There are very strong links between regular attendance and achievement. If a child is at school as much as they can be, it helps them achieve their full potential. For all our pupils to gain the most from their education it is vital that they attend school regularly. 96% attendance or better is what is expected of all school children nationally.

Being on time for the start of every day is also important as arriving late can also be unsettling for a child. This, in turn, can have an impact for much longer than simply the few minutes at the start of the morning. If you experience difficulties in getting your child to school, please come and talk to us.

If your child is absent

Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us, so please let us know if they are not going to be at school and for what reason. Please contact us on each day of absence as early as possible by leaving a message on the answerphone. If school has not been informed of a pupil’s absence we will try our best to contact you.

Exceptional Circumstances for Leave of Absence in Term Time

Holidays taken in term time are not permitted. As stated above, ensuring your child is in school each day is your legal responsibility. If there is an exceptional circumstance for your child not being in school you need to have permission from the head teacher. 

To do this you will have to make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with). The head teacher will then decide whether to agree the leave of absence and whether this is marked as authorised or unauthorised in the attendance register.

Please note that head teachers are only permitted to agree a leave of absence in term time for exceptional circumstances. It is at the discretion of the head teacher to determine how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.