School Attendance Information for Parents/Carers
It is through attendance that pupils maximise their full potential, enhancing their life chances for the future. Missing school means missing out on learning and this can have an impact on a child’s development and attainment. There is a strong statistical link between attendance and attainment.
The law states that children of statutory school age who are on roll at a school or academy must attend regularly and punctually. Regular attendance is important, because it is the best way ensuring children make the most of the education opportunities available to them.
Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure their children attend school regularly and punctually. Failure to ensure a child’s regular attendance at the school where they are registered is a criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £1000 per parent per child (Section 444(1)) or in more serious cases (aggravated offence), a fine of up to £2500 per parent per child and/or up to 3 months imprisonment (Section 444 (A)).
Maximising
School Attendance
- Children need to go to
school regularly and punctually to make the most of their educational
opportunities and parent/carers have a vital role in making that happen.
- Our attendance target is 95%
and above. If you are having trouble
getting your child to go to school please contact us. We will discuss the attendance issues with
you and work together to put a plan in place.
Attendance letters will be sent home if your child’s attendance falls
lower than 95%.
- School offers meeting and
phone calls to discuss attendance issues.
- Develop consistent evening
and morning routines with your child.
- Regularly talk to your child
about their school day.
- Please try to book medical
appointments afterschool and book holidays out of term time.
- Please call the office on
01442 262103 or send a message via the school gateway if your child is unwell
and unable to attend school. If your child is absent following registers being
taken attendance messages are then sent to parents.
- Pupils need to arrive at
school on time – the school day starts at 8:50am when classroom doors open.
|
Descripton
|
Threshold
Attendance
|
Actual
Attendance
|
Whole
Days Absent
|
Learning
Hours Lost
|
|
Excellent
|
100%
|
190 days
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
99%
|
188 days
|
2
|
10
|
|
Good
|
98%
|
186 days
|
4
|
20
|
|
|
97%
|
184 days
|
6
|
30
|
|
|
96%
|
182.5
days
|
7.5
|
37.5
|
|
Satisfactory
|
95%
|
180.5
days
|
9.5
|
47.5
|
|
Cause for
concern
|
90%
|
171 days
|
19
|
95
|
|
|
89%
|
169 days
|
21
|
105
|
|
|
88%
|
167 days
|
23
|
115
|
|
|
87%
|
165 days
|
25
|
125
|
|
Unsatisfactory
|
86%
|
163 days
|
27
|
135
|
|
Serious
Cause for Concern
|
85%
|
161.5
days
|
28.5
|
142.5
|
|
|
84%
|
159.5
days
|
30.5
|
152.5
|
|
|
83%
|
158 days
|
32
|
160
|
|
|
82%
|
156 days
|
34
|
170
|
|
|
81%
|
154 days
|
36
|
180
|
|
Critical
|
80%
|
152 days
|
38
|
190
|
Penalty Notice Process
School operates the Penalty Notice process for 15 or more unauthorised sessions of absences in the current or previous term. On the 1st February 2016 Hertfordshire County Council changed the penalty notice from 21 to 15 sessions of authorised absence in the current or previous term. Please note a session is half day of authorised absence. The Penalty Notice requires you to pay a fine of £60 within 21 days. If this fine is not paid within the time limit the penalty rises to £120 which must be paid within 28 days. (e.g two parents with two children could incur a total cost of £480). If liable for prosecution for this offence. Penalty Notices are administered by the local Authority and they have the responsibility for issuing them to parents and carers.
Requests for absence during term time
Amendments have been made to
the 2006 regulations in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England)
(Amendment) regulations 2013.
The amendments make clear
that head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless
there are exceptional circumstances. As
a parent/guardian you are strongly urged to avoid booking holidays during term
time.
If your child is absent from
school because of a holiday which has not been agreed this will be classified
as an unauthorised absence and this may lead to a Penalty Notice.
By taking family holidays during the designated holiday periods, you will be supporting your child’s full school attendance, learning and development. There are 13 weeks of the year to take holidays out of term time.
