Absence

Should your child be absent for any reason, please let us know in writing or by telephoning on 01536 903713 option 1, first thing in the morning. On return to school a note is very helpful even though you may have telephoned on the first day of absence. We are now required to record any absences not notified to us as 'unauthorised' and to report on these annually.

We like to encourage good attendance and strongly advise that parents do not take their children on holiday in term time. A leave of absence form can be obtained from the school office or downloaded from the school forms section of the website, although latest  DFE guidance advises that all absence from school except due to illness/medical appointments will be unauthorised except in expectional circumstances.    A Penalty Notice (PN) may be issued for 10 sessions (1 school day = 2 sessions) of unauthorised absence within a 6 week period. This may include 5 consecutive school days (which may be either side of any school holiday) of unauthorised absence, which could include a term time absence or holiday. If this request is for 5 or more school days continuous leave and is not authorised it will automatically be referred to the Education Entitlement Service for a Fixed Penalty Notice to be issued. The initial fixed penalty notice is currently £60 per parent per child i.e. a 2-parent family with 2 children would be fined £240, which needs to be paid to the Local Authority within 21 days. If payment is received between 21 – 28 days of issue, the fine rises to £120 per parent per child i.e. £480 for a 2-parent and 2-child family. If payment is not received within 28 days of issue, you may be prosecuted for the offence of irregular attendance and could be subject to a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction. Please note that the school does not receive any of this money.

Where a pupil’s absence raises concerns, the school will make every effort to contact parents at the earliest opportunity. Parents will be notified in writing of their child's attendance each term. If a child’s attendance falls below 96%, they will be informally monitored over the following term (usually six weeks) to support improved attendance. If a child's attendance falls below 90%, they will be monitored for a period of 4 weeks with the expectation that their attendance reaches 97% during this time period.  If the attendance fails to meet this for 12 consecutive weeks or falls below 80%, parents will be referred to our external Attendance Officer and invited in for a meeting with our School’s Family Support Worker and the external Attendance Officer.

Key Stage 2 SAT’s week is normally in early to mid May and all Year 6 pupils should make every effort to attend. Year 2 SAT’s are in May and Year 1 Phonics Test is in mid July.

Lateness

Good timekeeping is not just good manners, it is also essential in the world of work. If a child arrives late (i.e. ten minutes after the start of the session) then a late mark will be recorded.

School gates open at 8.45am and close at 8.55am.

Leaving school during the day

If your child needs to leave school during lesson time to visit the doctor, dentist or optician, please advise the school office prior to this appointment and you must collect the child personally from school. Children will not be allowed out of school on their word alone. We advise that, if possible, appointments are made after school or in holiday times.