link to read it: Persistent Absentee Leaflet PJS

We have a whole page on our web site dedicated to the school policies - but we are often asked for our attendance policy so we have posted a copy below. It includes lots of useful information including:

• Why good attendance is important.
• What our and your responsibilities are
• Explains Lateness & Punctuality - what time we take registration
• Our Legal responsibilities and more....

Hampshire County Council provide some fantastic information about school absences and how long your child should be off school if they have been unwell to reduce the risk of infection with other children and adults. This fantastic guide shares details on:

• Good Hygiene practices for your child.
• When to make medical appointments.
• Long term and / or Chronic Health Conditions
• NHS recommendations on how long your child should be kept off school aftera variety of illnesses

* PRIESTLANDS WALK SIDE GATE – EXIT ONLY

Since we’ve been able to relax the Covid-era one-way system around the school, many of you are choosing to use the side gate on Priestlands Walk to enter the school. Unfortunately, with the build-up of our adults and children, and the passing Priestlands pupils, this has caused some congestion in this area before the gate is opened in the mornings and afternoons. This has led, in turn, to vulnerable members of the community finding it difficult to make their way out of their homes and along the path to get to appointments etc.
 

In an effort to be good neighbours, we are asking that you only use the Priestlands Walk side-gate as an exit from the school in order to maintain access to all members of our local community. We really appreciate your help with this. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Kirstie Richards, Head Teacher, or the school office.