Attendance Matters

Excellent attendance  is vital for every child to achieve their potential.

As a school, we consistently work together with pupils and families to achieve good attendance.

Children learn so much every day so just missing one day can create gaps in learning and make it harder for children to keep up.

Excellent attendance also builds children's resilience and prepares them for the next stage in education. 

If you feel that you need help to improve your child's attendance, please contact school as we are always here to help.

https://www.greatharwood.lancs.sch.uk/family-support 

Some parents have shared tips and suggestions to help other parents to improve their child's attendance.

School Attendance

Information for Parents

By law, all children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) must get a suitable full time education. As a parent, you are responsible for making sure this happens and if you fail to ensure a child of compulsory school age who is registered at a school attends regularly, legal action may be taken, including penalty notices and prosecution in court.

 What school expects from our families:

·        It is vital that your child attends school regularly.

·        Your child is on time every day.

·        If your child is absent for any reason you MUST contact school straight away to explain why your child will be absent. If not, we will contact you.

·        Pick your child your child up on time at the end of the day.

·        Avoid leave in term time.

Persistent Absence

The minimum attendance level which is expected at our school is 96%. It is when attendance falls below this level that school will start to monitor closely the amount of time children have off school.

The Government has determined that   a pupil becomes a persistent absentee when their attendance falls below 90%.   When attendance nears this level children have already missed significant amounts of schooling; meaning that their educational progress is at risk. We need parents' full support in ensuring that attendance does not reach this level.

Types of Absences

Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of any absence is always required.

Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason, e.g. where the child is too ill to attend school or medical/dental appointments which unavoidably fall in school time.

Unauthorised  absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no authorisation has been given. Unauthorised absence can lead to the local authority using sanctions and/or legal proceedings.

The decision whether to authorise an absence or not rests with the Headteacher.

School may ask for supporting evidence before an absence is authorised. For example, prescriptions or appointment cards or similar.

Leave in Term Time

By law, you must ask for permission for your children to miss school, well in advance of the planned absence.

Parents can request a leave of absence but this can only be authorised if the circumstances are exceptional.

 Parents who take a child of compulsory school age out of school without permission may be issued with a penalty notice from the Local Authority.