Attendance / Absence

ABSENCE

Illness & Medication

If your child is going to be absent from school due to illness, then please inform the office before 9am in the morning, and let us know why your child is going to be absent, and when you expect them to return. If your child is off for more than one day, we must still be informed each day of your child's absence until they return to school.

Please note in instances of sickness and/or diarrhea, please keep your child off school for 48 hours, timed from the last occurrence.

Please phone us on 01726 75858 (answerphone 24 hours) as soon as possible to tell us why your child is absent, and when you expect them to return.

Please leave a message on each day of your child's absence, telling us:

1. Your child's name

2. Class

3. Why they are absent

4. When you expect them to return

If your child requires prescribed medication whilst attending school, please bring the medicine to the office where you will be asked to complete a form. If your child requires un-prescribed medication you can come to the office at the appropriate time and administer the medicine yourself.

Sickness / Diarrhoea - Your child should not attend school until 48 hours has passed from the last bout.

Chickenpox - Children with chickenpox should stay away from the setting, or communal areas in a residential setting, until the spots have formed a scab. This is usually 5 days after the spots first appears.

Conjunctivitus - People with conjunctivitis can come to the setting and interact with others as usual. Advice may be sought from pharmacists and good hygiene awareness is encouraged.

Impetigo - People with impetigo should stay away from the setting, or communal areas in a residential setting, until all sores or blisters have formed scabs, until 2 days after starting treatment with antibiotics, or hydrogen peroxide 1% cream where advised.

Threadworms - Your child should not attend from school until medication has been taken.

For any further any information please contact the school office - 01726 75858

Medical appointments

If you need to take your child out of school for any length of time to attend a medical appointment, then the school office must be notified in advance. Please complete a medical absence form which can be obtained from the office. We may also ask to see the letter confirming the date and time of the medical appointment. Please ensure that, where possible, medical appointments are made outside of school time.

Attendance & Unauthorised Absence

You need to make sure your child gets a full-time education either at school, at home or through alternative learning provision.

You are legally responsible for making sure your child receives a full-time education either at school or through alternative provision such as home education.

Children from 5 to 16 must attend school regularly during term time.

You may be fined or prosecuted if your child is regularly absent without the school’s permission.

The Government does not support parents taking children out of school unless the school agrees this is appropriate under 'exceptional circumstances'. It is therefore essential that all requests for ‘leave of absence’ are made in writing to the Headteacher using the school's 'Leave of Absence Exceptional Circumstances' request form. Such applications should be made at least 15 school days before the start of the absence, to enable time to check reasons, evidence and consider previous attendance information.

School term dates are published well in advance to enable parents to make plans for holidays out of school time. These can be found either on the school website Calendar or Cornwall Council website.

Every school has the aim of reducing the threshold for persistent absenteeism, which is currently set at 10%. Additionally, the guidance for issuing penalty notices for unauthorised absence has been updated. It states that:

Penalty Notices can only be issued in cases where a pupil of compulsory school age has been absent from school and the absence has not been authorised

Or

Where a pupil arrives persistently late

The minimum level of absence necessary is 10 or more school sessions (5 days) in any 100 day period.

Prosecution under the Education Act should be considered as an alternative where 20 or more sessions of unauthorised absence occur.

This guidance is intended to be used in tackling parental condoned absence where it is reasonable to expect that a parent can ensure the child’s regular attendance but are not willing to take responsibility for doing so.

Please read the Aspire School Attendance Leaflet below for more detail.

Please help us and your child by ensuring their attendance remains above 95%, allowing them to achieve their potential.