Attendance Information
ATTENDANCE – PARENT FACT SHEET
When is my child allowed to miss school?
You can only allow your child to miss school if:
- They are too ill to attend
- You have advance permission from the school
How can I make an absence request?
You must submit a request to the school before you arrange for your child to have time away.
If you wish to take your child out of school during term time, you should submit a formal request to the headteacher via the school office or via the Weduc App. The headteacher will then consider whether to give permission for the absence.
This is outlined in the school’s attendance policy.
Is the school likely to grant absence requests? If so, when?
The headteacher will consider each absence request individually and decide:
- Whether to grant the absence
- How many days your child can be away from school for (if the absence is granted)
Absence requests will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances are one off events which are unavoidable. Examples include, but not limited to, the death of a close relative, attendance at a funeral, being a victim of crime, life-threatening or critical illness of a parents or sibling of the pupil or a severe disruption to domestic arrangements.
Examples of circumstances that are not exceptional include:
- Cheap holidays or holidays that have already been paid for
- Absence that coincides with important school events such as the start of term or exams
What if I take my child on unauthorised absence?
If you take your child out of school without advance permission (except where they’re unwell)
This could involve:
- A fine of £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days (or, if unpaid, £160 within 28 days)
- A parenting order, education supervision order or school attendance order
Why is it important for my child to attend?
Missing, for example, 2 weeks of school for a holiday might not seem like very much, but it can have a big effect on your child’s education.
For example, if your child misses 2 weeks of school every year, this adds up to more than 2 terms over the child’s whole time in school.
Make sure your child attends school as much as possible. This means:
- Your child will have the same education and opportunities as everyone else in the class.
- You won’t need to worry about catching up on work, or that your child might fall behind because of missing an important lesson.
- Your child won’t miss out on activities at the start and end of term, which are often fun and a chance to develop friendships.
Please see the Attendance Overview for Parents attached below for more information, or see the attendance policy.
