Attendance & Absence
To report a student absent please phone 01268 552536
Absence Procedure
- Parents should contact school by 8.30am each day their child is absent – telephone, text or message via the MyEd app.
- If no reason has been received for a child’s absence, the Academy will initiate first day calling.
- Parent must provide medical evidence to support all absences due to illness or medical appointments.
- Wherever possible parents should make appointments outside of school hours but if this is unavoidable students should attend school before and after the appointment.
- If no appropriate medical evidence is provided then the Academies cannot authorise an absence. (ie. medical appointment card, prescription, Doctor’s letter)
Lateness
- Students are expected to arrive to school for 8.25am daily.
- Students arriving late to school will receive a break time detention that day, escalating to a lunch detention if they fail to attend.
- Persistent lateness will be discussed at an attendance meeting. Parent / Carers are expected to attend.
- The academy may use the U code (unauthorised absence) for those arriving to school after registers close at 8.45am.
Holidays/Term Time Leave of Application
- Term time holidays/leave of applications are not a parental right.
- A holiday form is to be completed for any term time holiday request, along with a covering letter explaining the reason for absence. The Academies’ Holiday form is available to print from our website.
- Authorisation of any leave of absence during term time would be an exception and would only be granted at the Headteacher’s discretion.
- The Local Authority decides if legal action is required. If this does happen a penalty notice of £60 to each parent may be issued by the Local Authority as an alternative to prosecution. This rises to £120 if unpaid by 28 days. Failure to pay will lead to prosecution. Parents can be fined up to £2,500 and/or imprisoned for failing to ensure that their child attends school regularly.
Attendance Procedure
- Parents will be invited into school to attend a School Based Meeting to discuss their child’s attendance if there are unauthorised absences.
- If further unauthorised absences persist the Academy will make a referral to the Local Authority to see if legal action needs to be initiated.
- The Local Authority decides if legal action is required. If this does happen a penalty notice of £60 to each parent may be issued by the Local Authority as an alternative to prosecution. This rises to £120 if unpaid by 28 days. Failure to pay will lead to prosecution. Parents can be fined up to £2,500 and/or imprisoned for failing to ensure that their child attends school regularly
**Parents should always keep the Academies informed if/when their contact details change.
Leaders give clear messages to pupils about the importance of attending school regularly and this is having a positive impact. Ofsted 2019