Attendance and Requests for leave of absence
The school day starts at 8.55am. School finishes at 3.20pm for KS1 and 3.30pm for KS2.
We expect pupils to arrive and to be collected punctually at the start and end of each day.
Every Day Counts! It is vital that pupils attend school, on time, every day in order to gain the greatest benefit from their education.
95% – 100% (less than 10 days absence in a year) is good attendance.
95% is the national average attendance rate for a child at primary school.
There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time.
All requests for a leave of absence must be made in advance either in writing or by completion of the school form; ‘Application for absence in term time’, which is available below in MS Word and Adobe pdf format. Absence requests are only authorised in exceptional circumstances.
Absence Request – link to our request form;
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a good attendance percentage?
A. 95 – 100% (less than 10 days absence in a year) is good attendance. 95% is the national average attendance rate for a child at primary school. - What is poor attendance?
A. Anything below 95% attendance is worrying as your child has less chance of success. It makes it harder for the child to progress if they are missing key learning opportunities. - What will happen if my child’s attendance falls below 95%?
A. Schools monitor pupil attendance every term. You may be sent a letter or you may be invited to a School Attendance Meeting at the school. - Isn’t my child entitled to 10 days holiday or odd days off for long weekends?
A. No. The School may only authorise an absence in exceptional circumstances.
If pupils take unauthorised leave of absence in term time parents will be served a penalty notice by Local Authority (The penalty is £60 and this rises to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.)Did you know there are 175 non-school days per year to spend on family time, visits, holidays, shopping trips etc - What is meant by genuine medical reasons to be absent?
A. Diarrhoea, sickness, childhood ailments e.g. measles, chicken pox, extremely high temperatures are genuine illness. Children should not stay home if they have minor coughs, colds, tummy aches and headaches. If your child is too poorly to remain at the school. The school will contact you. Please remember that even absence due to genuine medical reasons still affect a child’s attendance. - What should I do if my child is absent?
A. Contact the school on the first day and subsequent days of absence to explain their absence.
REMEMBER EVERY SCHOOL DAY COUNTS TOWARDS YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS
