Attendance Matters
Being in school is vital for pupil achievement, well-being and wider social development. Evidence has shown that children with the highest attendance throughout their time at school gain the best GCSE results.
Data from 2019 showed that Key Stage 2 children who didn't achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths missed out on an average of 4 school days per year in comparison to their peers who met or exceeded.
What if my child needs to miss school?
Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure your child gets a full time-education.
There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend.
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances.
- Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event.
- Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it’s not available or has not been provided yet.
These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.
What counts as an exceptional circumstance?
School leaders are responsible for deciding what counts as an exceptional circumstance when it comes to a child missing school.
They should look at each application individually, considering the specific facts and background context. If a leave of absence is granted, the school will decide how long the pupil can be away from school.
Holidays are very rarely an acceptable reason for a school absence and are unlikely to be treated as an exceptional circumstance.
Sickness
In the unfortunate event that your child becomes ill at home or school we will follow the guidance outlined by Public Health England.
If you child becomes unwell at school we will call to discuss suitable steps in order to support their well-being. If your child is ill at home please do contact the school office by 8:40 on 01403 790253 to notify us of their absence.