Attendance
The DfE have introduced new guidance on attendance, effective 19th August 2024, which is aimed at enhancing student engagement and reducing absenteeism. A copy of this guidance document (Working together to improve school attendance) can be found here.
School attendance is important
Enhancing attendance is a shared responsibility. The challenges to accessing education are varied and complex, both inside and outside the school environment, and they often differ based on the individual needs of pupils and their families.
Every child of compulsory school age has a legal right to a full-time, efficient education that is appropriate for their age, abilities, and any special educational needs. It is the legal obligation of parents to ensure their child receives this education, either by attending school or through alternative educational means.
For parents who choose to enrol their child in a school, they are additionally required by law to ensure that their child attends regularly. This means their child must be present every day the school is in session, except in a limited number of circumstances, such as illness or pre-approved absences.
As a school, we will work collaboratively, in partnership with parents and families, and in conjunction with the local authority, to improve pupil attendance.
Granting leaves of absence
All schools can grant a leave of absence when a pupil needs to be absent from school with permission. All schools are expected to restrict leaves of absence to the specific circumstances set out in regulation 11 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 and schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority must do so. These circumstances are:
- Taking part in a regulated performance or employment abroad: in line with a licence issued by a local authority or Justice of the Peace or a body of persons approval (BOPA).
- Attending an interview: for entry into another educational institution or for future employment where requested in advance by a parent the pupil normally lives with.
- Study leave: for public examinations, as agreed in advance with a parent the pupil normally lives with. Please note this does not include any internal examinations such as mocks as study leave should not be granted in such cases.
- A temporary, time-limited part-time timetable: where the pupil is of compulsory school age, both the parent who the pupil normally lives with and school agree the pupil should temporarily be educated on a part-time basis for exceptional reasons and have agreed the times and dates when the pupil will be expected to attend school as part of that timetable.
- Exceptional circumstances: All schools can grant a leave of absence for other exceptional circumstances at their discretion. In the case of schools maintained by local authorities and special schools not maintained by local authorities, it must be requested in advance by a parent who the pupil normally lives with. Schools are then expected to consider each application individually taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the school to determine the length of the time the pupil can be away from school.
New National Framework for issuing penalty notices
The new regulations standardise the use of fines for unauthorised absences. Parents will face increased fines if their child misses five days of school without permission. The fines have been raised from £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days, and from £120 to £160 if paid within 28 days.
When a pupil reaches the national threshold for absence, a school must consider whether a penalty notice for absence is appropriate. The threshold is 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. This can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence (e.g. 4 sessions of holiday taken in term time plus 6 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or not (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks). The period of 10 school weeks can also span different terms or school years (e.g. 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the Summer Term and a further 8 within the Autumn Term).
leaveofabsencerequestleafletforparents.pdf
School Attendance and Behaviour - East Sussex County Council
https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/education-learning/schools/attendance-behaviour
What parents and carers need to know about school avoidance
School Timings
It is very important to develop good routines for getting to school on time.
School timings are:
Morning gate opens: 8:40 am
Registration opens: 8.45 am
Morning gate closes: 8.50 am
School finish: 3.15 pm
Children begin early work as soon as they enter the classroom. Morning gate closes at 8.50 am, any children who arrive after this time, but before the close of register at 9.10 am, will be marked as ‘late before the close of register’. Children who arrive after 9.10 am will be marked as ‘late after the close of register’, which is recorded as unauthorised absence unless a valid reason has been provided.
If your child has a medical appointment during the school day, we ask that we can see sight of the hospital/appointment letter. A photocopy of this will be taken. You will be asked by the office staff to sign your child in/out of school.
If your child becomes unwell during the day, we will contact you to come and collect them. Please ensure that we always have up-to-date telephone numbers for you.
Our school day finishes at 3.15 pm. The children are collected from their classrooms. Please ensure you are on time to collect, if for any reason you are going to be late please contact the school office.
We believe that a good attendance habit gives your child the best possible start in life and helps develop the skills needed in adult life.
Thank you for your cooperation.
