Parents’ and Carers’ Responsibility

All children aged between 5 and 16 are required by law to receive an education, and it is the duty of parents and carers to ensure that they are supported to do so.

Children sometimes have to miss school because of illness or if they have long term medical issues.  If this is the case, parents should contact school the same day to let them know the reason that their child is not in school.

School attendance is recorded in percentages (%) and each morning or afternoon is counted as one session.

When given an attendance percentage – it is hard to equate that to actual time missed in school. The table below will help explain what the percentage actually means

For some parents, 90% may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, but the reality is that 90% attendance means that your child will miss half a school day each week or 19 days of school during the school year – that’s nearly 4 school weeks

What do I do if my child is ill?

1. Please notify the school when your child is unable to attend, with a reason, every day of absence.
2. In cases of lengthy absence, keep the school well informed so that work can be sent home in certain cases and in order for the school to be prepared for the child’s return.
3. Provide a note indicating attendance at the dentist, doctor or optician before the arranged appointment unless an emergency situation has arisen and provide proof.
4. Let the school know if their child is going to be late, e.g. if a car breaks down; if an urgent appointment has been made.

If you do not contact school when your child is absent, the school attendance officer will contact you by phone to find out why your child is not in school.

If the school attendance officer cannot contact you, the situation may become a safeguarding concern and the matter will be passed to the council Attendance Advisory Service.

What do I do if my child is refusing to go to school?

If you’re having trouble getting your child to go to school, we can help. Our Early Help Worker is always available to talk to parents and carers and discuss the problems you are having. If you are going through a particularly difficult period at home, we can help you get your children into school.

What do I do if I am late?

Doors will close at 9.00am for pupils. 

Please make sure your child arrives on time every day. If they are on time, they have time to adjust to being in school, prepare for their learning and they feel happy and ready to start the day.

If you are late, you need to enter school through the school office and you will be asked why you are late. The information is stored and monitored by our Attendance Advisory Practitioner every two weeks, as it is crucial that children arrive in school promptly at the start of the day.

Holidays in term time

From 1 September 2013, a change to government legislation means that schools are no longer allowed to authorise requests for children to be taken out of school for a holiday during term time.

Requests for leave can only be granted by schools if there are exceptional circumstances, and holidays are not considered exceptional. 

Requests for leave must also be made to the school in advance, as the Department for Education has told schools that they cannot authorise any absences after they have been taken.