Attendance

We are keen to work with parents to ensure all pupils receive their full entitlement to education. It is essential for your child’s continual progress that absences are kept to a minimum. Parents are strongly recommended not to take annual holidays, dental or medical appointments during school times. If this is unavoidable you must request permission from the school by completing an Absence Form from the office. It is important that we are kept informed about any absence from school. If your child is unable to attend school, the procedure is to phone the school on the first day of absence explaining the reason they are absent, followed by a note when the child returns to school. The school has a statutory responsibility to keep detailed records and to report school attendance to the Local Authority.

Illness at School

If your child becomes ill at school and is not well enough to stay we will contact you. Please ensure you keep us up to date with emergency contact numbers (mobile telephone numbers) to assist in this matter.

Medicines

Our policy follows the Department of Education and states that teachers should not administer medicines to pupils. If in exceptional circumstances a medicine does need to be given during the day we have a form that you are required to sign. If your child needs an inhaler please make sure they know how and when to use it.

Holidays in Term Time

Please consider:

While you are away for 1 week your child will miss approximately:

5 hours of maths
5 hours of literacy
10 hours of science, religious education, music, art, physical education, geography, history, design & technology and information technology

If your child has a holiday of 2 weeks during term time and has a 1 week period of sickness in one school year they will miss:

15 hours of literacy
15 hours of maths
30 hours of learning other subjects

If this pattern were to be repeated throughout your child’s school life they would miss 36 weeks of their education!

One School Year = 39 school weeks!

Ask yourself:
Can my child keep up with other children if they miss out on 60 hours of education a year?

Thinking of taking a holiday in term time? Please think again!

If a holiday in term time is unavoidable, please download and complete the attached form. Please be aware that all holidays in term time will be considered unauthorised*. This means that in the school register it will show your child as having an unauthorised absence, which will affect their attendance results.