Attendance

We are committed to working with parents to promote regular attendance and punctuality.

Belmont is proud of its high level of attendance which is above the average for similar schools nationally and is consistently above 96%. It is important that children develop positive patterns of attendance and punctuality in order to have the best chance of making good educational progress.

Start of the School day

Gates open at 8:45am and children should come in and out according to the timetable below:

	Main entrance	End of school day
8.45-8.55am	Years 3-6 soft start	3.15pm
8.55am	Reception -Year 2 to be collected by teachers when the bell rings at 8.55am	3.15pm

Late arrivals

Late arrivals should enter School via the School Office and are logged each day. The parents of pupils who are late more than occasionally will be invited to discuss the issue with the Head Teacher.

Lateness has a detrimental effect on children's learning:

5 minutes late each day = 3 days of lost learning
15 minutes late each day = 10 days of lost learning
30 minutes late each day = 19 days of lost learning

End of the School day

Parents are asked to ensure children are collected promptly. The class teacher or School Office must be informed of any changes to collection arrangements. A child will not be allowed to leave with another parent unless permission has been sent in, or the School Office notified.

Absence from School

It is essential that we are informed when children are absent from school. Parents and carers must fill in the absence form (link below) for each day of absence.

Absence Form

For unavoidable medical appointments during the school day, please inform us beforehand and official confirmation will need to be seen. Routine dental and medical appointments should be booked for after school, or during holidays.

Parents wishing to take their child out of school for other reasons must complete a digital Term Time Leave Request for consideration (available under the 'online forms section of this website). The Head Teacher will not authorise term-time holidays because of the disruption caused to children’s education. The Local Authority has advised Hounslow schools that such holidays are unacceptable.

Parents should be aware that they could lose their child’s school place due to unauthorised absence from school as per guidance from the Local Authority.

Attendance Policy

Recommended absence period for preventing the spread of infection

This list of recommended absence periods for preventing the spread of infection is taken from non-statutory guidance for schools and other childcare settings from the UK Health Security Agency. For each of these infections or complaints, there is further information in the guidance on the symptoms, how it spreads and some ‘dos and don’ts’ to follow that you can check.

In confirmed cases of infectious disease, including COVID-19, we will follow the recommended self-isolation period based on government guidance.

Infection or complaint	Recommended period to be kept away from school or nursery
Athlete’s foot	None.
Campylobacter	Until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Chicken pox (shingles)	Cases of chickenpox are generally infectious from 2 days before the rash appears to 5 days after the onset of rash. Although the usual exclusion period is 5 days, all lesions should be crusted over before children return to nursery or school. A person with shingles is infectious to those who have not had chickenpox and should be excluded from school if the rash is weeping and cannot be covered or until the rash is dry and crusted over.
Cold sores	None.
Respiratory infections including coronavirus COVID-19	Children and young people should not attend if they have a high temperature and are unwell. Anyone with a positive test result for COVID-19 should not attend the setting for 5 full days after testing positive.
Rubella (German measles)	5 days from appearance of the rash.
Hand, foot and mouth	Children are safe to return to school or nursery as soon as they are feeling better, there is no need to stay off until the blisters have all healed.
Impetigo	Until lesions are crusted and healed, or 48 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.
Measles	Cases are infectious from 4 days before onset of rash to 4 days after so it is important to ensure cases are excluded from school during this period.
Ringworm	Exclusion not needed once treatment has started.
Scabies	The infected child or staff member should be excluded until after the first treatment has been carried out.
Scarlet fever	Children can return to school 24 hours after commencing appropriate antibiotic treatment. If no antibiotics have been administered the person will be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks. If there is an outbreak of scarlet fever at the school or nursery, the health protection team will assist with letters and factsheet to send to parents or carers and staff.
Slapped cheek syndrome, Parvovirus B19, Fifth’s disease	None (not infectious by the time the rash has developed).
Bacillary Dysentery (Shigella)	Microbiological clearance is required for some types of shigella species prior to the child or food handler returning to school.
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting (Gastroenteritis)	Children and adults with diarrhoea or vomiting should be excluded until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped and they are well enough to return. If medication is prescribed, ensure that the full course is completed and there is no further diarrhoea or vomiting for 48 hours after the course is completed. For some gastrointestinal infections, longer periods of exclusion from school are required and there may be a need to obtain microbiological clearance. For these groups, your local health protection team, school health advisor or environmental health officer will advise. If a child has been diagnosed with cryptosporidium, they should NOT go swimming for 2 weeks following the last episode of diarrhoea.
Cryptosporidiosis	Until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
E. coli (verocytotoxigenic or VTEC)	The standard exclusion period is until 48 hours after symptoms have resolved. However, some people pose a greater risk to others and may be excluded until they have a negative stool sample (for example, pre-school infants, food handlers, and care staff working with vulnerable people). The health protection team will advise in these instances.
Food poisoning	Until 48 hours from the last episode of vomiting and diarrhoea and they are well enough to return. Some infections may require longer periods (local health protection team will advise).
Salmonella	Until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid fever	Seek advice from environmental health officers or the local health protection team.
Flu (influenza)	Until recovered.
Tuberculosis (TB)	Pupils and staff with infectious TB can return to school after 2 weeks of treatment if well enough to do so and as long as they have responded to anti-TB therapy. Pupils and staff with non-pulmonary TB do not require exclusion and can return to school as soon as they are well enough.
Whooping cough (pertussis)	A child or staff member should not return to school until they have had 48 hours of appropriate treatment with antibiotics and they feel well enough to do so or 21 days from onset of illness if no antibiotic treatment.
Conjunctivitis	None.
Giardia	Until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Glandular fever	None (can return once they feel well).
Head lice	After the child has been properly treated they can come into school.
Hepatitis A	Exclude cases from school while unwell or until 7 days after the onset of jaundice (or onset of symptoms if no jaundice, or if under 5, or where hygiene is poor. There is no need to exclude well, older children with good hygiene who will have been much more infectious prior to diagnosis.
Hepatitis B	Acute cases of hepatitis B will be too ill to attend school and their doctors will advise when they can return. Do not exclude chronic cases of hepatitis B or restrict their activities. Similarly, do not exclude staff with chronic hepatitis B infection. Contact your local health protection team for more advice if required.
Hepatitis C	None.
Meningococcal meningitis/ septicaemia	If the child has been treated and has recovered, they can return to school.
Meningitis	Once the child has been treated (if necessary) and has recovered, they can return to school. No exclusion is needed.
Meningitis viral	None.
MRSA (meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus)	None.
Mumps	5 days after onset of swelling (if well).
Threadworm	None.
Rotavirus	Until 48 hours after symptoms have subsided.