Absence/Late Procedures

There is a direct link to good attendance and punctuality and subsequent high achievement at school.

Please support your child to be on time in school EVERY day as this will give them the best life chances and help them to establish good habits that will stay with them in the teenage years and on into adulthood. 

Ways that we can work together:

• Book all routine doctors and dentist appointments out of school hours.
• Book all holidays in school holiday time*. There are 175 days when the children are not in school. 
• Call the school office as soon as possible if your child is off school for any reason to let us know that they are off and why. If we do not hear from you we would need to contact you ourselves so that we know where the child us and that they are safe. 
• Do send your child into school if you are unsure whether your child is genuinely ill. We will send them home if they deteriorate. 

Any planned or family emergency absences should be requested in writing giving detailed explanations and supporting documentations as to why the absence is required. This should be in the form of the email addressed to the head teacher admin@eastwichel.swindon.sch.uk. 

*Please note that we are unable to authorise holidays for any reason during term time and you may be subject to a fine. 

The following are NOT reasons to be off school:

• They are under 5, it doesn't matter
• They had a late/bad night
• They have a cold
• They have a sore finger/leg etc. 

The school monitors attendance and lateness closely. 

Each week the Head Teacher, Deputy Head and the Family Liaison Worker  will meet to look at attendance. They will then arrange to meet with any families where we have concerns about attendance/lateness. Education Welfare may be asked to  support us with this process.

Covid Guidelines 

Covid guidelines have now been withdrawn and there are no official guidelines or restrictions on isolation should your child test positive.  Covid 19 is now to be treated as any other illness, if you child is unwell then keep them at home until they are well enough to be back in school. 

Over 102,000 children starting primary school in England are at risk of catching measles. NHS England is urging parents to check that their children are up to date with their MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccinations in the wake of measles cases rising across the country. Childhood vaccination rates have fallen over the past ten years and this week statistics show that over 102,000 children aged four and five years old starting in reception are not protected against catching measles, mumps and rubella. Measles is highly infectious and if left unvaccinated nine out of ten children in a classroom can catch the disease if just one child is infectious. If you are unsure if you or your child are up to date, check your child's red book or GP records and make an appointment to catch up any missed doses. For more information on the NHS vaccination schedule, please visit. 

iGAS – Invasive Group A Strep Information

Questions & Answers for close contacts of cases of iGAS
Q. What is group A Streptococcus (GAS)?
Group A Streptococcus is a bacterium often found in the throat and on the skin.

Q. How are GAS spread?
Streptococci survive in throats and on hands for long enough to allow easy spread between people through sneezing, kissing and skin contact. People may carry group A streptococci in the throat or on the skin and have no symptoms of illness. This is sometimes known as being colonized.

Q. What kind of illnesses are caused by GAS?
Most GAS infections are relatively mild illnesses such as "strep throat," or a skin infection such as impetigo. On rare occasions, these bacteria can cause other severe and even life-threatening diseases. Other examples of GAS diseases are;

• tonsillitis
• pharyngitis
• scarlet fever 
• impetigo
• erysipelas
• cellulitis
• pneumonia

Q. What is invasive group A streptococcal disease (iGAS)?
Sometimes life-threatening GAS disease may occur when bacteria get into parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, muscle, or the lungs. These infections are termed invasive Group A Streptococcal disease. Two of the most severe, but rare, forms of invasive GAS disease are necrotising fasciitis and Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Q. Why does invasive group A streptococcal disease occur?
Invasive GAS infections occur when the bacteria get past the defences of the person who is infected. This may occur when a person has sores or other breaks in the skin that allow the bacteria to get into the tissue, or when the person’s ability to fight off the infection is decreased because of chronic illness or an illness that affects the immune system. Also, some strains of GAS are thought to be more likely to cause severe disease than others.

Q. Am I at risk of getting invasive group A streptococcal disease from close contact with a relative or household contact?
Most people who come into contact with GAS remain well and symptom-free, or develop mild throat or skin infections. Healthy people can get invasive GAS disease from a relative or a member of their household but it is very rare.

Q. What do I need to be aware of?
The most important thing to be aware of are the early signs and symptoms of invasive disease which are shown in the box below.

Early signs and symptoms of invasive group A streptococcal disease

• High Fever
• Severe muscle aches
• Localised muscle tenderness
• Redness at the site of a wound