Absence & Attendance

Children get the most out of school – and the opportunities it offers – through uninterrupted attendance and being on time each morning. We work towards a goal of 100% attendance for all children.

Illness 

There is wide agreement among health professionals and educational professionals that school attendance is vital to the life chances of children and young people. Being in school improves health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout the life course. The greatest benefits come from children and young people attending school regularly.

It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above. We would encourage our parents and carers to read the following: NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance. 

Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours).

Absences

We monitor closely all absences from school and ask our parents/carers to, when possible, to make medical and other appointments outside school hours. But when a child is absent from school due to sickness, we expect that the school is informed before 9.30am via the school office. This allows us to be sure that we know where all the children are and do not need to spend time chasing parents/carers.

The Headteacher has the discretion to grant absence from school in very exceptional circumstances but please note, family holidays in term time are not authorised. Please complete a form which can be obtained from the school office if required. 

Your child’s attendance at school is an important factor on what they may be able to achieve as they progress through their education. The table below shows just how much impact time off can have, the lower the attendance, the harder it is to catch up with peers.

Lateness

Getting to school on time is important: it means that the teacher is able to begin the day’s learning without interruption and the children are settled. If a child is late for school, we ask that he or she goes to the school office to sign the late arrivals book.

Five minutes late each day adds up to 3 days missed from school over a year. 15 minutes late adds up to missing 10 days (two school weeks) over a year! Please help your child to be punctual as this will help them in later life.

Fixed Penalty Notices (as of 19th august 2024) 

Per Parent, Per Child: 

Penalty Notices Fines are issued to each parent, for each child that was absent. For example, 3 siblings absent for unauthorised term time leave, would result in each parent receiving 3 separate fines. 

National Threshold: 

There will be a single consistent national threshold for when a fixed penalty mist be considered by all schools in England of 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period. These sessions do not have to be consecutive and can be made up of a combination of any type of unauthorised absence. The 10-school week period can span different terms or school years. 

First Offence:

The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for unauthorised absence the amount will be - 

• £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. 
• Reduce to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days. 

Second Offence (within 3 years): 

The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for unauthorised absence the amount will be - 

• £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. 

Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years) 

The third time an offence is committed a Penalty Notice will not be issued and the case will be presented straight to the magistrate's court. Prosecution can result in criminal records and fines of up to £2,500. Cases found guilty in Magistrate's Court can show on the parent's future DBS certificate due to 'failure to safeguard a child's education'. 

Please find below a blog from the Department For Education, explaining the introduction of the new National Framework for Penalty Notices:

Fines for parents for taking children out of school: What you need to know – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)