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Absence Procedures

 

Illness or absence 

If your child is unable to attend school, please contact the main office by 9am. If we are not contacted, we will phone the numbers on our contact list until we are able to find out where your child is and why they are not at school.  

 

Punctuality 

The main gates to the school open at 8:40am each day and that is when our school day begins. Every child is expected to be in their classrooms by 8:50am. If a child arrives after this time then they will be classed as late. If a child arrives after 9:30am then they will be marked as an unauthorised absence for the morning. 

 

Appointments 

We encourage parents to make medical appointments for outside of the school day but understand that sometimes it is unavoidable. If you need to collect your child for an appointment, you will need to sign them out at the main office and show evidence of the appointment otherwise it will be marked as unauthorised. Children will not be allowed to leave the school premises by themselves during the school day. 

 

Attendance 

Children achieve well when they attend school regularly so we are keen to promote the welfare of your child through regular school attendance. Every day lost to education can have a serious negative impact on your child’s progress and attainment. We are committed to promoting school attendance by providing an environment where children feel safe and have positive relationships with their peers. We work closely with families to encourage maximum possible attendance and try to act on any problems with attendance promptly. If your child achieves less than 90% attendance, you will be sent a Stage 1 attendance letter. If attendance does not improve, then you will receive a Stage 2 attendance letter. If attendance still does not improve then there will be a meeting with the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) and parents may be fined. 

 

Holidays 

All holidays and family visits should take place during the school holiday period. If you wish to request a leave of absence during term time, a leave of absence form must be completed in advance. You will then meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss your request. Holiday requests are not normally granted and usually result in a penalty notice and fine. If holidays are taken during term time without permission, this will result in a penalty notice and parents will be fined. Fines will be given for any absence of 5 days or more.