Westgate Academy
Learning and Growing Together
Attendance & Absence
Welcome to the Attendance and Absence section of our website. On this page you will find information on how to report absences, information on what we need to do for absence requests, national guidance and useful information regarding isolation periods for sickness and viruses.
What time(s) does Westgate Academy open?
From September 2021, Westgate Academy will open at 08:45. Timings for staggered start this year are set out below. If pupils arrive before their entrance time, they will wait on the playground;
08:45 Year 3
08:50 Year 4
08:55 Year 5
09:00 Year 6
09:00 All gates close (at the sound of the Cathedral bells)
Registers will close shortly after 09:05.
Lateness to registration (after 09:15) is indicated by code L in the register.
My child is poorly. Depending on the illness, how long do they need to be off school?
Using the 'Public Health, Health Protection Managing Infections: AUide for Childare and Education Seeting, Infection Prevention and Control' document (see bottom of the page), we are stipulating that for specific illnesses and/or viruses, the allocated timeframes should be followed (this is taken from Appendix C Exclusion Table from the aforementioned document). For example, sickness and diarrhoea is 48 hours since the last episode;
Infection | Exclusion period | Comments |
Athlete’s foot | None | Athlete’s foot is not a serious condition. Treatment is recommended. |
Chicken pox | Five days from onset of rash and all the lesions have crusted over |
|
Cold sores (herpes simplex) | None | Avoid kissing and contact with the sores. Cold sores are generally mild and heal without treatment |
Conjunctivitis | None | If an outbreak/cluster occurs, consult your local HPT |
Covid-19 | Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend. | Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting. Please follow: People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19 - GOV.UK
|
Diarrhoea and vomiting | Whilst symptomatic and 48 hours after the last symptoms. |
|
Diphtheria * | Exclusion is essential. Always consult with your local HPT | Preventable by vaccination. Family contacts must be excluded until cleared to return by your local HPT |
Flu (influenza) | Until recovered | Report outbreaks to your local HPT.
|
Glandular fever | None |
|
Hand foot and mouth | None | Contact your local HPT if large numbers of children are affected. Exclusion may be considered in some circumstances |
Head lice | None | Treatment recommended only when live lice seen |
Hepatitis A* | Exclude until seven days after onset of jaundice (or 7 days after symptom onset if no jaundice) | In an outbreak of hepatitis A, your local HPT will advise on control measures |
Hepatitis B*, C*, HIV | None | Hepatitis B and C and HIV are blood borne viruses that are not infectious through casual contact. Contact your local HPT for more advice |
Impetigo | Until lesions are crusted /healed or 48 hours after starting antibiotic treatment | Antibiotic treatment speeds healing and reduces the infectious period. |
Measles* | Four days from onset of rash and recovered | Preventable by vaccination (2 doses of MMR). Promote MMR for all pupils and staff. Pregnant staff contacts should seek prompt advice from their GP or midwife |
Meningococcal meningitis*/ septicaemia* | Until recovered | Meningitis ACWY and B are preventable by vaccination (see national schedule NHS Vaccinations). Your local HPT will advise on any action needed |
Meningitis* due to other bacteria | Until recovered | Hib and pneumococcal meningitis are preventable by vaccination (see national schedule NHS Vaccinations) Your local HPT will advise on any action needed |
Meningitis viral* | None | Milder illness than bacterial meningitis. Siblings and other close contacts of a case need not be excluded. |
MRSA | None | Good hygiene, in particular handwashing and environmental cleaning, are important to minimise spread. Contact your local HPT for more information |
Mumps* | Five days after onset of swelling | Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR (see national schedule NHS Vaccinations). Promote MMR for all pupils and staff. |
Ringworm | Not usually required. | Treatment is needed. |
Rubella (German measles) | Four days from onset of rash | Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR (see national schedule NHS Vaccinations). Promote MMR for all pupils and staff. Pregnant staff contacts should seek prompt advice from their GP or midwife |
Scarlet fever | Exclude until 24hrs of appropriate antibiotic treatment completed | A person is infectious for 2-3 weeks if antibiotics are not administered. In the event of two or more suspected cases, please contact local health protection team. |
Scabies | Can return after first treatment | Household and close contacts require treatment at the same time. |
Slapped cheek /Fifth disease/Parvo virus B19 | None (once rash has developed) | Pregnant contacts of case should consult with their GP or midwife. |
Threadworms | None | Treatment recommended for child & household |
Tonsillitis | None | There are many causes, but most cases are due to viruses and do not need an antibiotic treatment |
Tuberculosis (TB) | Always consult your local HPT BEFORE disseminating information to staff/parents/carers | Only pulmonary (lung) TB is infectious to others. Needs close, prolonged contact to spread |
Warts and verrucae | None | Verrucae should be covered in swimming pools, gyms and changing rooms |
Whooping cough (pertussis)* | Two days from starting antibiotic treatment, or 21 days from onset of symptoms if no antibiotics | Preventable by vaccination. After treatment, non-infectious coughing may continue for many weeks. Your local HPT will organise any contact tracing |
* Denotes a notifiable disease. It is a statutory requirement that doctors report a notifiable disease to the proper officer of the local authority (usually a consultant in communicable disease control).
My child is absent. What do I do?
Contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence, this needs to be before 10:00;
- Absence must be reported directly to the school office by the pupil’s parent(s)/Carer(s) and/or Guardian(s). Messages sent by a friend or neighbour will not be accepted as an Authorised Absence;
- You can email (enquiries@westgate.lincs.sch.uk), call (01522 528308), or come into school and report absence reception.
We are planning to be away from school. What is the procedure?
- Leave of absence forms (see Attendance forms below or paper copies available from the school office) are to be requested and completed in advance. Please note leave of absence will only be granted under exceptional circumstances and is at the discretion of the head teacher. This can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
My child has a medical appointment. What should I do?
- Other planned absences/appointments must be notified before the absence is taken. Proof of appointments such as copies of appointment cards / letters will be requested.
How do we manage attendance within school?
Every half term, the academy convenes an internal meeting to review pupil attendance. If a pupil’s attendance is less than 90%, then they become a ‘Persistent Absentee (PA)’. Absence at this level is doing considerable damage to any child’s educational prospects and we need parents' fullest support and co-operation to tackle this. Absence is thoroughly monitored on a termly basis. Any pupils thought to be PA or likely to be PA will be closely monitored from week to week. If at the end of the half term a child’s percentage attendance is below 90%, a letter will be sent to parents informing them their attendance with a printout from the Integris system. The school must, however, consider each PA and decide whether a letter is appropriate, e.g. if the child has had a prolonged illness etc. Cases of persistent absence may be made known to the local authority attendance team.
If a child’s attendance is declining towards 90%, then the school will send an advisory letter to parents informing them of this.
At all stages, support is given through the STAN team.