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Absences

Key Questions

 

They are only children; does it really matter?

The fact is that children who attend school for less than 95% of the time underperform significantly and have ominously reduced lifetime opportunities. It is not good enough to send your child to a good school or be graded a ‘Good School’ if absenteeism impacts on achievement. Schools with poor attendance and diminished outcomes do not remain ‘Good’.

 

But my child has been ill and I have told you this?

Absence is absence, and impacts on a child’s learning and wellbeing, regardless of the reason. This is clear in the actions taken under national policy. Whilst I have utter respect for parents who state that absence has been a result of specific unavoidable illness, this does not negate the fact that their child has been impacted by it, or that the policy applies to all. A child, who is absent due to intermittent illness, has missed the same amount of time as a child who has been absent as a result of a parent’s failure to bring them to school for unauthorised reasons.

 

If a parent is subjected to a fixed penalty notice (fine), this can be appealed against on medical grounds, but it should be noted that the absence is not ignored owing to circumstance and may not be seen as ‘good reason’ in court without specific, long term, medical support and evidence.

 

To be clear, under policy and in reality, absence through illness has the same impact as absence for any other reason and as such is included in your child’s absence figures. This is a national requirement.

 

So, are you saying you want me to bring my child into school when they are ill?

No. But I do ask parents to consider carefully if absence is really necessary. We are not medical practitioners and cannot make decisions on behalf of health professionals, or indeed parents – the choice is yours.

 

My child always attends school, yet you say that there are ‘unauthorised absences’, how can this be?

If your child arrives late, beyond the close of register, the late mark is converted to an unauthorised absence. Again, this is a national requirement, not the school’s. This is done because too much time in school has been missed. Arrive late and children may be considered absent; arrive persistently late, and it is easy to fall below the expectation.

 

I cannot afford a fine, how will I pay the school?

Firstly, fines are not issued by, or paid to the school – despite what you may have read on social media or in popular press. The courts issue fines and the revenue is taken by them. If you cannot pay a fine, this is a matter for the courts and is dealt with in line with any other unpaid debts to the Crown. The school has no say in this.

 

I will not pay the fine, what can they do to me?

Simply put, the fine increases to up to £2500. If you continue not to pay, you can get up to a 3 month prison sentence.

 

I did not realise this and I have received a letter re my child’s absence. What can I do?

Pitton CE Primary School is here to help you when and where we can.

  • The first step is to attend the meeting and work with the school. This will be your chance to seek support if there are underlying reasons for the absences. Whilst we cannot act on your behalf, we can point you in the right direction and look to see if there is anything we can do to help.
  • Recognise that there is an issue, and do all you can to reverse any absence trends. This may be easier said than done, but it cannot be ignored for your child’s sake. It is never too late.
  • Act promptly if you receive notices, attendance letters and/or court notices. They will not go away.

 

I wish to end by stating that it is my duty as Headteacher to address poor attendance and the duty of my Governing Body to hold me accountable for it. The vast majority of parents at Pitton CE Primary School ensure their children attend in line with the expectation and I am grateful for this, as are my staff. I cannot however ignore that attendance for some children, is below that expected. It is a stark and frightening fact that whilst we are driving up standards across the school, many are missing out on and suffering as a result. This has a negative impact on the children and the wider school.

Notifying School regarding Absence

 

Please notify the school of all absences.  Absence forms are available from the porch or can be printed  below. 

 

Illnesses and Sickness

If your child is unwell, please ring the school/email by 9am on every day of your child's absence , so that we can account for all pupils.  On the first day of return to school please complete the form below with details  about your child's absence.  

 

If your child has a communicable illness then they should not return to school until they are feeling better and the risk of infection to others has passed.  In line with Health Protection Agency guidelines we request that in the case of vomiting and/or diarrhoea, pupils remain off school for 48hours from the last episode.

Pre-Notified Appointments

Please use this form if you have a pre-notified appointment that your child needs to attend during the school day.  Appointments include doctors, dentist, opticians, hospital, music and dance exams.

When collecting your child or returning them to school please sign in/out at the school office.

Absence Requests for Term-Time Holidays

Please use the form below if you are applying to take your child away on holiday during the school term.  Please read the leaflet below before submitting the form so that you understand the penalties associated with taking your child out of school.  Mrs Wilkinson will consider each application individually but is only able to authorise leave for family holidays in term time for very exceptional circumstances.  She will be expected to report these absences to the Local Authority who will issue fixed penalty fines for unauthorised holiday absence.  

Forms need to be completed and returned to the school office at least 3 weeks before the planned holiday otherwise the holiday will be UNAUTHORISED.

Family Emergency

In the case of a family emergency, please ring by 9am on the first day.

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