Attendance
Attendance and Punctuality
It is a parent or carer's legal responsibility to ensure that a child attends school and that the school is properly informed of the reason for any break in attendance.
Holidays in term time will not be authorised and should not be booked.
Our full Attendance Policy can be found on the Policies page here
Is my child too ill for school?
From colds and chickenpox to temperatures and head lice, it can be difficult to decide whether or not keep your child off school when they are unwell. This NHS website gives guidance to help you make that decision depending on your child's symptoms.
Authorised Absence
An absence is authorised when a child is absent from school for a reason such as illness, or for an educational visit or sporting activity which has been authorised by the school.
In all instances, a Request for Exceptional Leave of Absence form must be completed, stating the reason for absence with an explanation and attaching any supporting documentation of why the absence is being requested during term time rather than during the school holidays.
Unauthorised Absence
Occurs when the parent or guardian has not informed the school in writing of the reason for absence, or when the child arrives late after the register has closed. This applies to both morning and afternoon sessions. If a child's attendance falls below a good level, sickness absence may be unauthorised without appropriate medical evidence.
Good attendance and punctuality are important life skills and we expect parents and carers to ensure that their children are on time and do not have time off school unless absolutely necessary.
We do not authorise holidays during term time.
CONTACT PAGE - Please call us on the first and any subsequent days of a child's absence due to illness.
EMAIL US - if you need to provide us with more information about a child's absence, or if you are concerned about their punctuality affecting their attendance
Where can I get support to help my child attend school?
Children may struggle to attend school for a wide range of reasons.
If your child is struggling to attend school, both the school and the local authority also have responsibilities to help you to support your child’s attendance.
In most cases, if your child’s attendance level is falling, the school will contact you to explore the reasons and discuss what help can be put in place to help you overcome the barriers they are facing.
If your child is struggling to attend school, you can expect the school to meet with you and your child if they are old enough. The school will want to understand the reasons for their absence and what support you or they need to overcome the barriers to attendance they are experiencing.
If the barriers to your child’s attendance are in school – such as they are having friendship problems – the school is responsible for working with you to help overcome the issues.
Mrs Sedgwick - our school's family support worker - is here for you. She can support you with advice and other practical solutions to overcome and attendance difficulties. Mr Rodwell is the Assistant Headteacher who is responsible for overseeing our attendance and will contact families where there are concerns about attendance levels.
If the barriers to attendance you or your child are facing go beyond the remit of the school – such as a transport or a mental health issue – both the school and local authority have a responsibility to help you. This includes helping you to access the wider support you might need, for example from the school nurse or from local housing or transport teams. Mrs Sedgwick is this person in our school.
As a school, we want to see every child achieve excellent attendance and will do all we can to support you to realise this for your child.