Safeguarding

Layton Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the physical, mental and emotional welfare of every pupil, both inside and outside of the school premises. We implement a whole-school preventative approach to managing safeguarding concerns, ensuring that the wellbeing of pupils is at the forefront of all action taken.

• We ensure that members of the governing board, the headteacher and staff understand their responsibilities under safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance, are alert to the signs of child abuse, and know to refer concerns to the Designated Safeguard Lead (DSL).
• We teach pupils how to keep themselves safe and recognise behaviour that is unacceptable.
• We identify and make provision for any pupil that has been subject to, or is at risk of, abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
• We create a culture of safer recruitment by adopting procedures that help deter, reject or identify people who might pose a risk to children.

The DSL is Mrs Sarah Dunn. The DSL and the wider Safeguarding and Family Engagement Team will deal with all child protection matters.

More information can be found in the school’s safeguarding and child protection policy which is available on this website or from the school office. Please visit the Family Engagement Team section on this website to find out more about how we support children and families at Layton Primary School.

If you are concerned about the safety of a child, more advice can be found on the following websites:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residents/Health-and-social-care/Children-and-families/Worried-about-a-child/Worried-about-a-child.aspx

Attendance 

At Layton Primary School we recognise that attendance and punctuality are so important and lead to success in school.  Research shows that, over time, children whose attendance is above 95%, consistently achieve better than their peers.  We set work from 8.40am, which allows children to practise and consolidate key skills, so children who arrive after 8.55am miss out on vital learning opportunities. You may think 90% attendance is high but that means your child will miss half a school day every single week and if your child is late by just 15 minutes each day, it means they will lose 10 days over the school year.

To ensure children are in school every day, we ask parents to:

• Contact school if your children are unable to attend school.
• Where possible, make all appointments outside of school hours.
• Plan holidays when schools are closed.
• Check the school day and school calendar in advance.
• Communicate with school immediately to resolve any concerns or worries, rather than keep your child off school.
• Have a good bedtime and morning routine in place for your child.

As a school, we work with families to maintain and improve attendance, and the Pupil Welfare Service supports us with this.    Should your child(ren)’s attendance fall below expected levels, the Pupil Welfare Service will contact you and you may also be issued with a penalty notice for poor attendance. 

• Penalty notices will be charged at a rate of £160 per parent per child. This can be paid at £80 if paid within 21 days.
• Any second penalty notice issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period will be issued at the rate of £160 to be paid within 28 days, with no option for a discounted rate.
• The threshold at which a penalty notice must be considered is set at 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school week period. This may include absences as a result of arriving late after the register closes. The 10 school weeks may span different terms or school years.
• A maximum of 2 penalty notices may be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period, so at the 3rd (or subsequent) offence(s) another course of action will need to be considered (such as prosecution).
• Only penalty notices issued for absences taking place after 19 August 2024 will count towards the above thresholds.

More information can be found in the school’s attendance policy, which is available on this website or from the school office.  Should you wish to request leave from school for your child(ren), this must be done in advance of the absence, using the form on ParentApp or using a paper form which is available from the school office.

Issuing a penalty notice for poor school attendance is not a decision taken lightly by school, and we are here to support you and your family improve and maintain good school attendance. So, should you wish to discuss your child’s attendance and any support we can offer, please contact school on 01253 392179