Attendance
It is through good attendance that pupils maximise their full potential, enhancing their life chances for the future. Missing school means missing out on learning and this can have an impact on a child’s development and attainment. There is a strong statistical link between attendance and attainment. Our attendance target is 97%
The law states that children of statutory school age who are on roll at a school or academy must attend regularly and punctually. Regular attendance is important, because it is the best way of ensuring children make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.
Attendance Matters:
| = number of days absent | Approximate number of weeks | = number of lessons missed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 19 days | 4 weeks | 114 lessons |
| 85% | 29 days | 6 weeks | 174 lessons |
| 80% | 38 days | 8 weeks | 228 lessons |
Reporting your child as absent:
If your child is unwell or unable to attend school, please log this via MyChildAtSchool by 8.30am on each day of absence.
If there are any issues with this, you may call the school on 01582 662232 or e-mail us on office@watlinglower.org.uk by 8.30am on each day of absence. Compose a clear message with child's full name, year group and reason for absence by 8.30am on each day of absence.
Is my child too ill for school? NHS Guidance
If you are having issues getting your child to school please contact us for advice and support.
You may find the following websites useful:
Medical and Dental Appointments
- These appointments, where possible, should not be scheduled during the school day.
- When this is unavoidable, children should only be taken out of school for the minimum time required to travel to, attend and travel back from the appointment. However, if the appointment overlaps with lunchtime, you may return them for the start of the afternoon session which is 1pm for Reception and KS1 and 1.20pm for KS2.
- If a child is attending an appointment over lunchtime, you must make sure that they are fed before returning to school.
- Unless an appointment is first thing in the morning, children should still arrive at school for morning registration. Please inform the school office of when you will need to collect your child for their appointment.
- If your child is expected to attend regular appointments due to a medical condition, please discuss the circumstances with the school office.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Applying for a Fixed Penalty Notice is always a last resort for a school and we would much prefer to work with our parents to understand the issues behind your child’s absence. However, we reserve the right to issue a fine to families that are not actively engaging with the school to improve their child’s attendance and for those who take children out of school for a term time holiday.
A Fixed Penalty Notice is applied when a child has 10 sessions of absence over a 10-week period. It is important for parents to understand that the morning is one session and the afternoon is another. This means that 5 complete days of unauthorised absence will lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice.
The 10 sessions do not have to be consecutive and the 10 weeks is a rolling period. This means that any unauthorised absence can be added to other unauthorised sessions before and after in reaching a total of 10 for a fine. The 10 weeks refer to school weeks and they can span across school holidays and the school years.
When a child arrives late after the registers close (9.10am), they are given an unauthorised mark for the whole morning session. This means that a child who is regularly late to school will be accruing unauthorised sessions of absence that could lead or contribute to a fixed penalty notice.
The Fixed Penalty Notice is applied to both parents, even when they do not live together because both parents have responsibility for ensuring a child attends school.
A person who is not a biological parent may still be fined. This is because a ‘parent’ is defined in Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 as:
- All biological parents, whether they are married or not
- Any person who, although not a biological parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person
- Any person who, although not a biological parent, has care of a child or young person (having care of a child or young person means that the child lives with and is looked after by that person, irrespective of what their relationship is)
The Fixed Penalty Notice is £80 per parent and it rises to £160 if not paid within 21 days (please note that this is an increase for the new school year 2024-25).
A new development is that from the autumn term 2024, only two fines can be issued to the same parent for the same child within a three-year rolling period. The second Fixed Penalty Notice will automatically be charged at £160 with no reduction for early payment.
A third breach would see further action being taken such as a parenting order or even prosecution. If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.
Request for Absence During Term Time
It is school policy that absences are not authorised during term time. Approval will normally only be granted in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Head Teacher. If your request for absence has not been authorised, this will be classified as an unauthorised absence and may lead to the Penalty Notice process.
By taking family holidays during the designated holiday periods, you will be supporting your child’s full school attendance, learning and development. There are 13 weeks of the year to take holidays out of term time. The Department of Education's guidance states: 'Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance'.
To request a leave of absence during term time for your child, please visit the school office for the Request Leave of Absence Form.
