Attendance and Punctuality

It is a legal requirement that all children of school age attend school. A child is of compulsory school age at the beginning of the 1st term after their 5th birthday.

The minimum expectation for each individual pupils attendance is 97%

Children who are achieving the most are those who have attendance of 97% or above. Please ensure your child is in school and on time, ready to learn.

Encourage your child to have a good attitude towards learning as this will allow them to grow and flourish. Please be aware that the local authority and the government’s Department for Education have instructed all schools to focus on poor attendance and to support adults at home in ensuring their children are in school.

The Attendance and Wellbeing Team monitor attendance daily. If your child is not in school and Parents/Carers have not informed the school office promptly, school will attempt to make contact to find out the reason for non-attendance. A member of the Engagement and Wellbeing Team may make a house visit to collect your child. 

Is my child too ill for school?

Check the NHS guidance for advice about whether your child is too unwell to attend school: Is my child too ill for school?

Persistent Absence

Pupils are identified as a persistent absentee if they miss 10% or more of their possible sessions. 10% of sessions translates to 19 days of absence across the school year. We understand there are certain exceptional  circumstances which mean your child can not be in school. If your child is off school for a significant amount of time, please provide medical evidence so school can be confident there is no cause for concern.

Pupils identified as persistently being absent will result in Parents/Carers being invited to attend an attendance meeting. In this meeting, Mrs Reed-Brough will discuss your child’s attendance with you and if necessary, will agree an action plan to support your child’s improved attendance. If you choose not to attend the meeting, an attendance action plan will be agreed in your absence and in extreme cases, school reserves the right to seek external agency support to support attendance. We aim to avoid such extreme measures. 

School will agree with you the best possible solution for your child to catch up with lost learning. This may be in the form of school work being sent home and returned to your child’s class teacher or your child catching up during the school day when they are back in school.

Parents can be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice by the Local Authority for their child’s non-attendance. The penalty is £60 and this rises to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days. Each Local Council has a ‘Code of Conduct’ for Fixed Penalty Notices.

There is no right of appeal against a Fixed Penalty Notice. If this is not paid, the Local Authority can proceed to prosecution or withdraw the notice. The Local Authority can also prosecute parents for non-attendance without issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice. Only the Local Authority can prosecute parents and they must fund all associated costs. Local authorities must conduct its investigations in line with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE).

If a registered pupil of compulsory school age fails to attend school regularly, the parent could be guilty of an offence under section 444 Education Act 1996.