Attendance and School Day Timings

At Anna Seward Primary School we are committed to raising the standards of education for all our pupils and recognise that regular school attendance is fundamental in supporting all pupils to achieve. We care about the education that all of our children receive and know the importance of ensuring that all children are punctual and are in school daily. Our class teachers, attendance team and senior leaders will do all they can to encourage parents and carers to ensure that the children in their care achieve maximum possible attendance and that any difficulties that prevent full attendance are identified and acted on promptly. We share in the belief that this will support all children to begin their adult lives with equal opportunities and skill them for future lives of training and employment.

We understand that at times your child may be unwell and unable to attend school, therefore our attendance target is 97%. Research shows that excellent attendance and punctuality are important factors in achieving school success, therefore our aim is to work with parents to ensure the highest possible attendance for each pupil. 

School Day Timings 

The school day begins at 8.40am and finishes at 3.25pm, ensuring that all children receive a school week of 32.5 hours. 

All gates open at 8.35am and we encourage you to be on the school playground, ready for the doors to open at 8.40am. Doors will close at 8.50am to allow registration and learning to begin promptly; therefore late arrivals will need to be signed in (by a parent/carer) at the main office. All gates will close at 8.55am to allow the school day to begin. 

At the end of the school day, gates will open at approximately 3.20pm, once all children are back in class and the playgrounds are clear. Children will be dismissed at 3.25pm and gates will close by 3.40pm to allow our wrap around care to begin. 

Reporting Absence

It is the responsibility of parents/carers to inform the school before 8.45 am, on the first day of their child’s absence and any subsequent days of absence. 

Please report your child’s absence by sending a message to contact-us@annaseward.atlp.org.uk. Please provide the following details:

• Child’s name, Child’s class and reason for absence. 

If you are unable to access email, please contact the main office via telephone 01543 221317. 

Requests for Leave of Absence during Term Time

Requests for leave of absence within term time must be made in advance and submitted to the Head of School using the form below. Each application for a Leave of Absence will be considered on a case-by-case basis and on its own merits.

The Head of School shall not grant any Leave of Absence during term time unless they consider there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. Holidays in term time will not be authorised and may result in a fixed penalty notice. 

Fixed Penalty Notices will be issued in accordance with Staffordshire County Council’s Code of Conduct.