Absences

Parents are legally required to ensure their children attend school regularly. Parents are requested to inform the school on the first day, giving reason for absence. This allows us to authorise the absence on the school system. When your child returns to school following an absence please remember to send a brief note with him/her. This will be placed in our files for scrutiny by the school.

From 2013, parents are no longer able to request holidays in term time. The school does not have holiday forms, and any holidays taken will be considered as unauthorised absence.

Schools have to keep an accurate school register of attendance and lateness.

Unacceptable absences have to be recorded as unauthorised absences and irregular attendance has to be reported to the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO). Failure to give reason for absence may result in you being contacted by our Welfare Officer, and fines issued accordingly.

Reporting Illness

If your child is ill or cannot attend school for any reason please contact the school by 09.30am on the morning of the absence and send a letter signed by you on your child’s return to school. If you child has to leave school during school hours to visit the clinic, doctor or dentist he/she must be collected from the school by a responsible adult, with a copy of the appointment card.

This person must report to the office and sign out your child in the ‘Signing out book’. If your child returns to school during the day, please ensure that you report their return to the school office and again sign the child in.

Our attendance policy outlines in detail the processes and actions form school if good attendacne is not maintained.

Good attendance is 97% and above. If a child’s absence falls below 90%, they will be monitored throughout the year to ensure there are continued improvements.

The grid below makes clear the processes which are followed once a child’s attendance falls below 90%

Attendance Procedures