How do I report my child’s absence? 

Please call the school on each day of absence stating the reason why your child is absent. For safeguarding reasons, we would ask that you telephone the school before 9:15 a.m. to report a child's absence from school. If we do not receive a message regarding a child's absence, the school will contact you.

Regular and punctual attendance at school is a legal requirement and a responsibility shared by parents /carers and the school. The Headteacher is available to discuss any issues or problems you may have regarding attendance or punctuality. If your child’s absence falls below 90%, you will be advised of this by letter from the Headteacher. 

Notice to Parents regarding School Attendance

The Department for Education expects schools and local authorities to promote good attendance and reduce absences, including persistent absence. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind and those with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary schools. 

Schools work incredibly hard to support all children and their families so as to ensure that all children have good attendance and maximise their learning potential. 

The Government made amendments to the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 which came into force on 1st September 2013. These state that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence for holidays during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. In these cases, it is the Headteacher who determines the number of days a child can be away from school, if the leave is granted.

As a consequence of these changes, schools are no longer able to approve requests for leave of absence for reasons that are not considered to be exceptional such as the availability of cheap holidays/cheap travel arrangements or days overlapping with the beginning or end of a term. If you are unsure whether your reasons for applying for a term time leave of absence for your child/children are exceptional, please contact the Headteacher to discuss.

Parents needing leave of absence for exceptional circumstances should complete a form at least two weeks before the anticipated start date. Forms can be requested via the school office. The reason for the request should be given in detail. All applications should be made before the leave is arranged as absences will not be granted retrospectively. This is Government policy and parents who take their children on holiday without permission will incur unauthorised absences for their child. These remain on the child’s record and will be monitored for further action by the Education Welfare service. Parents could also be issued with a fixed penalty notice and/or court action.