Attendance and Absences

Parents are required, by the Education Act 1944, to ensure that their children of compulsory school age attend school and receive a full-time education.  It is the school’s responsibility to monitor attendance, which is done in conjunction with Governors and the Behaviour and Attendance Team, whose principal role is to help families and school meet their statutory obligations.

It is more important than ever for children to have a good education if they are to enjoy the best possible opportunities in adult life. Children only get one chance at school and children’s chances of a successful future are likely to be negatively affected by not attending school regularly. Parents are requested not to take children on holiday in school time to prevent them from missing vital parts of the curriculum.

With the exception of children attending Breakfast Club, children should not arrive at school before 8.30am.  If they arrive after 8.50am, they should be brought to the school office to sign in.  This allows registers to be updated and dinner numbers to be recalculated.  If a child arrives after 9.15am, they will receive an unauthorised absence mark.

Please discuss any difficulties arising over attendance with the Headteacher at the soonest opportunity.

Absence during term time

Government statistics have proven a direct correlation between attendance and achievement. The Headteacher no longer has the discretion to allow absences for family holidays. Term-time holidays will always therefore be unauthorised and should not be taken. Please book all holidays during the school holidays to avoid affecting your child’s education. Absences in exceptional circumstances should be discussed with the Headteacher in advance.

 If you wish to take your child out of school during term time, please complete a Leave of Absence Form at least 2 weeks before any absence.

All schools by law must follow the Department for Education’s statutory guidance relating to school attendance. They must use the appropriate national attendance or absence code and follow the criteria set out within the guidance. The statutory guidance states:

• A leave of absence must not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances and must be requested at least 2 weeks’ in advance.
• A leave of absence must be requested in advance by a parent who the child normally lives with
• Schools must judge each application individually, considering the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind each request
• Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a child can be absent from school.
• A need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance
• A school cannot grant a leave of absence retrospectively. If the parent did not apply in advance, the leave of absence should not be granted

• Where this guidance refers to a parent, the school and/or Local Authority will need to decide which adult(s) is most appropriate. Generally, parents include:

• All natural parents, whether they are married or not
• All those who have parental responsibility
• Those who have day-to-day responsibility for the child

Please note all schools are expected to regularly inform parents about their child’s attendance and absence. 

Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to their educational progress. If the absence is not authorised and the leave is taken, schools may refer to the Local Authority for legal action. Further information regarding Helping Parents Understand Penalty Notice Fines for School Attendance can be found here https://thegrid.org.uk/assets/hcc-sapt-statutory-attendance-helping-parents-understand-penalty-notice-fines-for-school-attendance-september-2024.pdf