Punctuality

Punctuality:  Being organised is one of our core values at Oaks Park High School and this includes being on time to school and lessons.

All students should aim for 100% punctuality records. We expect all of our students to arrive punctually in the morning and to all lessons throughout the day. Good punctuality at school is essential for students to achieve their full educational potential but also helps students to form good habits for later life. Punctuality records form part of references passed onto employers or higher educational institutes.

Only lateness for exceptional reasons will be excused. Lateness results in a disruption to the student’s own learning and the learning of the other students in their class. Students who are late to school also miss out on those very important opportunities to socialise which support good mental health. 

Punctuality for website

LATENESS TO SCHOOL

The school day begins at 8.30am with tutor time. All students are expected to arrive to school by 8.25am to ensure that they arrive at their tutor room punctually.  According to DfE guidelines, registers must be closed after a certain time in the morning. Therefore, if a student arrives at or after 9.10am, they cannot receive a late mark but have to be marked as absent for the whole morning session. If the lateness is due to a legitimate reason e.g. a medical appointment, the absence can be authorised. Otherwise, the session is marked as an unauthorised absence. A letter is sent home to parents informing them of this and the fact that they could be liable for a fixed penalty notice if the child receives 10 or more unauthorised absence sessions.

HOW DOES THE SCHOOL SUPPORT GOOD PUNCTUALITY?

  • Giving sanctions to students who arrive late to school or lessons.
  • Use of assembly/tutor time to promote the importance of punctuality.
  • Awarding tutor points to tutor groups where all students have arrived punctually over a period of time.
  • Personalised rewards programmes for students who show improvement in punctuality over a period of time.
  • Addressing issues of poor time keeping with individual students and their parents and offering support where needed.

 

PARENTS’/CARERS' SUPPORT FOR GOOD PUNCTUALITY

We would ask parents to support us in maintaining good punctuality by:-

  • Ensuring that their children get up in plenty of time to be ready and prepared for school. 
  • Ensuring their child has organised their bag and equipment the night before so that this does not delay departure in the morning.
  • Discussing any issues of lateness to ensure this does not become a habit.