Attendance Information for Parents and Carers 2023-24

Children are required by law to attend school.  Regular school attendance is essential to enable your child/children to maximise the educational opportunities available to them.  Each child's attendance is monitored by the local authority, who may and do take further action if they feel the attendance is not satisfactory.

Sickness

If your child is not well enough to attend school, you must contact the school office by 10am on the first day of absence to report the reason why and when you expect them to return.

We ask that you keep us regularly informed of your child's health if they are absent for more than 2 days.

If no explanation is received, the absence must be recorded as unauthorised.

Arriving late

Children should arrive at school from 8.40am for a 8.50am start, going straight into their classrooms.  If they arrive after 9am, they must be brought in to school by an appropriate adult through the front door and must complete the signing in log. They are marked as late.

If a child arrives after 9.10am, the register is closed, and it will be marked as an unauthorised absence for that session.

Leave of Absence during Term Time

The Education Regulation 2013 makes clear that Head Teachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.  The law makes it clear that Head Teachers are not expected to accept any term time holiday as exceptional.  More information can be found in our school Prospectus.

If you do wish to apply for Leave for your child, this must be done in advance and on the required form, available from the school office or click on the link below.

• Printable Forms

Penalty Notices

Parents/carers may receive a Penalty Notice from the Local Authority for taking unauthorised leave of absence during term time without authorisation from school.  These Notices cost £60 per parent per child, if paid within 21 days and £120 if paid between 22 and 28 days.

The Local Authority will use the full range of sanction where leave of absence is taken without the permission of the school.

• Parents taking their child out of school for a consecutive 5 days (10 school sessions) will be issued a penalty notice by the LA
• Parents whose child has 10 unauthorised absences over a period of time (equating to 5 days) will be issued a penalty notice.