We place a high priority on excellent attendance as it is necessary for the children to learn effectively. Attendance patterns are monitored regularly and any child who has regular, frequent absences may be referred to the Local Authority Attendance Team and/or a fine or fast track process may be instigated. Before doing this we will contact the parents and ask them to come in and discuss the issues behind the absences either with us. Regular attendance at school is vital to a child’s education and it is the parent/carers’ legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly and on time.
If your child is absent for any reason, please telephone us before 9am on the day of the absence. Absence messages may be left on the school answer phone. When leaving a message, please tell us:
Your child’s name, the name of your child’s teacher, who you are/ your relationship to the child, the reason for the absence and when you expect your child to return to school.
Attendance regulations state that reasons for all absences must be notified to school. We also operate first day calling, and if you do not inform us of your child’s absence by 9am, then we will contact you to request a reason for safeguarding purposes.
We also ensure we take all possible safeguarding steps to ensure all volunteers are suitable as they work in a position of trust in our schools. We request that all prospective volunteers fill in an application form and may ask for verification from previous schools or places of employment that there are not concerns over a person’s suitability to volunteer in school. In addition to this we take additional steps, such as a confidentiality agreement for voluntary helpers.
The answer phone is on when the school is closed, so you can leave a message at any time. To save any unnecessary worry, please do phone before 9am and leave a message.
We will consider each reason given and then make a decision about whether to authorise it or not.
If you know your child will be absent or late, for example because of a medical or dental appointment, please let us know in advance, either by telephoning the office or sending in a letter. Please also note that a medical or dental appointment does not always need a full day or half day’s absence. We expect children to be in school before and after medical appointments, however short that time may be. We have a slip to be stamped by dentists and doctors to show attendance at appointments. These can be collected from the office or printed from the website.
Please note also that children arriving at school after 9 a.m. are classed as being late and marked as such. Those arriving after 9.20 are classed as having an unauthorised absence for the entire morning, with the exception of those children who arrive late due to medical appointments. Please make every effort to ensure that your child arrives on time each day as arriving late means that children miss the start of the lessons and this affects their learning.
Holidays in term time are no longer granted. We may consider absences from school in exceptional circumstances. This does not include the holidays being cheaper in term time, wishing to go with friends, family members paying for the holidays, birthday celebrations etc. Please collect a form from the office if you wish to apply for leave in term time or inform us of an absence. Fuller guidance is on the form and this can also be found on the school website. Parents who take their child on holiday in term time now face a fine of up to £60 per parent per child. These fines will be implemented for any child meeting the following criteria:
- at least 9 sessions (4.5 school days) lost to unauthorised absence by the pupil during the last 6 school weeks
This also includes step parents and parents who do not live with the child. (Please note each school day is made up of two sessions, morning and afternoon)
* Please note that the school day consists of 2 sessions.