Attendance & Punctuality
Punctuality
Classroom doors open at 8.45am. Children must be in class by 8.55am. Registers close at 9.25am and any absence after this time is treated as unauthorised until an explanation is provided. The school should be informed of absence by a phone call to the school office. An explanatory letter can also be given to the office or to the class teacher.
If a child is brought to school after 8.55am they must be accompanied by their parent or carer to the school office. This will then be recorded as ‘late’.
If it is planned that an adult other than the parents or carers are collecting at the end of the day, the school must be informed in writing. The school day ends at 3.15pm.
Attendance
Full attendance is expected during term time, except in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances do not include holidays, long weekends, leaving for holidays one day before the end of term or visits to family and friends.
Exceptional absences should be requested in writing using the Pupil Absence Request Form in advance and sent to the Headteacher. Acceptable reasons include close family bereavements or funerals and emergency medical and dental appointments (routine check-ups should be scheduled outside school hours). The Headteacher may also consider ethnic or religious observance or if the leave is important for the cohesion of the family following traumatic events.
Unauthorised Absences
Unauthorised absences are treated seriously by the school and the local authority. Initially we will aim to resolve any such absences by contacting parents directly to offer support, but if there are persistent problems of either punctuality or attendance the local authority is informed. As a very last resort, fines can be imposed on parents. These are known as penalty notices. A document giving information about penalty notices can be seen at the bottom of this page.
When parents have concerns about their child’s attendance, we encourage them to discuss these with the Pupil Family Support Worker.
Exceptional Circumstances
With effect from September 2013, parents’ right to request up to 10 days of absence during term time is removed.
Exceptional circumstances are:-
- Death of a sibling or close relative (parent/grandparent)
- Serious illness of sibling or close relative (parent/grandparent) N.B. may require medical evidence
- Eviction from home
- Wedding – immediate parent/carer
- Recovery from trauma or crisis
Key Documents:
