Regular and punctual attendance is important and as a school we expect attendance to be at least 96% or above.  Children need to attend school regularly if they are to take full advantage of the education opportunities available to them by law.  Trottiscliffe Primary School fully recognises its responsibilities to ensure that children are in school and on time, therefore having access to learning for the maximum number of days and hours.

Registration/lateness

School starts at 9.00am and any child who arrives after the registers close will be marked as late in the attendance record.  Any child who arrives at school later than 9.30am will be marked as having an unauthorised absence.

Illness

If a child is unwell and not in school, their parent/carer should call or email the school office to inform us before 8.45am.  If we do not receive any contact from a parent/carer as to why a child is not in school then we will call home to check the reason for their absence.  Written confirmation of the absence must be received from the parent/carer when the child returns to school.  Where a child is absent due to sickness and is genuinely unable to attend school, then the school, after being informed, may authorise a child's absence.  Children unwell with vomiting and/or diarrhoea cannot come back to school until 48 hours AFTER the last bout of illness.

Holidays in term time

Taking holidays in term time will affect a child's schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children away during school time.  There is no automatic entitlement in law to take time off in school time to go on holiday.

You have to get permission from the Headteacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.  You can only do this if:

• you make an application to the Headteacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)
• there are exceptional circumstances

It is at the Headteacher's discretion to decide what is classed as exceptional circumstances and how may days a child can be away from school if leave is granted.

Leave of absence is not granted unless there are exceptional circumstances.  The application for leave of absence must be made in advance and the Headteacher must be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances based on the individual facts and circumstances of the case which warrant the leave.  Where a leave of absence is granted, the Headteacher will determine the number of days a pupil can be away from school.  A leave of absence is granted entirely at the headteacher's discretion. 

If the school does not authorise a leave of absence for the purpose of a holiday but the parents still take the child out of school, or the child is kept away for longer than was agreed, the absence is unauthorised.  Schools cannot give retrospective approval.  If parents do not apply for leave of absence in advance, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

Requests for leave of absence must be made in advance in writing to the Headteacher.  Please contact the school office for a Request for Leave of Absence Form.