Unless your child is ill there is a legal requirement for your child to attend school regularly and on time. Regulations effective from the 1st September 2015 have meant that a child is now classed as a “persistent absentee” if their attendance falls to 90% and below. Please be aware that if your child’s attendance falls to this level it will attract more scrutiny.
School starts promptly at 8.30am and morning registration takes place before 9.00am. The doors are open from 8.30am to 8.40am to allow the children access to their classroom. May we ask that all pupils please be punctual - if they are coming in after 8.40am they may miss out on valuable morning tasks or group intervention and late arrivals are disruptive for other pupils and take staff out of the classroom, preventing them from teaching. Being on time really matters- it helps your child to get the day off to a good start, to understand that school is important and that education is to be valued. Should your child be late, they must report to the main school office and sign in before going to class.
Illness
In the event of child illness:-
- It is parent/carer responsibility to contact school and report the absence as before 9.00am in the morning. If we have not heard from you, we will contact you to enquire why your child is not in school. Your child’s safety is very important to us and we need to establish that your child is safe in accordance with our Attendance and Safeguarding procedures. If we are unable to establish why your child is absent the absence will be coded as “unauthorised”.
- Please keep us informed each day of your child’s condition whilst they are ill.
Leave of Absence
The Law states that parents do not have any right or entitlement to take a child out of school for the purposes of taking a family holiday. The Headteacher has no discretion unless there are exceptional circumstances. In September 2013, the government made certain changes to legislation regarding the taking out of pupils from school during term time in order to take a family holiday.
Please be aware that we are bound by guidance from the Department of Education which states that you can receive a Penalty Notice for taking your child on holiday in term time without the school’s permission.
- £60 per adult per child of statutory school age. For example, if there are 2 adults and 2 children a penalty of £240 would be levied, assuming it is paid within 21 days.
- The fine will increase from £60 to £120 per adult per child after the 21 day period provided it is paid within 28 days. If you do not pay within 28 days you may be prosecuted for your child's absence from school.
All Leave of Absence requests must be made on the appropriate form (obtainable via a link below) and applied for in good time - school requires at least 4 weeks notice.
Finally, we would like to emphasise that all procedures and actions taken as a result of an attendance concern are to safeguard and to promote the best academic outcomes for the children. At Franche Community Primary School, we pride ourselves on providing the best possible opportunities for all of our pupils and would appreciate you supporting us by ensuring that your child attends school regularly and on time.