Absences
Illnesses should be reported to the school office by 8.45am where possible, on the first day of the child's illness. A reason for the illness and an expected return date to school should be given.
If you have not made contact with school by 9.30am regarding your child's absence, school will always follow this up. This is part of our duty of care and safeguarding procedures. We do this by trying to contact the main contact in the first instance. If this is unsuccessful after two attempts, we shall attempt to contact the emergency contacts that you will have provided to us on your child's admission to our school. If we still do not know about the whereabouts of a child after making contact with all the named contacts, school will conduct a pastoral visit to the home. To avoid this action being taken, please report all absences on the first day of the absence. Please continue to update us on the progress your child is making, in relation to their absence.
Children suffering with diarrhoea or vomiting should not be brought back to school until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours.
For any absences to be taken during the school day other than illness or medical appointments, a leave of absence request form, (available below or from the front of school), should be completed providing full information and evidence (if needed) for the absence, and then submitted to the school before the absence is taken (at least two weeks notice should be given for any absence). Please note that if you are requesting the same leave period for more than one child, you only need to complete one form advising of all children's details that the absence relates to.
Where the absence is for a child's medical appointment, notification of the appointment should be shown to the office staff or emailed in, before the appointment, so that it can be recorded that it has been seen.
Leave of Absence Requests
Due to Government legislation, holidays during term time can no longer be permitted. A decision for an absence can only be made based on the information that is provided on the leave of absence form. Please therefore ensure that full details of the exceptional circumstance surrounding the absence is given on the form (please use additional paper if needed) and evidence is provided (e.g. confirmation of flights with the date of the booking for an emergency abroad, wedding invitation or any other event you are wishing to attend). Those with parental responsibility will be written to, irrespective of whether they are named on the form or they live with the child.
Four weeks notice should be given for a leave of absence request so that school can make an informed judgement based on the information provided. A decision can only be based on the information and evidence that is provided to us. Therefore, if a leave of absence request form providing a full reason and submitting evidence is not provided in advance of the absence, the absence will be marked as unauthorised.
Medical, dental and optician appointments should be made outside of school hours where possible.
Please refer to our Attendance Policy
The Government have introduced a single national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered by all schools in England. This threshold is 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence (late after the register closes, holiday or other unauthorised absence) within a rolling 10 school week period. These sessions do not have to be consecutive and can be made up of a combination of any type of unauthorised absence. The period of 10 school weeks can span different terms or school years.
The first penalty notice issued to a parent for a child will be charged at £160 to be paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days. Where it is deemed appropriate to issue a second penalty notice, the second penalty notice to the same parent for the same child within 3 years of the first offence, is charged at a flat rate of £160 and is payable within 28 days.
There is no reduced sum available in this instance.
These fines are issued by and dealt with by the Local Authority and not school.Helping Parents understand Penalty Notice Fines for School Attendance
