ATTENDANCE

Excellent attendance means fulfilling potential

St. Benedict’s Catholic Primary School is committed to ensuring all children achieve their full academic potential and believe that good attendance means good learning. The  law says that all children between the ages of 5 and 17 must receive an education.  The DfE policy says:

 ‘Parents must ensure their children attend school regularly, arrive at school on time, properly dressed and in a condition to learn.’

• Parents’ duty to ensure that their child of compulsory school age attends regularly at the school where the child is a registered pupil.
• Schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence.
• The ability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices, in line with local authorities’ codes of conduct

   Good attendance is important because:

• Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and poor attendance.
• Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically.
• Regular attenders find school routines and school work easier to cope with.
• Regular attenders find learning more satisfying.
• Regular attenders have an easier transfer to secondary school

AUTHORISED AND UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE

 The Head Teacher, on behalf of the governing body, can authorise absence.  Absences can be authorised for the following reasons. 

• Illness

Parents/carers are expected to notify the school of the reason for the absence on the first day of their child's absence by 8.50am or as soon as practically possible.  Notifications can be made by:

• telephoning the school office (Attendance - Option 1) an answerphone message can be left at any time
• Using the 'Absence' tab in Parentmail
• Parent/carer can come in person to the school office.

If a message is left on the Attendance line or told in person, a written letter/note with the reasons of absence should be sent to the school office upon return to school. 

Where no communication is received in school – the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

School may request medical evidence after 2/3 days of absence or under 90% attendance before authorising absence.

• Medical/Dental Appointments

Please avoid these during the school day if at all possible.  However, if an appointment during the school day is unavoidable please send a letter in advance to the school office to authorise absence.

If you have a letter from the hospital/dentist this should be submitted to the office to be copied. 

Children should not have the whole day off if they have a medical/dental appointment, they should be collected from the school office in time to travel to the appointment and then return to school immediately following the appointment.

The school is required to record all absences and to make an annual return of all unauthorised absences.  In the event of 10 unauthorised sessions recorded, in a rolling period of 10 school weeks a referral may be made to AASSA (Attendance Advisory Service for Schools and Academies.) A penalty notice may be issued resulting in a £80 penalty notice, increasing to £160 if not paid within 21 days. Failure to pay the penalty notice, within 28 days, will result in a court prosecution for your child’s irregular school attendance.

Authourised and unauthorised absence

PUPILS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE TAKEN ON HOLIDAY DURING SCHOOL TERM TIME  

PUPILS IN Y6 & Y2 SHOULD NOT BE ABSENT DURING SATS WEEKS IN MAY.

The headteacher will only grant a leave of absence to a pupil during term time if the request meets the specfic circumstances set out in the 2024 school attendance regulations.  These circumstances are:

• Taking part in a regulated performance, or regulated employment abroad
• Attending an interview
• Study leave
• A temporary, time-limited part-time timetable
• Exceptional circumstances.