Missing a few days of school here and there may not seem huge, but research shows that it has a significant impact on children’s learning. Children who miss a substantial amount of school can fall behind their peers, and struggle to catch up.
Attendance Expectations
As you are aware we constantly monitor your child’s attendance. Every term we make all parents and carers aware of the set of procedures we will follow if your child falls below the expected. We recognise the level of winter viruses have been higher this year but ask that you ensure your child’s attendance is a high priority when they are well enough to attend.
If your child’s attendance falls to 95%, you may receive a letter from school advising you that your child’s attendance has fallen below the expected average and requires improvement. A copy of their attendance will be provided.
Should there be no improvement following this letter, you will be invited in for a meeting to discuss your child’s attendance and ways in which it can be improved.
The school’s attendance officer work closely with parents and school to monitor your child’s attendance. They may write to you, guided by Thurrock Attendance Specialist Teams, requesting medical evidence for any further absences. In some cases, parents will be issued with a Notice to Improve letter, a fine or even prosecution.
Lateness
Pupils arriving late to school causes disruption to their learning as well as others, which is unacceptable and can be upsetting for them and their classmates. If your child is significantly late (after 9.15am), without a valid reason, they will receive a U code in the register which counts as an absence and may result in a fine. If your child is persistently late you will receive a letter from school. Please see our attendance leaflet for more information (see below).
Late Collections
We have had a number of pupils being collected later than the school finish times of 3.15pm recently. We understand that this may happen very occasionally in an emergency but if this is occurring regularly you may be asked to complete a form on late collection to explain the reasons.
Reporting absence
Please ensure that you contact the school office on the first day of your child’s absence by 8.55am. If you do not contact the school, you will receive a phone call, as will your contacts to establish the nature of the absence. If there continues to be no contact, a member of staff will carry out a home visit.
We appreciate that there are times when your child won’t be unwell enough to attend school (See the Should I Keep My Child off School? Leaflet below), however everyday coughs, colds and headaches are not a reason for your child to miss valuable learning time. If you do visit your GP, we ask that you provide a copy of the appointment card or prescription to support your child’s absence. Medical evidence is expected after 5 days of absence or where attendance is of concern.
Leave of Absence –Term Time Holidays
May I take this opportunity to remind all parents that holidays taken during term time will not be authorised and will have a massive impact on your child’s education and attendance. Many parents were fined last year due to term time holidays.
No Authorisation of Term Time Holidays
The policy of the DFE and the Local School’s Board of Bulphan Academy is that term time holidays will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances. (Cheaper holidays or other family members buying the holidays are not classed as exceptional circumstances)
The Reasons
The reason for this is simple.
Penalty Notices, in line with the Thurrock Code of Conduct, can be issued if
Term time Holiday Work-will not be set by the school
The school will not set work for the children to do whilst on a term time holiday.
The teachers are in school and available to teach the children. Their planning of teaching with complex styles and strategies cannot be replicated on holiday.
If parents choose to condone term time truancy by taking a holiday, the school will not support this action by setting work for the children.
Parents might like to visit the local library and take a selection of books for their child to read to try to ensure that reading capability does not fall behind during the holiday.
Impact on Pupil Progress of Term time Holidays
Any parent choosing to withdraw their child from education for a term time holiday should not expect for their child to make the same academic progress that year as other children in the year group. It will be very disruptive to their child’s education, and their child may miss opportunities made available to other children who attend school regularly. This is something that parents must accept and the school will not discuss.
We encourage parents and carers to send their children to school. If a child is off for 5 days, we would expect them to have seen a doctor and may ask for evidence of an appointment or medicine prescription. Medications can be administered in school to enable children to attend, please come to the school office to arrange this.
If your child is unwell, you must call the school office by 8.55am to notify us of their absence. You must call to report each day of their absence.
If you do not contact the school, you will receive a phone call, as will your contacts to establish the nature of the absence. If there continues to be no contact, a member of staff may carry out a home visit.
We appreciate that there are times when your child won’t be unwell enough to attend school (see Should I Keep My Child Off School? Leaflet below), however everyday coughs, colds and headaches are not a reason for your child to miss valuable learning time. If you do visit your GP, we ask that you provide a copy of the appointment card or prescription to support your child’s absence. Medical evidence is expected after 5 days of absence or where attendance is of concern.
Penalty notices for unauthorised leave of absence (ULA)3 Penalty Notices may be issued where there have been at least 10 consecutive sessions of unauthorised absence for the purpose of a holiday, whereby a parent made an application to the School which the Head Teacher has deemed not for exceptional circumstances.
In addition, a Penalty Notice may also be issued, whereby the parent did not submit a leave of absence request, however the school have reason to believe the absence was for the purpose of a holiday and should not be authorised as parent has not provided any additional evidence which the Head Teacher deems appropriate to support the absence. In addition to the above criteria, due to the importance of pupils settling into school at the commencement of the school year, Penalty Notices may also be issued if there have been at least 6 consecutive sessions of unauthorised absence during the first two weeks of September due to a term-time holiday.
Where a parent applies for extended leave during term time, it is at the head teacher’s discretion whether the leave is granted. If a parent takes their child out of school for extended leave, it is imperative that a return date is agreed prior to the family’s departure. Schools are advised to write to the family to state whether the period of leave is authorised or unauthorised and to stipulate the date on which the pupil is expected to return to school. This letter should be sent to all parents and carers under separate cover within 5 days of receipt of application. The letter should make clear that, if the pupil does not return to school, as at the agreed date, the pupil will risk losing their place and parents would need to reapply for a school place.
