Attendance
Parents, Schools and Local Authorities share the legal responsibility of ensuring that children of compulsory school age receive full-time education (Education Act). In order for us to carry out these responsibilities, children need to attend school regularly and on time each day. We therefore ask your help in ensuring that your child comes to school each day and on time (school opens at 8:45am).
Over the last term, attendance has improved. Staff and governors are most grateful to parents/carers for their continued co-operation and support in this matter. However, our attendance is still below the national average. Please help us to reach our Attendance Target of 96%.
Reporting absence
If your child is not able to attend school through illness or some other unforeseen circumstance on a school morning, it is your (parent/carer’s) responsibility to contact school before 9.15am to let school know. However, if you are delayed at home or you oversleep please do not keep your child off for the whole day, please bring your child to school as soon as possible.
In line with our Safeguarding and Attendance Policies any child whose reason for absence is not known by 9.15am is a cause for concern and school will text to find the reason. If school is not given a reason for absence then the absence will be considered unauthorised. Five or more unauthorised absences will ‘attract’ the attention of the Local Authority and you could be liable to a fine.
Parents should keep all appointments medical/dental etc outside of school time, however when this is not possible, Parents and Carers are asked to bring the appointment card to school, so we have information regarding the absence from school. Children should only be out of school for the duration of the appointment, ie they should come into school before and after the appointment. They should be signed out and signed back in at the school office.
Term time holidays
Since September 2013, Head teachers are not allowed to grant holidays during term time. It is recognised that there may be other circumstances in which your child requires absence from school eg family wedding or funeral. To seek authorisation for absence in these circumstances please complete a form from the school office.
Punctuality
Punctuality is extremely important. Literacy and Maths lessons take place in the mornings. Please ensure that your child comes to school on time. If they regularly miss the beginning of lessons, children will struggle with the rest of the lesson and the class will be disrupted whilst they catch up.
Attendance %
The table below shows the impact that just a few days off in a year has on a child's overall % attendance.
Attendance Legislation Notice
The Education (Penalty Notices) (ENGLAND) (AMENDMENT) Regulations 2024
2024 No. 210
Education Penalty Notices for Non-School attendance
New Legislation comes into force on 19th August 2024 regarding the issuing of penalty notices relating to none school attendance.
Schools are required to consider, on a case by case basis, whether to ask the Local Authority to issue a Penalty Notice to a parent when their child’s absence is unauthorised.
Working within a Code of Conduct, Salford Local Authority can issue a penalty notice to parents or carers if a child has missed a number of sessions without permission from the school.
If your child falls within one or more of these categories within a 10-week period;
· 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence (O coded)
· 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised holidays (G Coded)
· Persistently arrives late for school after the close of registration (U coded)
· 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absences (O, G and U coded)
You may receive a Penalty Notice for the offence of failing to secure regular school attendance.
Within the new National Framework, there is a national limit to the amount of Fixed Penalty Notices that can be issued to any parent in respect of an individual child, within a three-year period. Each fixed penalty is issued on the basis of per parent/per child – therefore where a child has two parents, two fines may be issued.
The fixed penalty notice amount has increased to the following:
· Penalty Notice One - £160 discounted to £80 if paid within 21 days.
· Penalty Notice Two - £160 with no discount offered.
Should a third absence be taken within the three-year period, a parent may be summonsed to the Magistrates Court for knowingly failing to secure good attendance at school (Section 444 (1A) of Education Act 1996).
Please note that from 19th August 2024, schools are not able to authorise any leave of absence for holidays.
The local authority and schools are committed to providing the best possible future for your child. If you have concerns about your child's attendance at school or if you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact your school and ask for support.
A flowchart is available below to demonstrate this process.