As a school we aim to:
Good attendance is important because:
As a parent you can help us by:
We shall:
up unexplained absences by phone calls and letters as soon as possible
parents of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in newsletters, the school brochure and the Home-School agreement
our attendance rate in the school prospectus
and reward good attendance
Each year we publish our school attendance figures on our website.
Authorised Absence
Some absences are allowed by law and are known as “authorised absences”. For example: if a child is ill, family bereavement, religious observance.
We realise that there are rare occasions when there might be a particular problem that causes your child to be absent. Please let us know and we shall try to deal with it sympathetically.
Unauthorised Absence
There are times when children are absent for reasons, which are not permitted by law. These are known as “unauthorised absences”. Examples of unauthorised absence are:
Unauthorised Absences have to be reported to the Local Authority. The EWO (Education Welfare Officer) may contact you and consider taking legal action against you if your child has unauthorised absences.
Punctuality
Term Time Leave of Absence
As from 1st September, 2013 the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 have been amended. All references to family holidays and extended leave have been removed, together with the right for parents to apply for up to 10 days.
Therefore, the school will no longer be permitted to grant leave of absence during term time, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational progress. A pupil who takes 10 days absence will only attain 94.7% attendance in the year. 10 days absence also means the pupil will miss 50 hours of education.
If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service which could result in a fine.
Please remember that the more time your child misses from school, the more difficult it is for them to catch up with their work. Valuable learning time is lost. A good understanding of the work can only take place when the pupil is in the classroom
Parent Guide - Childhood Illnesses
Local NHS experts have joined forces with Essex County Council to produce an at-a-glance guide to 17 childhood illnesses including Chicken Pox, Glandular Fever, Ringworm and Tonsillitis.
The poster highlights key symptoms of common illnesses which are traffic light colour coded to indicate whether children should go to school or stay at home.
Illnesses in the green category – for example colds and conjunctivitis - are those where children should continue to go to school.
Amber is when an illness could be catching and there are some restrictions on school attendance.
Children should not go to school and should see a GP if the illness falls into the red category. Red category illnesses are German measles. Impetigo, Measles and Whooping Cough.
The poster also advises parents on where they should first seek treatment, either from their local pharmacist or their GP.
There is guidance on when to consult a GP if symptoms persist and advice on when it should be safe for a child to return to school if they have a particular illness.