Why is attendance important?

• Attendance and attainment go hand in hand, and to make progress children need to be in school
• Your child will gain knowledge and skills such as reading, writing, arithmetic and much more! Your child will learn to think creatively and independently. ACHIEVE WELL AND BE SUCCESSFUL
• Having a good education will improve your child’s chances of success later in life. DREAM BIG!
• By interacting with other people such as teachers and classmates, your child will develop the social skills needed to become a valued member of the community. BE KIND

• Regular school attendance is good for your child’s physical and mental health

Most importantly it allows your child to have fun!

How can I encourage regular attendance and what should I do if my child is struggling to attend school?

• Show your child that you think school is important. Ask about their day, what have they learned, what they enjoyed and what they didn’t!
• Praise their achievements however small
• Don’t keep your child off for unnecessary reasons
• Be organised, make sure your child arrives at school ready to learn
• Recognise that if children get into bad habits at an early age, it is hard to break them later in life, poor attendance at nursery can turn into a worse problem at the end of their school career.

Most importantly, talk to us. If you are struggling to get your child into school, have a chat with Kezia our Family Support Worker.

Punctuality

The school gates are open from 8:00am and close promptly at 9:00am. Children are expected to be at school and on time. 

When a child arrives late they miss valuable teaching time and vital information for the school day. Late arrivals disrupt lessons. This can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage absence. Whilst we appreciate there may be difficulties in getting to school from time to time, it is extremely important that your child arrives on time.

Please find the school opening times below 

What should I do if my child is absent from school

Call the school office on 0121 553 4178 to report my child as absent and give the reason by 9:00am

If your child is unwell for more than 1 day, call daily to report each absence.

Children should not attend school if they are genuinely too unwell to do so. If your child is off due to a severe bout of vomiting or diarrhoea, then they should not attend school for 24 hours.

Where possible appointments should be booked outside of the school day, how-ever we understand this is not always manageable. In these instances appointment letters/medical documents should be provided to the school office.

What if I want a holiday during term time?

Holidays in term time will be unauthorised unless there are exceptional circumstances.  Please be honest about your intentions when requesting leave during term time.  One of our Golden Rules at Hargate is telling the truth and we must lead by example.  Leave of Absence forms can be collected from the school office (1 per child) and must be submitted 14 days prior to the leave request.

You are at risk of a penalty notice if you take leave during term time and the absence is not authorised.

There is no entitlement in law for pupils to take time off during the term to go on holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure or recreation, or to take part in protest activity in school hours.  If any absence are referred to the local authority they may take the following steps:

First Offence

The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for a Term Time Holiday or Irregular School Attendance the Penalty Notice will be charged at:

£160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days.

Reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.

(Unpaid Penalty Notices after 28 days may result in a prosecution)

Second Offence

(within 3 years of the First Offence)

Where it is deemed appropriate to issue a second Penalty Notice to the same parent for the same pupil within 3 years of the first notice, the second Penalty Notice will be charged at:

£160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days.

(Unpaid Penalty Notices after 28 days may result in a prosecution)

Third Offence and any   further Offences

(within 3 years of the First Offence)

The third time that an offence is committed for either a term time holiday and/or Irregular attendance, a Penalty Notice will not be issued, the case may be proceeded straight to prosecution under the Single Justice Procedure.

If found guilty of the offence of ‘failure to secure their child’s regular attendance at a school’ the Magistrates can impose a fine up to £1,000 and you will have a criminal record

School attendance and the law

By law (Education Act 1996), all children of compulsory age (between 5 and 16) must attend full-time education.  You are responsible for making sure this happens.  Parent/carers who fail to ensure regular attendance in school are committing an offence.  This offence can lead to legal action from the Local Authority.

What will Hargate do if my child is absent from school?

We have a duty of care to monitor attendance in school. If your child is absent from school Hargate will….

• Complete first day calling if no reason has been given for the absence
• Make safe and well checks when necessary if contact cannot/hasn’t been made with parents/carers
• Invite parents/carers into school for a meeting with our Family Support Worker if attendance becomes a concern
• Make requests for support from the Local Authority if the issue cannot be resolved between Hargate and parent/carers