It is obviously very important that children attend school regularly and we look forward to working in partnership with you to support your children’s learning and their individual needs to help them maximise their attendance and achieve their potential. Regular attendance at school means that your child can make the most of their education, improving their chances in adult life. School is also vital for developing your child’s social skills such as:

• making and developing friendships;
• working in teams and learning from each other;
• dealing with disagreements courteously;
• learning to appreciate and show tolerance and acceptance for all people (no matter the age, gender, ability, race or religion.

We are required to keep and monitor records of attendance, absence and lateness and the details are submitted to the Local Authority (LA). When children are away from school please telephone us by 8.45am on each day of absence or as soon as practicably possible.

Unplanned Absence due to Illness

Could you please notify the school on the first day of an unplanned absence by 8.45am or as soon as practically possible. Please contact the office (01229 718279). We will mark absence due to illness as authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness. If the absence continues, please contact the office each day to update the school. We will advise you if your child needs to remain at home for a certain amount of time, dependent on the illness / infection. If your child is advised to remain at home but is physically well, we will commence interactive remote learning.

Medical Appointments

Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised as long as you notify the school in advance of the appointment. Please contact the office (01229 718279) to inform the school of the appointment. However, we encourage you to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary.

Exceptional Circumstances

The headteacher will only grant a leave of absence to pupils during term time if they consider there to be 'exceptional circumstances'. A leave of absence is granted at the headteacher’s discretion.

The school considers each application for term-time absence individually, taking into account the specific facts, circumstances and relevant context behind the request.

Valid reasons for authorised absence include:

• Illness (and medical/dental appointments) or an absence from school recommended by a health professional as part of a parent or child’s rehabilitation from a medical or emotional issue.

• Religious observance – where the day is exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the pupil’s parents belong.  If necessary, the school will seek advice from the parents’ religious body to confirm whether the day is set apart.

• Traveller pupils travelling for occupational purposes – this covers Roma, English and Welsh Gypsies, Irish and Scottish Travellers, Showmen (fairground people) and Circus people, Bargees (occupational boat dwellers) and New Travellers. Absence may be authorised only when a Traveller family is known to be travelling for occupational purposes and has agreed this with the school but it is not known whether the pupil is attending educational provision.

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• If a parent is service personnel and is returning from a tour of duty abroad where it is evidenced the individual will not be in receipt of any leave in the near future that coincides with school holidays.

• The death or terminal illness of a close relative.

For details of the school day, please click here.

For our Attendance policy, please click here.

If you require further information, please contact us.