Attendance and Absence Reminders to Parents/Carers

 Our Attendance and Absence policies and procedures,  are in line with Lincolnshire County Council Attendance procedures.

Lincolnshire County Council continue to make attendance a main priority in their bid to recover lost learning since Covid. As the school’s ‘Attendance Champion’ I need to address all absences and our electronic register system is checked daily by LCC. The expected attendance range is 95%-100% and anything falling below this, flags on our system and is subject to further investigation. Our school attendance target is 97%.

We complete termly analysis of your child’s attendance and absence and from this we celebrate attendance in the Autumn, Spring & Summer terms. As part of this process, we also send letters to parents/carers as a reminder of any concerns with regards to a child’s attendance and if a child is at risk of becoming a persistent absentee or a severe absentee, so that we can work together to help to improve a child’s attendance in school. We continue to ask for your support in ensuring your child remains a high attender throughout the school year.  

Further information with regards to our school policy and procedures, can be found in our school Attendance Policy – a copy of which can be found on our website. There is strong evidence that shows that high attendance contributes greatly to high attainment, and we thank you for your support with this.

Any requests for absence from school are reviewed on an individual basis and if the reason for absence does not meet the criteria for exceptional circumstances then this absence will not be agreed and will unauthorised. If parents/carers decide to take their children out of school for a family holiday or other unauthorised absence, and this meets the criteria for a fixed penalty notice then the Headteacher will write to the Local Authority and request for a fixed penalty fine to be issued to the parents.

The County Council will fine families who take term time leave for a family holiday and you must write to the school at least four weeks before this type of planned absence. If you do not let the school know and we become aware that absence is related to a family holiday, this does not exempt you from a fine. Please read our Attendance Policy on the school website for full details.

We thank you for your continued help and support in this matter. We all work hard in school to provide the best possible education for your children. Please remember that if you have any concerns at all, then don’t hesitate to get in touch. Please email enquiries@quadringprimary.co.uk or call 01775820302.

My child is absent. What do I do?

• Contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence, this needs to be before 9.00am;

• Absence must be reported directly to the school office by the pupil’s parent(s)/Carer(s) and/or Guardian(s). Messages sent by a friend or neighbour will not be accepted as an Authorised Absence;

• Send a note in on the first day they return with an explanation of the absence – you must do this even if you have already telephoned us;

• Or, you can call into school and report to reception, who will arrange for a member of staff to speak with you.

My child returns to school after absence. What do I do next?

• Upon the return to school of a child, from the time of absence, parents/carers/guardians are to provide a written explanation or email of reasons for such absence. This is required even if telephone contact was made with the school during the time of absence.

We are planning to be away from school. What is procedure?

• Leave of absence forms (see Attendance forms below or paper copies available from the school office) are to be requested and completed in advance. Please note leave of absence will only be granted under exceptional circumstances and is at the discretion of the head teacher.

My child has a medical appointment. What should I do?

• Other planned absences/appointments must be notified before the absence is taken. Proof of appointments such as copies of appointment cards / letters will be requested.

Fixed Penalty Notices, Frequently Asked Questions.

Please read some FAQ's on Pixed Penalty Notices below which may or my not be relevant in your requesting time off from school. We have included an attached from Lincolnshire County Council on this issue further down the webpage.

Do I need to issue a fixed penalty notice before I consider prosecution for persistent absence?

As long as the absence meets the persistent absence criteria you can proceed straight to legal proceedings without first issuing a fixed penalty notice. They are two distinct procedures for dealing with non- attendance.

What does 15% absence look like?

Using a 6 week period, 15% absence is approximately 4.5 days. Where a holiday falls between a 6 week period, it is possible to issue a fixed penalty notice using unauthorised absences that occurred at the end of the previous term and beginning of the new term.

Whose responsibility is it to issue a fixed penalty notice?

It is the local authority's responsibility to issue a fixed penalty notice based on the information provided by the school. However, it is at the head teacher's discretion as to whether they authorise or unauthorise the period of absence requested and then request a FPN. The head teacher would need to explain to the parent why they, as a school, have decided not to authorise attendance. The Department of Education have issued guidance on this in an attempt to reduce authorised term time absences which currently runs higher than the national average for Lincolnshire. Therefore the school is accountable for the decisions made, not the local authority.

Can the school request to issue a FPN for persistent lateness?

The lateness must show as unauthorised absence on the register and fulfil the requirement of 15% absence (over a 6 week period). The school would need to be clear of their close of registration time and that the lateness is coded correctly.

Parents have informed the school that the holiday was booked over a year ago. How does the school deal with this case?

Parents should first have asked permission for leave during term time which now would only be granted in exceptional circumstances. In this case, the school would need to use their discretion as to whether they have given parents sufficient warning to a change of policy.

What are exceptional circumstances?

Exceptional circumstances cover a range of reasons distinct to an individual family. Each request for absence should be look at on a case by case basis by the head teacher. The school needs to be consistent in their approach and ensure parents are made aware of this.