AT ALMOND HILL JUNIOR SCHOOL, WE ASPIRE TO ALL CHILDREN HAVING 100% ATTENDANCE.

Under the Education Act, a pupil is required to attend regularly at the school where he/she is a registered pupil. Regular attendance and prompt punctuality supports pupil progress and at Almond Hill we strongly promote this expectation.

The school is obliged by law to differentiate between authorised and unauthorised absence.  A letter or telephone message from a parent does not in itself authorise absence. Only if the school is satisfied as to the validity of the explanation offered by the letter or message, will the absence be authorised.

We have a school target of 96%+ for attendance. We appreciate that children are ill sometimes but all absence is rigorously monitored by senior leaders in the school. If your child’s attendance drops to 96% or below within a half-term, you will be informed by letter. If absence below 96% persists, you will be invited to discuss the absences with the Pastoral Lead or Headteacher. If your child is absent, please contact the school office on 01438 233660 or complete the 'reporting on the day absence' form before 9.00am. If you do not contact the school, we will try to contact you by phone or text to ask the reason for absence. We will continue to try to contact you and this may involve a visit to your home by a senior member of staff.

If your child returns to school without a reason for absence, the school will contact you asking for parents/carers to confirm the reason for absence. If no reason for absence is received, the absence will be recorded on your child’s record as an ‘unauthorised absence’.

Absence from school will be authorised if it is for the following reasons: -
• sickness;
• unavoidable medical or dental appointments;
• days of religious observance;
• exceptional family circumstances, such as close family bereavement.

Attendance falling to less than 90% shows a serious risk of underachievement and even attendance falling to 95% may present a risk of underachievement.  When looked at in terms of time lost, 90% attendance means that half a day a week is missed or 4 weeks missed over the course of a school year or half a year missed over your child’s time at primary school! 

100% attendance gives your child the opportunity for the greatest achievement!

Holidays in Term Time

All schools by law must follow the Department for Education’s statutory guidance relating to school attendance.  They must use the appropriate national attendance or absence code, and follow the criteria set out within the guidance.  The statutory guidance states: 

• A leave of absence must not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances and must be requested in advance.
• A leave of absence must be requested in advance by a parent who the pupil normally lives with
• Schools must judge each application individually, considering the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind each request.  
• Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a pupil can be absent from school.
• A need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance.
• A school cannot grant a leave of absence retrospectively. If the parent did not apply in advance, the leave of absence should not be granted.
• Where this guidance refers to a parent, the school and/or local authority will need to decide which adult(s) is most appropriate. Generally, parents include:
• All natural parents, whether they are married or not.
• All those who have parental responsibility. 
• Those who have day to day responsibility for the child.

Please note all schools are expected to regularly inform parents about their child’s attendance and absence.

Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to their educational progress. If the absence is not authorised and the leave is taken, schools may refer to the Local Authority for legal action.

Along with all schools in Stevenage, Almond Hill Junior School does not authorise holidays in term time. If you take your child out of school during term time it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Over 10 sessions unauthorised absence across a 10 week rolling period can attract a fixed penalty notice. 

When not to send a child to school

Details of isolation and incubation periods for infectious and contagious diseases are available from the school office or by following the link below: 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Headlice

Unfortunately, headline is a recurring issue. We do urge all parents to check their children’s hair regularly, and treat any cases immediately. More information on what to look out for and how to treat headline can be found on the NHS website http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Head-lice/Pages/Introduction.aspx 

Please ensure you check your child’s hair routinely. For further information on head lice and how to treat, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/