Term dates and attendance
By law, you must ask for permission for your children to miss school, well in advance of the planned absence. Parents can request a leave of absence but this can only be authorised if the circumstances are exceptional.
By law, all children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) must get a suitable full time education. As a parent, you are responsible for making sure this happens.
What school expects from our families:
- It is vital that your child attends school regularly.
- Your child is on time every day.
- If your child is absent for any reason you must contact school straight away to explain why your child will be absent. This can be done via telephone or email. If not, we will contact you.
- Pick your child your child up on time at the end of the day.
- Avoid leave in term time.
Our school average attendance is 94.4% and our target for 2023/24 is 96%. It is when attendance falls below 96% that school will start to monitor closely the amount of time children have off school.
The Government has determined that a pupil becomes a persistent absentee when their attendance falls below 90%. When attendance nears this level children have already missed significant amounts of schooling; meaning that their educational progress is at risk. We need parents' full support in ensuring that attendance does not reach this level.
Types of Absences
Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required.
- Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason, e.g. where the child is too ill to attend school or medical/dental appointments which unavoidably fall in school time.
- Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no authorisation has been given. Unauthorised absence can lead to the local authority using sanctions
If you need to request 'leave' in term time there has to be exceptional reasons as to why the leave needs to be taken at that time. We will not be able to grant permission if the reason is cost as it is the same for everyone. Please do not book a holiday and then ask permission.
Please use the 'absence request form' at the bottom of the page to request leave.
Also, your child’s attendance figure needs to be over 96% if granting of leave is to be considered. The decision whether to authorise an absence or not rests with the Headteacher.
Reducing Illness Days
- If your child is saying they do not feel well and you are unsure about whether it warrants a day off please come to school and speak to us. If they are truly ill we will ring you.
- If your child has to have a medical or dental appointment in school time please do your best to have it after 2pm. If it needs to be a morning appointment please try and bring them to school first so that they can still access a learning activity.
- Please be aware that if your child arrives after 9.15am (when the registers close) this will be marked as an unauthorised absence.
- School may ask for supporting evidence before an absence is authorised. For example, prescriptions or appointment cards or similar.
THERE ARE ONLY 190 SCHOOL DAYS EACH YEAR
THAT MEANS 175 DAYS NOT AT SCHOOL FOR SHOPPING AND HOLIDAYS!
What is school doing?
- Rewarding children for outstanding weekly, termly and annual attendance
- Sending ‘traffic light letters’ to all parents termly
- Shaping the school holiday dates to create weeks when cheaper holidays can be taken
