Attendance
Your child’s attendance is extremely important because it is directly linked to their progress. As a school we expect all students to achieve an attendance level of at least 96% in every school year which equates to around seven days' absence, therefore it is imperative that absences are kept to an absolute minimum.
NHS Is My Child Too Ill For School?
Absence Reporting
If your child is going to be absent from school you must inform the school office before 9.30am on 01484 845124. If your child's absence is not reported to us then it will be recorded as unauthorised. If you know in advance that your child is going to be absent from school, please inform the office as soon as you can via telephone or by emailing the school office on office@marsdeniandnschool.co.uk
Examples of authorised absences:
- hospital or orthodontist appointment (evidence of medical appointment is required).
- emergency doctor or dentist appointment - routine appointments must be made outside of school hours.
- funeral (one day only).
- reported illness (the school may ask for medical evidence).
Examples of unauthorised absences:
- Leave of absence not approved by the school, ie. term time holiday requests.
- Absence NOT reported on the day or explained upon return to school.
- Arriving late after the registers have closed.
- Routine doctor, optician or dentist appointments.
Medication
Some medication can be administered in school so that your child can still be in attendance. In such cases the medication must be prescribed by a GP or hospital and is required 4 times per day.
All medication must be brought to the school office for safe storage and written parental consent to administer the medication must be given using the form below.
Term Time Absence
Taking holidays in term time will affect a child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children away in school time.
There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time to go on holiday.
Amendments to the 2006 regulations make clear that the Head Teacher can only grant any leave of absence during term time for exceptional circumstances.
The school is aware of its right to issue a fixed penalty notice to parents who do not ensure good attendance and punctuality.
Why is good attendance important?
Research is increasingly showing that attendance at all ages is incredibly important and is directly related to student success. According to a recent study, it was found that when students are absent during primary school they perform lower academically in both primary and secondary school. This is true regardless of gender or ethnicity. To give your children the very best start to life it is crucial that they attend school every day.
