At Homefield Primary School we believe good attendance and punctuality are crucial to children’s learning and are vitally important in ensuring the best possible progress and achievement. Good punctuality ensures that children are ready and willing to learn. Regular attendance also improves children's social skills and raises their self-esteem.

Is my child too ill for school?

We know that as a parent it can be difficult to know whether or not your child is well enough for school.  The DFE has shared a useful link from the NHS that can be helpful in knowing if your child should attend school or not https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

What to do if your child is absent from school

Parents are responsible for informing the school of any absence. This must be on the first day of absence, ideally before 9:00am (and each subsequent day of absence) and advise school when they are expected to return.

There are several ways to report an absence: see the 'Reporting Absence' page in the menu.

Absences from school

Only your child's school can authorise an absence from school. If you plan to take your child out of school during term time, the absence can only be authorised if it is considered that there are exceptional circumstances. We define exceptional circumstances as rare, significant, unavoidable and short.  It is for the Headteacher to decide whether they consider the reasons given amount to exceptional circumstances. If your child is absent without good reason, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised on the school register.

If you do not ask for or get permission to take your child out of school and do so regardless, your child's absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

In line with schools across the Worthing locality, if your child is reported absent immediately before or after an unauthorised absence, we will require confirmation from a medical professional as to the nature of the illness or injury preventing them from attending school. Failure to provide confirmation will result in the additional absence being recorded as unauthorised.

Taking holidays in term time

As leave of absence is only granted in exceptional circumstances, it is unlikely a leave of absence will be granted for the purposes of a family holiday.  

Parents should complete our online form (see the 'Reporting Absence' page) for any request for leave from learning.  Any request should be submitted as soon as it is anticipated and before the absence.

We politely request that parents and carers consider the impact of school absence upon their child before considering a request of absence.

Being late for school

It is important your child arrives to school on time. If they are late and miss the register after it has been closed, it may be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Attendance Matters - ‘Every Day Counts’

 1 or 2 days a week doesn’t seem that much but…

Attendance Matters - ‘Every Minute Counts’

Make sure your child is at school and ready to learn BEFORE 8.50am (when the registers are taken).

Being 15 minutes late each day is the same as missing two weeks of school.

 

Important attendance and absence document links

Homefield Attendance Procedures

Homefield School Absence Policy

Homefield School Letter - Changes to Penalty Notice Fines

Locality Attendance Matters Leaflet

WSCC Letter to Parents/Carers

WSCC Fixed Penalty Notice Leaflet

 

Key Government guidance extracts:

• Parents have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends school regularly. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence in advance from the school.

• Attendance is the essential foundation to positive outcomes for all pupils including their safeguarding and welfare.

  • Children meeting the expected standard at the end of KS2 have an overall absence rate of 3.5% compared to 4.7% for those not meeting.

• The Government have tightened the laws for Headteachers:

  • All schools can grant a leave of absence for exceptional circumstances. The DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance.

  • Penalty notices are issued to parents as an alternative to prosecution where they have failed to ensure that their child of compulsory school age regularly attends the school where they are registered (e.g. an unauthorised holiday in term time).

  • The threshold for a penalty notice is 10 sessions (am or pm) of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. A school week means any week in which there is at least one school session. This can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence (e.g. 4 sessions of holiday taken in term time plus 6 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or not (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks). The period of 10 school weeks can also span different terms or school years (e.g. 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the Summer Term and a further 8 within the Autumn Term).

  • Where absence escalates and pupils miss 10% or more of school (equivalent to 1 day or more a fortnight across a full school year), schools and local authorities are expected to work together to put additional targeted support in place to remove any barriers to attendance and reengage these pupils.

 

School policy extracts - It is the role of the Parent/Carer to: 

• Ensure regular attendance and punctuality for their child. This includes children of EYFS/non-statutory school age. 

• When exceptional circumstances exist, to apply for “leave from learning” in advance where possible. 

• Inform the school on the first day of absence via the reporting platform or school office. 

• Contact the school in confidence, whenever problems occur which may keep children away from school. 

• Children should only be kept at home if they have a serious illness or injury. If this is the case, parents should contact the school first thing. If a child has a minor illness e.g. mild headache, stomach-aches etc. parents should inform the school and bring them in. If they don’t get any better, school will contact parents straight away, to collect them. If pupils have a dental, clinic or hospital appointment, parents should let the school know. Pupils should be brought back to school after appointments. Pupils should miss as little time as possible.   

• Medical and dental appointments should not be arranged in school time wherever possible.  

•  We require parent/carers to work in partnership with the school and other agencies in the best interests of their child; this includes informing the school about significant influences and changes in the child’s life, which may impact on learning.  

• To organise and book holidays and “Leave From Learning” during the 175 days of school holidays and non-school days and not during the 190 days of learning time. 

• Where there is persistent and severe absence (more than 10%) schools and the local authority are expected to work together to put additional targeted support in place to remove any barriers and re-engage pupils.