Attendance

Attendance Matters...

Your child's attendance at school is very important. to stand the best chance to learn and succeed, your child should be in school every day.

Regular school attendance is vital and missing school can have a significant impact on a child’s achievement over a one-year period, as illustrated below:

95-100% attendance – your child has the best chance of success as they are taking full advantage of every learning opportunity.
90-95% attendance - at least 2 weeks of learning is missed; your child may have to spend time catching up with work.
85-90% attendance - at least 4 weeks of learning is missed; your child may be at risk of underachieving; they may need extra support from you to catch up with work.
80-85% attendance - at least 5 ½ weeks of learning is missed; your child’s poor attendance has a significant impact on learning.
Below 80% attendance - at least 7½ weeks of learning is missed; your child is missing out on a broad and balanced education. Furthermore, you are at risk of prosecution.

Holidays

It is not our policy to authorise holidays in term time. The only exemption to this is where parents serve in the armed forces (this does not extend to the emergency services i.e. Police, Fire, Ambulance etc). Where authorisation is not granted then subsequent term time holiday absence will be reported as a matter of course to the Education Welfare Service; we have a duty to do this.

Unauthorised Absences

Where unauthorised leave is taken (whether holiday or otherwise) the school and SECAT has decided that it will support the imposition of a fixed penalty notice by the Local Authority.

Penalty Notices are issued for:

unauthorised absence
holidays in term time without permission
excluded pupils found in a public place during the first 5 days of suspension or exclusion

Cost of the Notice:

£60 per child, per parent, if paid within 21 days
rising to £120 per child, per parent if paid within 28 days
you could be prosecuted if you do not pay the fine after 28 days