Attendance

Attendance Matters

The Trust’s attendance targets are for all children to achieve above 96% with attendance over 97% seen as excellent attendance. A level of attendance under 95% is not considered to be regular attendance with any child who has attendance under 90% classified as a “persistent absentee” (PA).

Daily Routines

  • Children should arrive at school between 8:35 and 8:45. The school day starts at 8:45 and all children are expected to be present in their classroom for registration. Any pupil arriving after this time will be marked as late.
  • Parents and carers must notify the school of any unplanned absence before 8:50. We ask that parents/carers leave a message on the absence line, including details of the illness. Please leave more details than ‘they are ill’ or ‘they are unwell’. Telephone 01209 842360 and press 1 to report an absence.
  • If you do not leave a message and we are unable to contact, you this will result in a home visit.
  • The school day ends at 3:15.
  • Please only collect your child early if they have an appointment that could not be taken outside of the school day.
  • If your child is going home with someone else, please make sure that you let us know.

 

Leave of Absence in term time

Taking holidays in term time will affect your child’s schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children away in term time. Remember that any savings you think you may make by taking a holiday in school time are offset by the cost to your child’s education.

There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time to go on holiday and the

government made an amendment to the Education (Pupil Registration) (England)

Regulations 2006 in September 2013 to reflect this.

As directed by the school’s Education Welfare Officer (EWO), we are unable to authorise any holidays in term time. We are aware that many holiday requests are made – the school cannot authorise such requests.

A general guide for parents is leave for any holiday, activity or event that could be arranged during the annual 13-week holiday time would not be authorised.

On any occasion that school refuses a request for leave in term time, should a parent/carer proceed with the leave, it will be recorded as code (G) (family holiday not agreed or in excess of agreement), on the school’s register.

Where a leave of absence has been unauthorised, penalty notices will be considered in line with Cornwall Council’s Code of Conduct for issuing Penalty Notices in respect of unauthorised absence or children present in a public place whilst excluded from school. Crofty Trust will ensure that a minimum of one other headteacher considers the exceptional circumstance before any decision is made to unauthorise a leave of absence request where the issue of a Penalty Notice is required.

Failure to notify and/or request leave of absence in term time, providing at least 5 days notice may result in all absence being recorded as (O) (unauthorised absence not covered by any other description).

If your child is absent from school without authorisation, you will be committing an offence under the Education Act 1996. We may submit a request to Cornwall Council for a Penalty Notice to be issued, in accordance with Sections 444A and 444B of the said Act. Penalty Notices are issued per liable parent, per child and each carry a fine of £60 if paid within 21 days or £120 if paid after this but within 28 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice may result in legal action. Absence not authorised by the school may result in a prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court under Section 444(1) or Section 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996, leading to a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a custodial sentence. Cornwall Council may also apply for the costs incurred in taking the matter to Court.

Data and Monitoring

We use data to closely monitor the attendance of all children on a regular basis. Where attendance is not inline with our school’s minimum attendance of 97%, we will liaise with parents/carers to explore how we can support improved attendance. This will be in a supportive,  proactive way, putting the needs of the child first and ensuring they are in school.

 

 

Please find below links to attendance related policies:

Crofty Attendance_Policy_January 2023 Illogan reviewed September 2023