Attendance

Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 states that parents and carers of children aged 5 to 16 years of age have to ensure they receive full time education. Their child must attend school regularly and stay there all day, or provide them with an effective education elsewhere.

Registers are marked at the beginning of the school sessions. Each school day is separated into two sessions, a morning and afternoon session.

Authorised and Unauthorised Absence

Authorised absence is absence authorised by the headteacher. Parents/carers may not authorise absence but must inform the school of the reason for absence on the day by telephone or note or as soon as possible after.
Unauthorised absence is all unexplained absence or absence not authorised by the headteacher

Acceptable reasons for absence

Genuine illness
An urgent hospital, doctor or dentist appointment, which cannot be made after school.
Exceptional circumstances e.g. Family wedding or bereavement which involve your child. You need to consult with the headteacher about these.

Unacceptable reasons for absence

Illness of parent or siblings
To go shopping
To visit relatives
Birthdays
Because you overslept
Because he/she doesn’t want to go to school
To help at home
Because you don’t feel like taking him/her.

Late arrival

Children are recorded as late if they arrive before the register closes and an unauthorised absence is recorded if they arrive after the register has been completed unless the school has previously been notified. Parents/carers bringing children to school after the register has been taken are asked to sign children in at the office ~ this is an important Health and Safety requirement.

Absence for holidays

Parents do not have a right to take children on holiday in term time.
Parents must collect a holiday form from the foyer for holiday absence up to ten days. This should be returned to the head teacher for authorisation. Anytime more than ten days will be recorded as unauthorised absence.
We request that holidays should not be taken in term time, as every day is crucial to your child’s progress.