We believe that regular attendance is essential for students to achieve their best and benefit fully from their education. Attending school every day helps students build strong relationships, develop key life skills and prepare for future success.
If your child is unable to attend school, please notify the school as soon as possible: Contact us
Day 1:
Call the absence line 01291 622932, on the first morning of all absences before 8.30am, telling us the reason for being away.
Day 2 and beyond:
Keep in touch by telephone or email, if a child is away from school for a longer period.
First day calling policy
If we haven’t heard from you by 8:30am, a member of the school’s administration team will contact you to confirm the reason for absence.
Parents have a legal duty to ensure that their children are properly educated. When your child is registered at a school, parents, carers or guardians must ensure the regular and full-time attendance of their child. The Local Authority has the power to issue Fixed-Penalty Notices in respect of unauthorised absences. Penalty notices can be issued to each parent and for each child. The Penalty is £120 payable within 28 days, reducing to £60 if paid within 21 days. (Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2004). If holiday absence is repeated, matters can increase and fines can be increased to both parents.
For term-time pupil absences, the Education (pupil registration) (England) (amendment) Regulations 2013, which came into force on 1 September 2013, removed all references to ‘family holidays’ and ‘extended leave’ as well as the ‘notional threshold of 10 school days’ authorised absence.
The 2013 amendments made it clear that head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. The regulations also state that head teachers should determine the number of school days a pupil can be away from school if leave is given for ‘exceptional circumstances’.
You can read the government advice here:
https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence
Regular school attendance is essential because:
- It is a legal requirement for children aged 5 to 16
- Pupils cope better with school routines, work and friendships
- Pupils find learning easier because they do not miss out
- Pupils get on better with learning and other children
- Pupils are more successful moving between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training
- Pupils are known to be safe and well by us
- The minimum target for attendance is 97%+. This will help all aspects of a child’s achievement and life in school. This will give them a good start in life and supports a positive work ethic.
- 97-91%, below expected attendance. As attendance falls, our concern increases. We follow our stepped approach to take action.
- 90% or lower, persistent absence. Absence is causing serious concern. It is highly likely to affect attainment and progress and is disruptive to the child’s learning. Meetings between home and school to share strategies for improvement will be called. If improvement is not achieved a referral is made to Gloucestershire County Council Inclusion. A Fixed Penalty Notice will be considered where absence is not authorised.
- For all children, we have a stepped approach to taking action. It will not always be appropriate to progress through all of these steps or even to carry them out in the order listed.
-Staff will use discretion and consider each case carefully
-Where there has been no contact from parents, we will initiate first day calling for all pupils
- For pupils with attendance below 90% there will be a discussion with the Inclusion Team for our region
- We will monitor trends in pupil attendance and punctuality, including our vulnerable groups
- We will request for parent/carer to meet school staffIf appropriate, will initiate procedures to access support from other agencies.
- Arrange dental and doctor’s appointments out of school hours or during school holidays, whenever possible.
- Make sure that their child arrives on time. Our doors open at 8.30am with learning activities and registration routines running till 8:40am, this time is crucial for a good start to the day.
- Any arrival after 8:40am will require you signing your child in at the school office.
- Should contact the school on the first day their child is away from school.
If you need to request a leave of absence during term time, you must complete a leave of absence form and return it to the school office. Please note that email requests cannot be accepted.
- Registration runs until 8:40am for all children from Reception to Year 6. Pupils can go straight to their classroom from 8.30am. Late arrival can cause children to feel anxious or upset.
- If a child is collected late, after 3.10pm, they join our After School Club. We reserve the right to charge a fee for this childcare taking all circumstances. We take the view there are no late children, only late parents. We contact parents of pupils who have patterns of lateness to talk about how to arrive and/or be collected on time.
