Absence and Attendance
Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure their child’s attendance at school.
If your child is unwell please report their absence using the form to the right.
If you are unsure whether or not your child is well enough to attend school, please refer to the following NHS guidance:
Is my child too ill for school
Schools may not legally grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. Exceptional circumstances are at the discretion of the Headteacher, who must be satisfied that the circumstances warrant granting of leave, and are generally where the situation is both essential and completely out of the control of the immediate or wider family. An example of this would be attending an open day for the child’s next school. If granting leave of absence, the Headteacher will determine the number of days to be authorised and these should not exceed five days in total during the school year for any pupil.
We are unable to authorise applications for holidays or family celebrations of any description as there is no discretionary allowance for family holidays during term-time. It is illegal to grant such leave during term time.
If your child has five days of authorised absence during the year and takes no other time off for illness or other reasons, their attendance over the school year will be 97.4%. Five days’ absence each year of primary school is equivalent to half a term missed by the end of Year 6, or 175 hours of learning.
If a request for leave of absence is not granted by the Headteacher and the pupil does not attend school at this time, their absence will be recorded as unauthorised and the school may seek legal intervention, with the backing of the local authority. It is possible that a penalty notice will be issued and the matter may be pursued legally.
Key points:
- Only a maximum of 5 days (10 school sessions) can be authorised by the school in exceptional circumstances, and this is at the discretion of the Headteacher
- Leave of absence for family celebrations of any description, or holidays will not be authorised
- Penalty notices may be issued and parents may be fined by the Local Authority
Thank you for your support in ensuring that children receive the best possible education by attending school regularly.
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