Attendance
Crucial Attendance Information
Given the government’s new legislation on attendance the importance of not accumulating unauthorised absence is crucial.
As soon as a child accrues 10 sessions (5 days) absence any parents/carers could be liable for a fine. To avoid this situation you should:
Always phone school to explain absence (if we don’t know the reason – the absence will be marked as unauthorised).
Medical appointments and illness will be authorised generally but if your child is on an attendance plan evidence must be provided.
Avoid lateness. Arriving half an hour late has to count as absence – so 10 lates could result in a fine.
Holidays cannot be authorised. Some multi-day absences can be authorised if there is a specific, exceptional reason for that absence. Clearly multi-day unauthorised absences of more than 5 days could result in a fine.
If a child’s attendance falls below 95%, you will receive official notification from the school in the form of a letter – this will happen even if the absence is authorised just so you know for your information.
If a child’s attendance falls below 90%, this counts as persistent absence and a number of measures may follow including: home visits, action taken by the school attendance officer, attendance review meetings, fines and prosecutions.
We are here to help you with attendance difficulties. If you are having problems getting your child to school you should work with us a soon as possible by contacting the school office initially. The document attached to this page explains how fining can work. You should be aware that the new system of fines can build up quickly for parents whose children are routinely absent and the absence isn’t authorised.
Rewards for Full Attendance
Attending school is an important part of a child’s development. Our school is a great place to come and learn! Our aim is for the whole school to have an attendance rate of 96% or above each week. To celebrate our achievements, we have a special assembly each week, where we award the class with the best attendance, additional playtimes. All children with 100% attendance will get a mystery trip in the summer term.
Stockton Borough Council Term Dates
Click on the link below to access Stockton LA term and holiday dates for the next few years. Please note that only alterations to these would be school closure or PD days, which we will put on our newsletters and the events page of our school website.
https://www.stockton.gov.uk/school-holidays
Please click on the documents below to access more information about attendance including how and whether term time holidays can be authorised.
