It is every parent’s legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school.

If your child is absent for any reason, please contact school before 8.50am, giving the reason for absence, and on every further days of absence (except where a doctor’s report has already been provided indicating an expected return date) School will contact parents before 10am if a call or email has not been received. Ensure your child returns to school as soon as possible.  Provide any medical evidence, if requested, to support the absence.  Proactively contact school for support if you are concerned about your child’s attendance by speaking to the class teacher in the first instance.

For any medical appointments during school time, please inform the class teacher and the school office along with evidence of the appointment.

For any other leave of absence during school time, a leave of absence request form needs to be filled in. All attendance is closely monitored by school and the local authority.

Term time holidays

When children miss school for term time holidays not only do they miss out on important learning but they often take time to settle back into their learning routines. We do not authorise any holidays during school time and if taken this may result in an Education Penalty Notice.

The government is strengthening the rules around Education Penalty Notices. These are fixed penalty fines which can be issued by the Local Authority where 10 or more sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence take place.
They are most commonly issued to parents when a child misses school for an term time holiday taken without the permission of the school.

The new stronger rules will apply to all offences taking place after August 2024.

•  For the first fine issued after the start of the 24-25 school year, the fine will increase to £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.
• If a second fine is then issued to the same parent for the same child within three years of the first fine it will be for £160.
• Subsequent offences - no further fines can then be issued if two have already been issued to the same parent for the same child within the previous three years (starting with the date of the first fine); instead the parent will be prosecuted by the Local Authority in the Magistrates’ Court.

It’s therefore more important than ever that parents arrange to take family holidays in the school holidays and not in term time.