ATTENDANCE POLICYMission Statement Hippings Methodist Primary School endeavours to provide the best possible all-round education in a Christian setting. The School acknowledges and values its foundation by the Methodist Church, continuing links with the local Methodist community and the principles which form the basis of Methodism. Children are encouraged to develop a mature and positive attitude to themselves, to their relationships with others and to the life of the school in general. Good standards of behaviour and respect for others are stressed. We aim to foster the social skills and moral awareness that will enable the children to be safe and become well-balanced individuals, who will make a positive contribution to the society in which they live. The School endeavours to develop in its pupils a sympathetic understanding of Christianity and to provide an opportunity to search for a faith by which to live. While we exert no pressure to believe, Christian values are built into the ethos and teaching.
As a school we aim to:
Good attendance is important because:
As a parent you can help us by:
We shall:
Authorised Absence Some absences are allowed by law and are known as “authorised absences”. For example: if a child is ill, family bereavement, religious observance. We realise that there are rare occasions when there might be a particular problem that causes your child to be absent. Please let us know and we shall try to deal with it sympathetically
Unauthorised Absence There are times when children are absent for reasons, which are notpermitted by law. These are known as “unauthorised absences”.
Examples of unauthorised absence are:
Where there is no explanation for the absence or where the explanation or reason for the absence is considered unsatisfactory. Unauthorised Absences have to be reported to the Local Authority. The School may inform the School Attendance Officer and consider taking legal action against you if your child has unauthorised absences.
Punctuality Morning registration is at (9.00am) This is the time your child must be in the line in the playground/ or the classroom, so you need to ensure your child is coming through the school gate by (8.50am)
Term Time Leave of Absence The Government has amended key legislation relating specifically to the authorisation of leave in term time which came into force on 1st September 2013. We are always concerned about the amount of school time pupils miss as a result of family holidays. There is no entitlement to time off in term time. Leave of absence is only allowed at the discretion of the Headteacher in accordance with the school policy as agreed by the board of governors
As of 1st September 2013 Headteachers cannot authorise any leave of absence during term time unless they are satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances to warrant the granting of leave. It is our policy to consider the following in regard to requests leave:-
Religious Absence The school may authorise leave for one day ( i.e. the day set aside by the Religious Body of which the parent is a member) per religious festival. Parents must request this leave in advance but no more than 3 days will be allowed in one academic year.
Leavers If your child is leaving other than at the end of Year 6 to go to High School, parents are asked to
Children Missing Education When pupils leave and you have not given us the above information, and cannot contact you, then your child is considered to be a Child Missing Education. This means that the Local Authority has a legal duty to carry out investigations, which will include liaising with Children’s Services, the Police and other agencies, to try to track and locate your child. By giving us the above information, unnecessary investigations can be avoided.
Legal NoteParents have a legal duty to ensure the regular and full time attendance at school of registered pupils (Education Act 1996). This policy is based on the law and on Best Practice guidance produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Local Authority. The School Attendance Service aims to work with schools and families to promote good attendance and avoid legal action. However in some cases, parents are prosecuted (taken to court) or have to pay a Fixed Penalty (fine) if unauthorised absences continue.
We hope all parents will acknowledge and understand the limitations placed on schools in granting any leave in term time. Therefore, we need parents to support the school in our efforts to reduce unnecessary absence and thus minimise the impact on the education of our pupils.
We value your support in helping us to maintain high standards. “Every day counts…..”
Reviewed September 2017 |