As a school we aspire to high standards of attendance from all pupils and parents and strive to build a culture where all can, and want to, be in school and ready to learn. The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full time education. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education. Good attendance is a learned behaviour so it is important to develop good patterns of attendance from the outset.
The DfE expects schools to monitor and analyse weekly attendance patterns and trends in order to intervene and support where attendance does not meet the required level. School has clear procedures in place to monitor attendance. See the outline of our school day below so you know when absences must be reported by:
7:50am. Breakfast Club available – (Payment made on Arbor).
8:30am. School opens to children for Early Morning Reading.
8:40am. Morning Registration – All children should be in class.
8:45am. Registers close – Children arriving after this time may be marked as unauthorised.
9:10am. All absences must be reported by parents before this time.
A text message will be sent to any parents who have not informed us of the reason their child is absent.
9:30am. A telephone call will be made for any unreported absences.
Unreported absences will be marked as unauthorised and a home visit may be completed.
3:15pm. End of school day.
3:15pm. Tea-Time Club (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) begins until 5pm. – (Places must be booked and paid for in advance on Arbor). Children must be collected by 5pm by a responsible adult.
Attendance is one of the biggest challenges facing the school system today. Since the pandemic, there has been a worldwide rise in school absence and persistent absence. In response to this, the government are pressing ahead with tougher attendance rules, with new statutory guidance in place from August 2024.
When can my child be absent from school?
- When you register your child at school, you have a legal duty to ensure your child attends that school regularly. This means that your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend that day.
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances.
- Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet; or
- You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day meaning your child cannot attend their usual school. In most circumstances, however, your child is required to attend another school temporarily during such absences.
These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.
What do I need to do if I know that my child will be absent from school?
All parents can request a leave of absence for their child, which gives them permission to be absent from school. Leave of absence must be applied for before your child’s absence, and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Here is a link to our leave of absence form and a link to our FAQs regarding leave of absence.
What does the law say about leave of absence in term time?
It says Head Teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. ‘The DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation, to be an exceptional circumstance’. Head Teachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.
If my child’s leave of absence is not authorised, will I receive a Fixed Penalty Notice and can I be prosecuted?
Durham County Council’s Fixed Penalty Notice Protocol acknowledges that regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities. Circumstances where a Penalty Notice might be issued include unauthorised leave of absence in term time, or other parentally condoned absence where the absence amounts to five school days or more in a minimum ten rolling school week period. You can be prosecuted if you receive a fixed penalty notice and it is not paid. Under the Education Act 1996, parents commit an offence if they fail to ensure their child’s regular school attendance. An overview of Durham County Council’s new protocol can be seen below:
If you have any further questions regarding our school’s attendance procedures, please contact Mrs Azzouzi (our Safeguarding, Attendance and Welfare Officer) at the school office.
