Attendance and Absence Guide

Regular attendance at school is very important. Below is some guidance which should help improve attendance and communication with school.  This will ensure your child’s attendance is recorded accurately.

Please contact attendance@sgschool.org.uk if your child is unwell and unable to attend school

“The Education Act 1996 states “If any child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school, fails to attend regularly, the parents of the child shall be guilty of an offence”.

• Your child should attend school every day and on time.
• You should contact the school on each and every day of an absence
• You should make every effort to get your child to school even if they are feeling unwell. The school will always contact you if the child deteriorates.
• Make sure the school have the correct contact details especially if there is an emergency.
• Don’t be offended if the school contact you. It is for the safety and welfare of your child.
• If you do have issues that prevent your child from attending, discuss these issues as soon as possible with the school. Do not leave it. Contact the school and ask for an appointment to talk about the problems.
• If your child has any health issues please make sure the school are aware and, if appropriate, can make arrangements, e.g. asthma pumps, Epipen.
• If you feel you need to take leave during term time you must put your request to the Headteacher in writing. It is the Headteacher who has the discretion to authorise the absence, if he feels there are exceptional circumstances to justify this. Each request is taken on individual merit.
• There is no doubt that attendance and achievement go hand in hand. Your child’s attendance is their future.
• Should your child’s attendance remain poor, after all possible intervention, legal proceedings will be considered.

Medical and Dental appointments

Whenever possible please make appointments outside of school hours. If students need to miss part of the day for an appointment, they will need to bring a letter to Mrs Levings in Student Services, where they will then need to sign out. Parents will be contacted if a student asks to leave school without a letter. On return to school they must sign back in, in Student Services.

Lateness

Lateness to school is not acceptable without a valid reason. Exceptions to this will be due to unavoidable delays due to public transport. A student arriving to school after 9.00am will be recorded as an unauthorised late. Unauthorised lates can be reported to the Attendance Service who, in turn, can issue each parent with a penalty notice and a possible fine of up to £120.00

Please ensure that your child attends school regularly and on time. Please also make sure the school is informed if your child is unable to attend school.

For student absence, lateness or appointments please email: attendance@sgschool.org.uk

Penalty Notices for Unauthorised Absence

From April 2005, Kent Local Authority introduced Penalty Notices for unauthorised absence from school of at least 10 sessions (5 days) in a current term.

The following circumstances will be considered as appropriate reasons for the issuing of Penalty Notices:

• Truancy.
• Parentally condoned absences.
• Excessive holidays in term time.
• Excessive delayed return from extended holidays.
• Persistent lateness after the register has closed.

On receipt of the Notice, the penalty will be £60 per parent if paid within 21 days. After 21 days it rises to £120 per parent. Failure to pay the penalty in full by the end of the 28 day period may result in prosecution by the Local Authority.

Absence Request

As you  may be aware, Headteachers are not allowed to authorise holiday during term time unless in exceptional circumstances. For your request to be considered, please complete the form below.