Absence and Attendance

My child is unwell - should they go to school today?

If your child is unwell, you should consider whether their condition means that they should still attend school.

To help you decide whether your child should attend school we recommend that you consult the NHS Live Well website pages which offer advice on common and uncommon conditions.

All absences must be reported to the school office on each day of your child’s absence.

Our Attendance Policy clearly and comprehensively explains the attendance expectations we have of all pupils.

We recommend that all parents read Hampshire County Council's Good School Attendance Guide. The document explains the importance of consistently good attendance and how good attendance will benefit your child's learning and social development. It also explains the effects of poor attendance and the circumstances for which authorised absence may be granted.

Parents should also read the Hampshire County Council Penalty Notice Advice to Parents and Carers leaflet and the Attendance Code of Conduct.

Detailed guidance for parents and carers has been published on the Hampshire County Council web pages.

We have previously shared a letter explaining our absence policy and Leave Of Absence During Term Time Guidance and Request For Pupil Absence form.

We are committed to meeting our obligation to the Department for Education with regards to school attendance through our whole-school culture and ethos that values good attendance, including:

• Promoting good attendance
• Reducing absence, including persistent and severe absence
• Ensuring every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled
• Acting early to address patterns of absence
• Building strong relationships with families to ensure pupils have the support in place to attend school

Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly and on time. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school.

For a child to have high levels of educational achievement, a high level of school attendance is essential. We are committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all our pupils and endeavor to provide an environment where all pupils feel valued and welcome. Parents and pupils play a part in making our school so successful. Every child has the right to access the education to which they are entitled. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all. It is our duty to consistently strive to achieve a goal of 100% attendance for all children. Every opportunity will be used to convey to pupils and their parents the importance of regular and punctual attendance.

For our pupils to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered at our school, it is vital children are at school on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for absence is unavoidable. The routines children develop around attendance and punctuality at school are the same as the expectations of any future employer in the world of work. High attainment, confidence with others and future aspirations depend on good attendance.

Attendance Ladder

How close is your child to 100%?