Victoria Road Primary School
Attendance
Our Procedures
Parents are legally responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly and punctually. Parents are responsible for informing the school at once of the reason for any absence (by letter, phone call, text, email or personal visit). School operates a “First Response System”. If school does not know of any reason for a child’s absence by 10:00am an Attendance Officer will contact parents. In certain circumstances further investigations would take place.
Authorised Absence - Only the school can authorise an absence.
Unauthorised Absence - Absences are those which the school and the governors do not consider reasonable. This includes;
- Parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily e.g. because they had a late night or for non infectious illness or injury that would not affect their ability to learn;
- absences which have never been properly explained;
- children who arrive at school after register close;
- shopping trips;
- looking after other children or children accompanying siblings or parents to medical appointments;
- their own or family birthdays;
- holidays in term time.
Leave of Absence
The law states that the Headteacher can only authorise leave of absence during term time in exceptional circumstances. Parents must apply for leave of absence and must supply evidence of any exceptional circumstances for the Headteacher to consider. Family holidays during school time will be unauthorised.
Appointments in school time
Parents are encouraged to make all but essential or unavoidable appointments outside school hours. Parents must show appointment cards if a child is being taken out during school time. Please see acceptable forms of medical evidence below.
Did you know that 90% attendance means missing FOUR WHOLE WEEKS in one school year? That amounts to 100 hours of learning missed that cannot be repeated. Also, if a child is taken out of school for a two week holiday they cannot achieve 96% attendance record.