It is very important that your child attends school regularly
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any pupil’s absence disrupts teaching routines so may affect the learning of others in the same class.
Ensuring your child’s regular attendance at school is your legal responsibility and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.
What to do if you are concerned about your child's attendance?
If you are concerned about your child's attendance please speak to your child's class teacher or speak to Miss van der Ploeg, the headteacher. As a school, we will be able to give you advice moving forward to help support your child's attendance.
When should I keep my child off school?
It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell. There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries which highlight the circumstances under which children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.
If you do keep your child at home, please ring the school on the first day of absence letting us know that your child won't be in and giving the reason. It is really important, that you keep in touch with the school on a daily basis to update the school on your child's absence.
Government guidelines make it clear that headteachers should not authorise time off school for holidays in term time. At Mill Lane we will only authorise requests for absence during term time in exceptional circumstances. These circumstances could include:
- a once in a lifetime trip with clear educational benefits
- attending a special family event such as a wedding or funeral.
Even under exceptional circumstances, absences will be unauthorised but a note will be made of the exceptional circumstances.
We will always look at a child's current pattern of attendance when requests for absence are made.
