Attendance
We place a high value on regular attendance at school and thank all of our families and staff who keep attendance levels at very high levels.
Below you will find a summary of our Attendance protocol and links to our attendance policy and the form that parents need to complete to apply for leave of absence from school for their child.
Attendance Protocol Summary
Regular attendance
At Crockham Hill CE Primary School, we firmly believe that regular school attendance is essential for the educational progress and overall wellbeing of our pupils.
Consistent school attendance allows your child to:
- Fully engage in learning and make academic progress
- Develop critical social skills by interacting with their friends and teachers
- Grow in confidence in a supportive and nurturing school environment
- Build a sense of routine and responsibility, essential for future success
Attendance support
We understand that some pupils may face challenges that impact their attendance. If you encounter any difficulties related to attendance, please do reach out to a member of staff who will then be able to offer you advice.
Acceptable reasons for absence
We recognise that there are circumstances where a pupil's absence can't be avoided.
Acceptable reasons for being absent from school include:
- Illness: when your child is unwell, either physically or mentally, and unable to attend school
- Medical appointments: if your child has a medical appointment that cannot be scheduled outside school hours, please notify us in advance and provide relevant documentation (e.g. an appointment card)
- Religious observance: we respect the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of our pupils. If your child needs to be absent for religious observance, please submit a request and the Headteacher will review it
- Exceptional circumstances: in exceptional situations, such as family emergencies or unforeseen events, please contact the school immediately to discuss the absence.
How to report unplanned absences
In the event of an unplanned absence, we ask that you follow these steps:
- Contact the school: on the day of the absence, please call the school office absence line or report your child’s absence on Arbor before 9am to inform us about your child's absence
- Provide a reason for absence: please provide a brief explanation for the absence, such as illness or family emergency, to help us maintain accurate records
Term-time holidays/absences
Term-time holidays are not permitted during the school year. Absences due to term-time holidays are disruptive to learning and lead to missed opportunities in the classroom. The Department for Education makes it clear that head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Headteacher will consider each request for absence individually. All requests for term time leave must be made in advance and be made at least 10 school days before the start of the absence.
Parents who want the school to consider granting leave of absence in school term time should read these notes carefully, complete the attached form and send it to the Office for the Headteacher to review.
Parents are strongly advised not to finalise any booking arrangements before receiving the school’s decision regarding their request. Headteachers cannot authorise any leave of absence unless the request is received before the period of absence begins.
Sanctions for unauthorised absence
In the case of an unauthorised holiday for 5 consecutive days (10 sessions) or more or if the national threshold for considering a penalty notice has been met (10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks), parents may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine. The first Penalty Notice for leave in term time will be £160 per parent per child, but can be reduced to £80 per parent per child* if paid within 21 days. If a second penalty notice is issued within three years of the first penalty notice, then this will be at a fixed rate of £160 per parent per child, with no reduction for early payment. A third penalty notice cannot be issued within the three-year period; therefore, the County Council will deal with any further unauthorised leave through prosecution in the Magistrates Court. If the parent is found guilty, the potential fine is up to £1000.
* Generally the DfE states that parents include all those with day to day responsibility for a child.