Birkrig, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9BN. Telephone: 01695 724730.
www.bishopmartin.lancs.sch.uk Headteacher:
Mr IJ McDonald
Headteacher Update Friday 6th January 2023 Dear Parents/Carers, Welcome Back! It has been so lovely to welcome back the children yesterday and today at the start of what will be a busy half-term at Bishop Martin! I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year with your loved ones and got plenty of well-deserved rest. This is a relatively short half-term (we break for half-term on Thursday 9th February) but your child’s teachers have so much learning planned for your children! Please check your child’s class pages on the school website over next week as new content for what they are learning will be posted for your information. There are also a number of headline events for the school year taking place this half-term such as: SHARES Swimming Gala (for Key Stage 2) on 24/01/23 in Wigan The Year 4 Residential Trip to Colomendy, North Wales from 08/02/23-09/02/23 Informing Parents of Attendance Levels It is an expectation that ALL schools report attendance levels of pupils to their parents. The Government recommended level for acceptable attendance is 96%. At Bishop Martin we report attendance levels to parents if their child’s attendance drops BELOW 90% at the start of each term. This will always be treated in the strictest confidence and always be through direct communication (e-mail) between school and home. Keeping you informed about your child’s attendance levels is a crucial part of our partnership in working together to ensure the best possible education for your children. It should not be seen as something negative or judgemental, but rather as extra information so you can keep up to date on your child’s schooling. There are currently many children for whom attendance last half-term dropped below 90%. I fully understand that this was unavoidable in the VAST majority of cases given the number of illnesses going around this winter (my own children’s attendance has been affected at their school too) and completely sympathise with the difficult decisions you need to make as parents when deciding whether to keep your child off school if they are unwell. So if you receive an email next week regarding your child’s attendance it is purely for your information only. In SOME cases (but not all), school will be following up on these emails with families and inviting them in for an attendance meeting. This will NOT be for all children whose