Attendance
The head teacher cannot grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. To apply for term time leave, please download and complete the form below and return it to the school office.
Absence due to illness
To prevent the spread of diarrhoea and vomiting, children should not return to school until at least 48 hours/ two days after any vomiting or diarrhoea.
Parents and carers should inform the school office by telephone on the first day of any absence. Absence can also be reported to the school using the ScholarPack Parents App, and you will receive a registration link for this when your child joins our school.
Parents and carers should also inform the school of any infectious illnesses your child may have contracted, especially the Rubella virus (German Measles). We would also appreciate being informed of any cases of head lice.
Term time leave
The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006
Amendments have been made to the 2006 regulations in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013. These amendments, as described below, came into force on 1 September 2013.
Term-time holiday
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 head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Head teachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.
The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations 2007
Amendments have been made to the 2007 Regulations in the Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013. These amendments, as described below, came into force on 1 September 2013.
Schools can fine parents for the unauthorised absence of their child from school, where the child is of compulsory school age.
If issued with a penalty notice, parents must pay £60 within 21 days or £120 within 28 days. The payment must be made directly to the local authority.
The decision on whether or not to issue a penalty notice ultimately rests with the head teacher, following the local authority’s code of conduct for issuing penalty notices. This may take into account:
- A number of unauthorised absences occurring within a rolling academic year
- One-off instances of irregular attendance, such as holidays taken in term time without permission
- Where an excluded pupil is found in a public place during school hours without a justifiable reason
- If the payment has not been made after 28 days, the local authority can decide whether to prosecute the parent or withdraw the notice
Attendance Improvement Meetings
Parents and carers of pupils whose attendance falls below the school’s half-termly thresholds are invited to attend an Attendance Improvement Meeting with the school’s Head Teacher and School Operations Officer.
The purpose of these meetings is to improve attendance. They allow everyone to share strategies which may help support improvements in attendance.
At the end of each meeting, everyone will have a clear plan for securing improved attendance.