We are required by law to keep a record of reasons for children's absence from school.

The Government made amendments to the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 which came into force on 1st September 2013. These state that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence for holidays during the term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Parents needing leave of absence for exceptional circumstances should complete a form at least two weeks before the anticipated start date. This form can be downloaded below. The reason for the request should be given in detail.

Leave taken that is unauthorised will be referred for a fixed penalty notice.

If absence is higher than 5%, at any point in the year, you may be required to provide additional evidence of any illnesses.

If absence is higher than 10% then the local authority will be informed, who may make a decision to issue a penalty notice or to prosecute. Further information can be found in our attendance policy located in the policies section of the website. 

From August 2024, the fine for school absences (holiday) across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012.

In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.

Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.

There is an expectation that any term time holiday is referred to the local authority for consideration of a fine. Any leave required must be applied for two weeks in advance and will only be authorised in accordance with government guidelines, which state that term-time holiday is not permitted.

Medical appointments should be arranged outside of school hours where possible. Any appointments within school hours will require evidence e.g. a letter or text confirming the appointment to be authorised.

Please see the following link for guidance on when your child may be too ill to attend school: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for- school/

If your child is too ill to attend you must contact the office as soon as possible (before 9am) on each day of illness on 01159728469. If we do not receive notification the absence will be unauthorised and we may need to complete a home visit to confirm your child's whereabouts. If continued contact cannot be made, we made need to refer to outside agencies in order to determine your child's wellbeing. We recognise that having a poorly child can be demanding enough, without having staff knocking on your door to complete welfare checks.

Repeated absence - either authorised or unauthorised - will lead to follow up communication from school and other support offered e.g. an attendance support meeting, Early Help Services etc.

Lessons are taught in sequences, building on the knowledge and skills of the previous lessons. Even missing odd days will mean that your child will have gaps in their learning and will find it harder to catch up.

Penalty notices are always a last resort, however they are a statutory requirement in some circumstances. Please see our school website for the most up-to -date DDAT attendance policy