Welcome to The St. Christopher School website. We hope you can find the information that you require. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require any further information or support.

TSCS Attendance

Attendance Targets

As a school we are committed to support our learners to attend school every day because every school day matters.

Our school target is 95%+

This takes into account that some of our learners have complex medical needs.

Please make every effort to get your child to school. This includes making routine medical appointments outside of school time and sending them in when they are ‘well enough’ but not quite 100%.

 

Our support: Firstly, if your child’s absence has not been reported we will call you to check in. Then, if absence continues, we’ll arrange a meeting to discuss how we can further support you to improve attendance. Finally, if attendance is not improving, we will arrange regular pupil planning meetings and organise home visits or video calls to meet our duty of care.

Please make us quickly aware of any difficulties with getting your child into school. We will work with you to address the concerns and support them to be in school as much as possible.

When should I keep my child off?

 

If your child is clearly unwell and is unable to attend school then please keep them at home and send them back in when they are well enough.

 

If your child is ill, please contact the school to report the absence on each day of the absence. If you do not contact us regarding absence then it will be recorded as unauthorised.

 

If you are unsure, please don’t hesitate to contact the school and we can discuss your concern.

Specific Advice

Chickenpox

If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over.

This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.

Coughs and colds

It’s fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.

Ear infection

If your child has an ear infection and a fever or severe earache, keep them off school until they’re feeling better or their fever goes away.

Fever

If your child has a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes away.

Head lice and nits

There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice, but please inform the school.

Sore throat

You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a fever, they should stay at home until it goes away.

Threadworms

You don’t need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms.

Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school for 2 days after their symptoms have gone.

For further guidance please see:

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Term time respite

Term time absence requests

The school will only authorise term time absence requests in exceptional circumstances, such as family bereavement, religious observance or necessary respite.

All requests must be made in advance of the absence and are at the discretion of the Head teacher. Forms are available at the office and on the website. The school will let you know if your request is approved.

Where possible please make every effort to access respite outside of term time.

Transport issues

We understand that many of our learners travel to school on school transport.

If you experience any difficulties with transport, please contact the provider –Vecteo on 01702 908888—to resolve these.