Being in school every day that it is open, is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and their wider development.

“From the first day of term to the last, the small moments in a school day make a real difference to your child. #AttendanceCounts”

Working Together to Improve School Attendance  

Summary table of responsibilities for school attendance

• It can be difficult to know whether your child is too ill to attend school. NHS guidance is clear that it’s fine to send them in with a minor cough or common cold, provided they don’t have a temperature.

Is My Child too Ill for School?

• We know that parents and carers worry about their children’s mental health. Rather than keeping your child off school, let us know about your concerns. We can then work together on supporting your child. School is an enriching environment that can help your child with their social and mental wellbeing.

• Parents should plan their holidays around school breaks and avoid requesting leaves of absence for holidays unless it is unavoidable. As leave of absence is only granted in exceptional circumstances, it is unlikely that your child’s headteacher will agree a leave of absence for a family holiday.

If permission is refused and you keep your child off school on the days requested, you are likely to be committing an offence and be issued a fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted by your local authority. Should you decide to take your child out of school for a holiday we still require you to complete an Application for Leave of Absence Form, which is available from the school office.

Examples of Exceptional Circumstances

• Significant family bereavement, i.e. Mother (step), Father (step) principal carer or sibling.
• Significant family illness to Mother (step), Father (step), sibling or principal carer.
• Disclosure of significant abuse where a short leave of absence may be beneficial to recovery.
• Involvement in court proceedings, either in the family courts or in criminal proceedings.

Family requests for holidays for family weddings or to see relatives are not deemed to be exceptional circumstances, the availability of cheap flights or holidays are also not deemed to be exceptional circumstances. The onus is always on the parents to provide evidence to support applications for leave of absence.

“The link between attendance and attainment is clear: In 2018/19, just 40% of persistently absent (PA) children in KS2 achieved expected KS2 standards, compared with 84% of pupils who were regular attenders.”

The link between absence and attainment at KS2 and KS4

“But attendance is important for more than just attainment: Regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing.”

Working Together to Improve School Attendance