Attendance
The government changed the rules on term-time absence in 2013. You can only allow your child to miss school if:
- They are too ill to attend
- You have got advance permission
Absence in term time
If your child is ill, you must contact the school office before 9am on the first day of absence stating the reason for absence and the expected date of return to school. If this is unknown please report your child’s absence on a daily basis.
We have a dedicated 24-hour answerphone to leave messages regarding absence, please telephone 01327 493112 and select option 1.
How do I request permission for absence?
- You must submit a request to the school before you arrange for your child to have time away.
- If you wish to take your child out of school during term time, you should speak to your child’s teacher and submit a formal request to the headteacher via the school office.
- The headteacher will then consider whether to give permission for the absence.
When will absence requests be granted?
Permission for absence will only be granted in exceptional circumstances, see our Attendance Policy for more information. The headteacher will consider each absence request individually and decide whether to grant the absence. A decision will also be made about how many days your child can be away from school if the absence is granted.
Exceptional Circumstances: Examples of circumstances that are not exceptional may include:
- Cheap holidays or holidays that have already been paid for
- Absence that coincides with important school events such as the start of term or exams
What if I take my child on an unauthorised absence?
If you take your child (who is at compulsory school age) out of school without advance permission (except where he or she is unwell), we will refer your case to the Local Authority and you can be fined or even prosecuted. This could involve:
• A fixed penalty notice
• A parenting order, education supervision order or school attendance order where your child repeatedly misses school without a good reason
An initial fixed penalty notice of £60 is issued to each parent for each child. So a two parent family with two children would be fined £240. For more information see the Local Authority website: 'Penalty notices for non-school attendance'.
For more information on attendance at school and nursery please see the Attendance Policy or contact the school office.