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Attendance

If Your Child is Absent: 

If your child is absent you must contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence via one of the following methods:  

If Your Child is Absent We Will...  

  • Telephone and text you on the first day of absence if we have not heard from you;  
  • Send a member of our Attendance Team, Safeguarding Manager, or year Manager to complete a home visit to your address where appropriate;  
  • Invite you into school to discuss the situation with a member of our Attendance Team, Year Manager or Assistant Head Teacher where the absence is causing us concern;  

    Refer the matter to the Attendance and Inclusion Service within the Local Authority if necessary. This may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice (fine) or legal prosecution. 
Illness
Is my child too ill for school? - NHS

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Holidays 

THE SCHOOL WILL NOT NECESSARILY AUTHORISE A CHILD TO TAKE HOLIDAYS DURING TERM TIME. Parents do not have the legal right to take children out of school for holidays.  

  • It is not true that you are entitled  to 10 days extra holiday each year;  
  • It is not true that students can ‘catch up’. Research shows that by missing lessons, students fall behind, and lessons are NOT repeated at a later date;  
  • Any holidays are expected to be taken as part of the 176 days available outside term time. 

Schools are quite within their rights to say that holidays in school time are not allowed. Parents who take their children out of school during the school term without the Headteacher’s authorisation or beyond an agreed date risk being issued with a Penalty Fine, Community Service or being prosecuted. 

In addition:  

  • You risk losing your child’s place at school;  
  • You risk your child’s future through lost learning and lower achievement;  
  • You risk your child feeling left behind and left out.

The Law Relating to Attendance 

Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states that ‘the parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive efficient full time education suitable:-  

  1. to age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he/she may have either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.’ 

Lateness  

Students arriving later than the end of Period 1 without a satisfactory explanation provided by parent/carer will be given a U code on the register. The U code will count as an unauthorised absence. We will maintain accurate and up-to-date records of who is present in the building for safeguarding reasons, but we will also be able to use persistent lateness as part of the wider work around providing support and challenge to students, parents and carers. 

Poor punctuality is not acceptable. If your child misses the start of the day they can miss work and vital information and news for the day. Late arrival students also disrupt lessons, can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage absence. 

How we manage lateness:  

  • The school day starts at 8.30am everyday and we expect your child to be in tutorial at that time.  
  • Registers are marked at 8.30am and your child will receive a late mark if they are not in by that time.    
  • If you child arrives after 8.30am they must sign in at reception.  

If your child is persistently late you will be asked to meet with your child's Year Manager and Assistant Head teacher to resolve the problem. You can however also approach us at any time if you are having problems getting your child to school on time.

Attendance Rewards 

For our students to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and that they are in school and on time every day the school is open. A range of rewards are offered by school – the criteria for these rewards will be zero unauthorised absences.  

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