Reporting an Absence

Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure that children attend the school at which they are registered. This means that children must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of circumstances, such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for a planned absence from school.

Any absence from school due to ill health should be reported to the school office before 9.20am on the first morning of absence and on each subsequent morning, unless we know that the child will be absent for a specified period. Please email the school office, if possible, stating your child’s name, class and the reason for their absence. If it is difficult to email, it is acceptable to leave a message on the school’s answer-phone giving the same information.

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell.  The NHS has a very useful webpage which advises parents and carers about whether to send you child to school (or nursery or playgroup) or not - Is my child too ill for school?

All other absences should be requested in writing and agreed in advance. Request forms are available from the school office. When the absence is agreed, it is registered as an authorised absence. The school considers each application but can only agree to absence in exceptional circumstances. There are strict guidelines in place determining what we are able to authorise.  It is limited to appointments which cannot be made outside school hours, eg hospital, religious observance and school visits eg Wheatley Park open morning.  Absences which have not been agreed are registered as unauthorised. 

If your child receives an invitation to a hospital appointment during the school day, please attach a copy of the invitation to the request for absence or, if only available in electronic form, please forward a copy to the school office email address.

Registering lateness and absence

The school day begins promptly at 8:45am and registers are taken at 8.50am. Any child arriving after 8.50am will be marked late. Any child arriving after 9.15am will be marked as having had an unauthorised absence. The school will monitor late arrivals and unauthorised absences, and work with parents and carers to improve attendance if required. Attendance records are reported to parents and carers.

Every-school-day-counts....pdf