Attendance (Abbotswood Attendance Policy)

Regular attendance at school is important for your child's learning, development, future opportunities and friendships. Every time your child misses school he or she is missing valuable learning and we want all of our children to have every opportunity available to them so that they have more opportunities later in life. For a child to reach their full potential a high level of school attendance is essential.

Make sure that any absence is clearly accounted for by phone or email on the first and subsequent days of absence

You can report an absence by sending us an in-app Arbor message or call the school office and speak to a member of staff (voicemail available out of hours) on 023 8086 3159. You can also email absence notifications to [email protected]. Please note that we may need to make a follow up call to you, depending on the nature of the absence. You must state the reason for the absence and your child's name and class. 

Responsibility

Every child has a right to access the education he/she is entitled. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all. Every opportunity will be used to convey to children and their parents or carers the importance of regular and punctual attendance.  For our children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered it is vital your child is at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. As a parent/carer you have a legal duty to make sure your child receives a full-time education and comes to school regularly. If you are finding it difficult to get your child to school you must speak to the class teacher and/or member of the office or Senior Leadership Team. We will be able to help you. If your child is genuinely too ill to attend school you must ring the school office before 9am and leave a message on the answerphone or with the admin team. If you're not sure if your child should be home or in school have a chat with the office and they will advise.

If your child has a long term medical condition please speak to us about how we can support them. Supporting Children with Medical Conditions Policy

Family holidays/school holidays (and Penalty Notices)

Children have 13 weeks annual holiday from school and school holiday dates are published well in advance online. As such, all parents/carers are expected wherever possible to plan and take their family holidays at this time so as not to disrupt their children’s education. Education law states that parents do not have a right to take their child out of school for a holiday during term time. Only in exceptional circumstances may a headteacher grant permission for leave; and it is the headteachers decision on whether the absence is exceptional and how many days to approve.

Parents/carers who take their child out of school without the absence being agreed and authorised by written permission from the school can be issued with a penalty fine. 

Request to authorise absence from school due to exceptional circumstances

Useful Information

Hampshire Guidance on Penalty Notices

Code of Conduct - Issuing Penalty Notices for unauthorised absence from school

Joint Attendance Letter - Guidance for Absence and Lateness

Should your child go to school today - Guidance for parents when a child is unwell

Further information on whether your child should go to school - Hampshire