Attendance

It is widely known that the link between a pupil’s attendance and attainment is evident. Early poor attendance habits follow through into secondary school and employment. Any pupil’s absence disrupts teaching routines so may affect the learning of others in the same class. Ensuring your child’s regular attendance at school (above 96% attendance) is your legal responsibility and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution. 

Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is everybody’s responsibility - parents, pupils and all members of school staff.

In 2013 the Department for Education (DfE) amended the 2006 regulations, removing references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days.  The amendments make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances; and that Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.

In response to the changes in school attendance law Hampshire County Council has reviewed its ‘Code of Conduct’ and further advice and guidance for parent/carers with respect to this is available via our county website. 

In cases of exceptional circumstances leave may be applied for by completing a form that is available from the school office. The leave of absence form serves as a Penalty Notice Warning letter and any unauthorised absence during this period of time may be subject to a penalty notice for non attendance.

If term time leave is taken without prior permission from the school, the absence will be unauthorised and if the number of sessions absent hits the thresholds set down in Hampshire’s Code of Conduct, parents will be issued with a fixed-penalty fine.

The Importance of Punctuality in School

REPORTING AN ABSENCE

Please inform the School of the reason for your child's absence on the first day by calling the School Office before 8.55am.

• You can leave a message anytime of day or night by calling School on 01252 544606 and selecting Option 1.

• Give as much information about the reason for absence as is available at the time

• If the absence is prolonged, please do call daily to update us of your child's condition.

If the School does not hear from you by 9.10am your child's absence will have to be marked as unauthorised.  We will also be contacting you on any day of absence to find out why your child is not in school.

Returning after Illness

It is in no one’s best interest if children who are ill are brought into school.

• Children who have been sick (vomiting) must not come into school until 48 hours after the last bout of sickness have passed.

• Children who have had an attack of diarrhoea must not return until 48 hours have passed since their last attack.

• If your child has had a contagious infectious disease (such as chicken pox) please call the school for advice on when they can return.

Medical/Dental/Optician appointments

Please make all medical appointments at the end of the school day, outside school hours or in the school holidays. Where unavoidable, leave for medical or dental appointments may be authorised if proof of the appointment has been provided to the School Office by the parents (i.e on production of an appointments card).

If an appointment is made in school time your child should come to school first and/or return after their appointment. Please be aware that the absence or illness of a pupil should NOT affect the education of their siblings. If a pupil has an appointment (particularly at the beginning or end of the school day) arrangements should be made to ensure that the other sibling is either dropped off or collected from school on time.

Holidays and Leave requests in term time

As of the 1st September 2013 there is no longer the facility for Headteacher’s to authorise holidays in term time.

The DFE Website states:-

You have to get permission from the Head Teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time. You can only do this if:

• you make an application to the Head Teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)

• there are exceptional circumstances

  It is up to the Head Teacher as to how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.

Any absences due to "exceptional circumstances" have to be requested in advance by completing a form which is available upon request from the School Office.

Please note that family holidays do not count as exceptional circumstances and will not be authorised.

For more information please click the below link:

Behaviour & Attendance guidance for parents/carers

As stated in Hampshire’s code of conduct if a child has had 10 or more half-day sessions (equivalent to five school days) in any 10 school week period; or one or more unauthorised absences during a public exam, assessment or test (where the dates have been issued) a penalty notice will be issued.

Click below to read the Information on Penalty Notices for non-attendance at school (Advice for parents and carers). A copy of this leaflet is also available from the school office.