Attendance Procedures

 Dear Parents

In St Patrick’s JNS we seek to encourage every child to get the most out of their time in school. This means creating happy and stimulating learning experiences in a safe, secure and supportive environment.

Central to this is the need for each child to come to school every day. Research indicates that poor attendance can lead to poorer results. In order to encourage good attendance and in line with state regulations we review regularly the attendance of all children in our school. We appreciate that some children miss school through illness, bereavement or necessary travel. However many absences are unexplained and avoidable. In order to conduct a fair and thorough review and in accordance with State regulations all absences from school must be accounted for in writing, regardless of the length or nature of the absence.

In order that all children can be supported in having the best attendance rate possible we will be monitoring attendance very closely this year. The following procedure with regard to absence from school will be followed:

1.   Teachers must retain all notes explaining absences on your child’s file. We are obliged by law to keep a record of your child’s attendance.

2.   If your child reaches a total of 10 absences from school you will receive a letter from the school principal informing you of this.

3.   If your child reaches a total of 15 absences from school you will be invited to attend a meeting in the school to discuss this.

4.   If your child misses a total of 20 absences from school we are obliged by the State to inform the National Educational Welfare Board, and they will take up the matter. You will appreciate that we strive to do all we can to avoid having to take this step.

We know you will appreciate the seriousness of this issue and understand that our overall aim is the well being of your child. We would ask you to work with us in this area so that we can avoid having to get the National Educational Welfare Board involved.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.