Attendance

Attendance is a crucial part of a child’s school life. They miss out on so much even if they only have one day off. If your child is poorly or has an appointment please let the office know either in person or by phone giving as much advance notice as possible. If there is no valid reason given for the absence it will be recorded as unauthorised. Our target for the year is 96% attendance. This is closely monitored by the local authority and our Governors.

Please  note that we will also be closely monitoring punctuality. Remember if your child misses just 5 minutes every day then they miss 16 ¼ hours (nearly 3 whole days) over the year!  The bell is rung in the playground just after 8.45. Registers are taken at 8.50 and they close at 9.00. Any child coming to school after 8.50 but before 9.15 is given a late mark.  Children arriving after 9.15 receive an 'unauthorised absence' mark and a note is made of their time of arrival.

Holidays in term time

As a school we are not permitted to authorise family holidays if they require children to miss days of school. Time out of school can only be authorised in 'exceptional circumstances' and should be requested in writing via the designated form. A copy of the form can be found below on the website or a paper copy is available from the school office.

We understand the importance of family time but we are bound by the rules the Government have set. Exceptional circumstances are just that, exceptional. We define exceptional as circumstances which are rare, significant, unavoidable and short. Unfortunately not being able to afford a holiday in school holiday time is not an exceptional circumstance. All requests are looked at individually and a decision is made on a case by case basis.

Please note that for any time away from school for a holiday that lasts 5 days or more, a fine will be issued. The fine is set at £60 per child and per parent. So for a family with 2 parents and 2 children this would be a fine of £240.

Please also note that if a holiday is not requested but we believe the absence from school is due to a holiday, a fine may still be issued and it is then up to the parent to prove that they were not on holiday.

A helpful leaflet for parents/carers - frequently asked questions