Attendance

It is very important that children attend school regularly so that they have continuity of learning and that they do not miss any aspect of the curriculum.  We define ‘regular’ attendance as being at or above 95%.

Absences and punctuality

If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, or for any other reason, it is important that the school is notified on the first day of his/her absence.  Parents/carers will be contacted if a child is absent without explanation. This “First Response” action is also a safeguarding strategy i.e. in the event of a child being sent to school but not arriving because of an incident on the way to school.  NB. Continued failure to contact the school to report a child’s absence may result in a referral to MASH Team (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) or the police for a welfare check.  

Unexplained absences are recorded as ‘Unauthorised absences’ in the registers. Term time absence taken without authorisation may, where the criteria for doing so is met, result in prosecution proceedings, or a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued.   

Intermittent gaps in education have a detrimental effect on pupils attainment and ‘odd days’ off add up. We actively discourage late arrival as this seriously disrupts learning for all pupils in the class.  Persistent lateness will be monitored and followed up swiftly. We work with parents to reduce absenteeism and improve punctuality.

Sickness

Not every illness needs to keep your child from school. Use common sense when deciding whether or not your child is too ill to attend school. Ask yourself the following questions.

• Is your child well enough to do the activities of the school day? If not, keep your child at home.
• Does your child have a condition that could be passed on to other children or school staff? If so, keep your child at home.
• Would you take a day off work if you had this condition? If so, keep your child at home.

If your child is ill, it's likely to be due to one of a few minor health conditions.  You may not need to keep your child from school if they have a cough or cold, a minor headache or a sore throat.  However, if your child vomits, they should stay away from school for 48 hours.

NHS guidelines on when to keep your ill child at home are available on the following website: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Yourchildatschool/Pages/Illness.aspx

Leave of absence during term time

In line with the statutory guidance from the Department for Education, the Headteacher will only approve pupil absence during term time for exceptional family circumstances e.g. bereavement. Children learn best when they are in school and progress most when their attendance is consistently strong. 

Regulation 7 of the 2006 Regulations is amended to prohibit the Headteacher of a maintained school granting leave of absence to a pupil except where an application has been made in advance and the Headteacher considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.

Please visit our Policies Page to download our Attendance Policy. 

A copy of the Leave of Absence Form can be downloaded below or it can be obtained from the school office.

For more information on school attendance matters, please visit the government website here:

School Attendance