Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential and flourish is an assumption so widely understood that it is insufficiently stated – pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school.

The government expects schools and local authorities to:

• Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence.
• Ensure every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled.
• Act early to address patterns of absence.
• Support parents to perform their legal duty by ensuring their children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly.
• All pupils to be punctual to their lessons.

Parents

Parents play an essential role in support attendance by:

• Sending your child to school punctually every day, unless they are genuinely ill.
• Avoiding taking your child out of school for holidays.

Our school actively supports regular attendance: absences and lateness are carefully monitored by the Headteacher and the school governors. Individual attendance rates are reported to parents half-termly.

Requests for Absence During Term Time

Families should plan to have their annual family holiday during school holidays. Any requests for absence during term time must be made in writing at least 2 weeks before using the form below and proposed time away so that the headteacher can consult with governors if necessary to determine whether the circumstances of the request are considered to be "exceptional". Absence from school can seriously disrupt your child’s continuity of learning. Not only do they miss the teaching provided on the days they are away; they are also less well-prepared for lessons upon their return. Absence during term time will only be authorised under exceptional circumstances and may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine. Please read our Attendance Procedures for further details.

If you require a leave of absense form, please collect this from the main office.