Attendance at Southam Primary School

Top tips on how to keep your child healthy at school

The Education Hub, Department for Education

For many, the start of the school term will mean mixing with different groups of people, which is why the autumn term is also known for its colds and bugs.

While it’s usually safe for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild illnesses, like a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat, there are steps you can take to ensure your child is better protected against illnesses, so they don’t miss out on vital time in school.

Here we take you through what you can do to reduce the chances of your child getting ill.

Make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations

Childhood infections such as measles are picking up again across England. And in 2024, there was a large outbreak of whooping cough across the country.

These infections can have a huge impact on your child’s life, including missing out on school due to illness, being hospitalised, and even experiencing life-long complications and disability.

The best protection you can give your child is to get them vaccinated. If your child isn’t vaccinated, they’re not protected.

It is important for parents to take up the offer of the NHS’ free childhood immunisation programme as soon as they are offered ensure your child has the best protection.

However, if you or your child have missed a vaccine, it’s never too late to find out if you can catch up.

Parents and guardians should check their child’s Red Book to find out if they have missed any vaccines or contact their GP if they are unsure.

Protecting those who are most vulnerable

Getting vaccinated also means you are helping protect others around you. For example, infants under one year, and those with weakened immune systems, can’t have the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine and they are also at greater risk of serious illness and complications from measles, including death. Some individuals may have been fully vaccinated in the past but have since developed a medical condition and/or are receiving treatment, such as cancer therapy, that can wipe out their previous immunity, leaving them at much greater risk.

We all have our part to play in helping protect those who are more vulnerable by ensuring all children and family members are fully vaccinated and helping stop the spread of the disease to those at greatest risk. They rely on the rest of us getting the vaccine to protect them.

Remind your child of basic hygiene measures

Some basic hygiene practices go a long way in preventing infections. Remind your child to:

• Wash their hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water.
• Use tissues for coughs and sneezes then throw them in the bin.
• Avoid touching their face, particularly their eyes, nose and mouth.

You can use the free e-Bug resources to explore hygiene topics with your child.

Know when your child is too ill for school

It’s usually safe for you to send your child to school with mild illnesses, like a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should stay at home if they have a high temperature of 38C or above.

The NHS has published guidance to help you decide whether your child is well enough to attend school, including information on a range of common childhood illnesses and conditions, such as coughs, colds, chickenpox, measles and headlice.

New Government guidance comes into effect September 2024 to ensure that children attend school regularly so they get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances.  Improving pupil attendance at school is everyone's business."

 Summary of the new Legislation

·       Starts on 1^st September 2024.

School may grant authorised leave for exception circumstances only.

·       The need or desire to have a holiday is not an exceptional circumstance.

·       The leave must be authorised before the absence is taken.

·       All decisions are made on individual merits. Exceptional circumstances are in the realm of weddings, funerals, difficult family situations, observing religious ceremonies and the like.

·       Applications can only made by the parent with whom the child usually resides.

·       All unauthorised absences will be referred to Warwickshire Attendance Service.

·       The first leave of absence offence will result in a fine issued to each parent of each absent child at £160 (reduced to £80 per child if payment is made promptly).

·       The second leave of absence offence within a period of three years will be £160. No reduced amount or payment plans.

·       The third leave of absence offence within a 3-year period will be referred for criminal prosecution proceedings.

 

LEAVE OF ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME - UPDATED INFORMATION FOR PARENTS- September 2025

The Supreme Court has clarified the law on unauthorised leave, including holidays, during term time (Platt v Isle of Wright 2017). The Supreme Court has made clear that attending school ‘regularly’ means that the children must attend school on every day that they are required to do so. As such, the parents of any child who is absent from school without authorisation for any length of time are likely to be considered as committing an offence under s444 of the Education Act 1996.

The law states a leave of absence may only be granted by a school if an application is made in advance and if it considers there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.

Schools must judge each application individually considering the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind each request.

A leave of absence is granted entirely at the school’s discretion. Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance.

Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a pupil can be absent from school.

When making an application for Leave of Absence parents are advised to give sufficient information and time to allow the Head teacher the opportunity to consider all the exceptional circumstances and to notify parents of their decision.  The school may also request further information on the application and supporting documentation where appropriate.

It is advised that if the resident parent has not received notification or a response regarding the leave of absence application, it is the parents’ responsibility to ascertain if the leave is authorised prior to the start of the leave.

The school can only consider Leave of Absence requests which are made by the ‘resident’ parent ie the parent with whom the child normally resides.

Where applications for leave of absence are made in advance and refused, the child is expected to be in school on the dates set out in the application. If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.  Where a leave of absence is requested, but additional days taken either prior to or after the request may be considered as part of the leave of absence.

Leave of Absences which are not made in advance cannot be authorised in line with legislation.  This will result in the absence being recorded as ‘unauthorised’. 

All matters of unauthorised absence relating to a Leave of Absence will be referred to the Warwickshire Attendance Service, part of Warwickshire County Council.  Penalty Notices are issued in accordance with Warwickshire County Council’s Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices and in the first instance, as an alternative to prosecution proceedings. 

The law relating to Penalty Notices changed with effect from 19 August 2024. Therefore, Penalty Notices issued for Leave of Absence taken from September 2024 will be issued in accordance with the updated legislation.

·        Penalty Notices are issued to each parent of each absent child, (for example 2 children and 2 parents, means each parent will receive 2 invoices – 4 in total). 

o   First Leave of Absence offence:  The Penalty Notice amount of £160 to be paid within 28 days, this is reduced to £80 each child if paid within 21 days.

o   Second Leave of Absence offence within a 3 year period (from the date of issue of the first penalty notice): The amount of £160 paid within 28 days.  No reduced amount.

·        Payment plans will not be offered and/or payments received outside of the 28 day period will not be accepted. Where a penalty notice expires unpaid the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider criminal prosecution.  

·        Third Leave of Absence offence within a 3 year period (from the date of issue of the first penalty notice):  A penalty notices will be not be issued and the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal prosecution proceedings under S444 of Education Act 1996.

Your child’s progress academically as well as socially is our shared priority.

 

 

At Southam Primary School we believe it is important that every child should be entitled to the same opportunities school offers including - educational benefits, social and emotional learning and feeling as part of the school community. 

As a parent/ carer you are legally responsible for making sure your child/children attends school regularly.

It is important that you and your child/ children develop a positive attitude to school attendance and punctuality so that they do not miss out on the opportunities at school. These qualities of reliability are also important in adult life. 

Poor attendance disrupts a child’s education. This causes a lack of continuity and progression in schoolwork and can establish patterns of behaviour which may lead to long-term truancy. missing school prevents children from building essential learning blocks of skills and knowledge and prevents them from making educational links leading to poor progression and anxiety.

With effect from September 2022 Southam Primary School in partnership with Warwickshire Attendance Service (WAS) will be adopting a strict arrangement for the authorisation of absence taken during term time. Authorisation will only be granted in exceptional circumstances for religious or unique personal reasons by the headteacher on a case by case basis. In the absence of leave being granted and absence occurring, consideration will be given by WAS to impose a fine as detailed here –

https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/pupilnonattendance

We greatly appreciate parental support to reduce the total amount of days lost due to absence.  We are committed to working in partnership with you to enable your child to reach their academic targets and to support their social development and for this to happen, we need to keep individual attendance as high as possible and we all need to play our part.

If a child achieves 80% attendance, this means that they have missed approximately 40 days of education over the academic year, averaging 1 day per week.  If a child's attendance equates to 80% over their time in secondary school, they will miss more than a full year of education. Excellent attendance is 100% and acceptable attendance is 97.5%.

Your child's progress

Evidence shows that children with poor attendance are unlikely to succeed academically and are more likely to be NEET (not in education, employment or training) when they leave school.

If children are taken away for a two week family holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and appointments, they will have missed the equivalent of a year off school by the time they are 16.

There is a clear link between poor attendance at school and lower academic achievement. (improving attendance at school - Charlie Taylor pub. DfE 2012.)

Previous interpretations of the regulations where Headteachers could grant pupils leave of absence of up to 10 days for the purpose of a two week family holiday in term time has been interpreted by some parents as a right to an automatic two week term-time holiday.  This is not acceptable and the rules have been strengthened to prevent this happening in the future.  For this reason the Government brought in new guidance in 2013, tightening the time off in term-time.  Headteachers are no longer permitted to authorise absence for holidays taken during term time.  They are only permitted to grant leave for exceptional circumstances.  If you think you have exceptional circumstances, please talk to us without delay and before arrangements are entered into or money committed.  If exceptional circumstances are accepted, the Headteacher and the School Governors will determine how much absence will be authorised.

Below is the school process for recording and reporting punctuality concerns:

1. School doors open at 8.35am and close at 8:45am. 
2. Any child who arrives after 8:45am will need to do so through the schools main office. 
3. Children who are late must sign in through the schools system with a reason. Ideally, all children who are late should be accompanied by a parent/carer. 
4. Every child who arrives after 8:45am will receive the appropriate code in the register. This is in accordance with the reason provided when signing them in. 
5. All late episodes are recorded on the schools registration system along with the minutes absent, past 8:45am. 
6. If a parent/carer reports a child's lateness, before 8:45am, the appropriate code will be used and a comment will be noted on the school system. This does not necessarily mean that the lateness will be authorised. 
7. Each week the Attendance Support Team will monitor those children who are late and record any patterns of punctuality concerns. 
8. If necessary, parents/carers will be contacted to discuss their child's punctuality. 
9. When there are consistent punctuality concerns or patterns, it may result in further conversations with a member of the Attendance Support Team. This could result in a meeting and a support plan to be produced.  

Please note that we do not have staff on duty on the playgrounds first thing in the morning, therefore unaccompanied children should not arrive on the back playground site until 8:30am.

Reporting Absence

We know that from time to time children will be off school. Southam Primary School has a legal obligation to ensure that all children on roll must receive a 'mark' for attendance or non-attendance. Within the DfE statutory guidance for attendance (WTTISA), there are multi registration marks that must be followed. This means that when a child is off school, we have a legal obligation to ensure that the correct code is used to reflect the absence.

Below is the process for reporting absence and how the school will respond:

1. Please ensure that you contact the school, either via Studybugs or by phone on 01926 812520, before 9:00am. Registration closes at 9:15am.
2. A reason must be provided for your child’s absence. Please note that “unwell” will NOT be accepted as a reason. If a parent/carer does not provide a suitable reason, the admin team will contact you. If a suitable reason cannot be provided, the child’s absence will be marked as unauthorised.
3. If a suitable reason is given, the appropriate code will be used on the child’s registration record. Please note that absences for appointments cannot be authorised without evidence, e.g., appointment confirmation.
4. If your child is absent due to a medical appointment, please can you provide evidence of the appointment, so that we can ensure that our records are correct.
5. If the school has not received communication by 9:15am, contact will be made to establish your child’s whereabouts. At this point, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised until a reason is confirmed.
6. If no contact is received, the school will continue to attempt to establish your child’s whereabouts via Class Dojo and phone calls.
7. If there is no contact for three consecutive days, a home visit will be carried out on the third day by a member of the Senior Leadership Team and the Attendance Support Team. Unexplained absences may also result in discussions with Family Connect.
8. If a parent/carer does not inform the school by 12:00pm, the child will receive an unauthorised mark in the register.
9. It may be appropriate for a Designated Safeguarding Lead to speak to your child upon their return to school to confirm their whereabouts and ensure they are safe and well.
10. For families with an allocated Social Worker or classified as vulnerable, a member of the Attendance Support Team (or relevant staff) will contact the appropriate professionals.
11. If there is a concern of immediate safeguarding risk, a home visit will be conducted by a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
12. Please note that any ongoing absences must be reported each day. If you have concerns, please contact a member of the school office team.