St Mary Magdalen'sAttendance
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
You must make sure your child gets a full-time education that meets their needs (for example if they have special educational needs). You can send your child to school or educate them yourself.
Children must get an education between the school term after their 5th birthday and the last Friday in June in the school year they turn 16.
You’ll be contacted by either:
- The school - if your child is enrolled in school and does not turn up (even if they’re only absent for a day).
- The council’s education welfare officer - if they think your child is not getting a suitable education at home.
You can be prosecuted if you do not give your child an education. You’ll normally get warnings and offers of help from the local council first.
You can get education and attendance information from your council.
When your child can miss school
You can only allow your child to miss school if either:
- They’re too ill to go in
- You’ve got advance permission from the school
There’s extra support available if your child cannot go to school for long periods because of a health problem.
You can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.
The DfE Guidance Outlines:
Schools should:
- Deliver clear messages about expectations, routines and consequences to new pupils and families through prospectus and admission/transition events.
- Use physical presence to reinforce routines and expectations on arrival and departure.
- Regularly communicate expectations for attendance and punctuality and school performance through your regular channels of communication with staff, pupils and parents.
- Establish and monitor implementation of rewards for attendance and punctuality and sanctions for absence and lateness.
- Monitor whole school data regularly to identify reasons for absence, patterns, attendance of particular groups and the impact of interventions.
- Establish, implement and monitor robust arrangements to identify, report and support children missing education (CME).
- Develop good support for children with medical conditions (including the use of individual healthcare plans), mental health problems and special educational needs (SEND).
Pupils at Risk of Persistent Absence
Schools should:
- Establish robust escalation procedures which are initiated before absence becomes a problem, for example by:
- Sending letters to parents and carers.
- ü Engaging with local authority attendance teams and/or independent attendance organisations.
- ü Using fixed penalty notices.
Pupils who are persistently absent
Schools should:
- Establish clear and effective service level agreements with external partners to support pupils with persistent absence, including:
- Local Authority Education Welfare and Attendance Services.
- Independent attendance organisations.
- Alternative providers.
- Youth services.
- School nursing and mental health professionals.
- Children’s social care staff where appropriate.
IS MY CHILD TOO ILL FOR SCHOOL?
Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
WHAT INFECTIONS AREM HOW THEY ARE TRANSMITED AND THOSE AT HIGHER RISK OF INFECTION
PREVENTING & CONTROLING INFECTIONS
Preventing and controlling infections - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
MANAGING OUTBREAKS & INCIDENTS
Managing outbreaks and incidents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE SETTINGS: TOOLS & RESOURCES
Children and young people settings: tools and resources - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
THE ROLE OF THE GP IN MAXIMISING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
The role of the GP in maximising school attendance – BJGP Life
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES WHERE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE IS AFFECTING ATTENDANCE
SUPPORT FOR PUPILS WHERE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE IS AFFECTING THEIR ATTENDANCE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
School attendance and absence: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
HOW LIKELY ARE PUPILS WHO ARE ABSENT IN THE FIRST WEEK OF TERM BECOME PERSISTENTLY ABSENT