Attendance Absence Procedures

If your child is absent you must:

  • Contact the academy by 9:00am on the first day of absence and on any subsequent days of absence
  • Send a note in on the first day they return to the academy, with an explanation of the absence. This must be brought to Student Services, with the child’s full name and form on.

If your child is absent we will:

  • Telephone or text/app on the first day of absence
  • Education Welfare Officer may conduct a “safe and well” call on first day of absence
  • Education Welfare Officer will also visit home if absence is an ongoing concern

The Government implemented new legislation effective from 1st September 2013 which means that no requests for holidays can be authorised except in exceptional circumstances.

When a parent/carer wishes to apply to take their child out of school during term time they must complete a leave of absence form and this should be submitted to the academy at least 4 weeks before the proposed start of the holiday and before booking the holiday.

If you take your child on holiday during term time, without the authorisation of the principal, the principal will make a request to the Local Authority to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice.  If a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued, the penalty is £60 per child, per parent/carer when the payment is made within 21 days, after 28 days it will increase to £120.  Failure to pay within 28 days will result in a summons to appear before the Magistrates Court on the grounds that the parent/carer has failed to secure their child’s regular attendance at school. If the case progresses to court you may receive a fine of up to £1000.00  Please note that a separate Fixed Penalty Notice will be issued to each parent for each child and all monies are payable to the Local Authority.