Opening hours

The school day is from 8.45am until 3.15pm.  In the morning, the school gates will open at 8.35am.

This amounts to 32.5 hours in a typical week.

Absence during term time

If you need to apply for absence in term time, please click here to view the Absence Request Form 2024/25

Attendance & Punctuality

Whole School Attendance Target – 97%

At Roselands Primary School, we aim to ensure that all children receive an education that maximises opportunities for each pupil to reach their full potential.  In order to achieve this, we work hard to provide a welcoming, caring learning environment where every member of the school community feels valued.  

Every School Day Counts!

In order for our pupils to achieve their very best it is of paramount importance that their attendance is good.  Every lesson really does count for your child and catching up on lost time from school can be really difficult.  Good attendance is linked to achievement, better relationships with other children and overall better behaviour.  Often, the reason that children are absent from school is due to illness.  Please refer to this link for guidance from the NHS if you are unsure if you can send your child in to school or not: NHS 'Is my child too ill for school' guidance

You can help to ensure that your child’s attendance is good by leading a healthy lifestyle: exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and maintaining a balanced diet. Missing any period of time of schooling has been proven to be detrimental, both, academically and socially.  We understand that sometimes absence cannot be avoided, but is is important that we share with you the following information:

*NEW*   Attendance Postcards

Look out for one of these new postcards dropping through your letter box!  Any child who has great and/or improved attendance will receive one of these.  2 postcards will be sent out each week after October half term - watch this space!

Punctuality

It’s important that the children arrive to school on time, ready and willing to learn. The gates open at 8.35am and all children are expected to be in their classrooms at 8:45am, with the gates being closed at this time.  Any child who arrives after 8.45am needs to be signed in at the main school reception.

Any child arriving after the register has closed receives an 'unauthorised absence' mark in the register.

Being late for school reduces learning time and can be highly disruptive and harmful to a child’s self esteem.  Children are often embarrassed and/or upset at entering a busy classroom after everyone else. Through missing the initial morning instructions means that that individual is playing ‘catch-up’ for the rest of the morning.

If your child is 5 minutes late everyday, they will miss 3 days of learning a year.

If they are 15 minutes late a day, they will miss 2 weeks of learning each year.

What can parents do to help attendance?

• If your child is unwell, phone and report this in to the office before 9am;
• If you suspect that your child is a reluctant attender or is unhappy at school, do not keep them at home. Contact the school as soon as possible so that any difficulties can be resolved;
• Make sure your child arrives to school on time and is prepared for the day ahead (eg that they have the correct school uniform, homework, swimming kit); 
• Take an interest in your child’s education. Ask them about their day and praise and encourage their achievements at school (If the children can see that you value education, they will too);
• Attend any meetings that you are invited to regarding attendance;
• Make medical/dental appointments out of school hours or during the school holidays wherever possible.

What can Roselands to do support attendance rates?

• Monitoring of attendance and consultation with parents is ongoing;
• Poor attendees are monitored and contacted regularly;
• Poor attendees may be asked to an attendance meeting to identify if any support can be offered to the family to aid attendance;
• All unexplained absences are followed up within the morning session.

Holidays in term time

In order to ensure that the pupils at Roselands Primary School receive an education that maximises opportunities for each pupil to reach their full potential, the Headteacher will not authorise term time holidays.  Any exceptional circumstances should be put into writing to the Headteacher and an individual decision will be made.  Unauthorised leave can result in the parents being fined £80 per parent per child (please see further information in the letter below from Torbay Local Authority). The Local Authority may take parents to court where parents take their child out of school without authorisation.