Absence from School
If your child is going to be absent due to illness, please telephone the school office with the reason on the first morning of the absence. Any unexplained absences have now, by law, to be noted and are regarded as truancy and will be recorded as unauthorised. Alternatively, please download the Studybugs app to report your child’s absence from school. https://studybugs.com
If the child is visiting the doctor or dentist during the day, please send a copy of the appointment letter to the school office and inform the office both before collecting your child and on his/her return.
Absence from Learning
Having good attendance from an early age will help children throughout their school life. Being on time is also vital. Arriving late at school can be very disruptive for the late child, the teacher and other children in the class.
Governors and staff fully appreciate that some parents are unable to take leave during the school holidays and that trips abroad are sometimes cheaper during the term. However, there is a clear link between children who miss school and the progress they make.
The school strongly advises parents and carers to encourage good attendance in order to minimise any disruption to their child's education. The procedure for requesting absence from learning will be -
1. The parent/carer will obtain a "Request for Withdrawal from Learning" form from the school office or website.
2. The parent/carer will complete and the form to the school office.
3. The Headteacher will decide whether or not to authorise the absence, in line with school policy.
Term Time Holiday
The Department for Education have informed schools that amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make clear that from 2013 Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are "exceptional circumstances".
The school is, therefore, unable to grant leave of absence during term time unless there are "exceptional circumstances" such as -
1. Children with a parent on leave from the armed forces.
2. Holiday for recently adopted children or children in care.
3. Holiday for parents who work in the emergency services and who have had their leave cancelled.
The following will NOT normally be deemed as "exceptional circumstances" -
1. Financial circumstances.
2. Shift work or work commitments.
3. Tours or trips with performing arts groups and sports clubs.
4. Non school-based sports training or tournaments.
The Headteacher has the authority to authorise absences that are unavoidable at short notice. i.e. a funeral.
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs)
When a pupil has accrued 10 sessions recorded of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week period. A school day is 2 sessions, am and pm. This period can straddle school holidays and academic years and the absence doesn't have to be consecutive. This includes - holidays taken in term time without the agreement of the school; arriving late to school after the register has closed; any absence marked in the register as unauthorised.
For the first occasion a child is absence without authority, the FPN is £160 and a parent is given the opportunity to pay within 21 days at a rate of £80. For the second occasion the same child is absent without authority the FPN is £160.00 For the third occasion the same child is absent without authority a FPN may not be issued and instead the case may be referred direct to a Magistrates Court or alternative interventions may be considered.
You cannot be prosecuted for the period of absence identified in the Fixed Penalty Notice if you have paid it. You may subsequently be prosecuted for further periods of unauthorised absence from school. Each case is considered on an individual basis.