Attendance policy

·      County Council Rationale states that “regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and is essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities.  In law an offence occurs if a parent/carer fails to secure a child’s regular attendance at the school at which s/he is a registered pupil and that absence is not authorised at school.”

DCSF Guidance on applying the Education Pupil Registration Regulations June 2008:

·      “There is a strong statistical link between attendance and attainment; schools with high attendance levels tend to have high levels of attainment at all key stages.”

·      “Under the regulations, school must authorise absence that is due to religious observance but the day must be a) exclusively set apart for religious observance and b) set apart by the parents’ religious body (not the parents).”

·      “Absence due to ‘Unavoidable Cause’ will be authorised if school decides that the absence was unavoidable due to individual circumstances – e.g.

·  a catastrophic event in the pupil’s own home (e.g. car broke down - though not if pupil is able to walk to school);

·  flight delays when returning from abroad; public performances;

·  wedding of a family member;

·  family bereavement;

·  prison visit. 

·  School will consider each request individually taking the following into account: the nature of the event for which leave is sought; the frequency; whether the parent gave advance notice; the pupil’s overall attendance pattern.”

·      “All requests will be treated on a case by case basis which should give flexibility to respond to difficult circumstances whilst discouraging unnecessary absence.”

·      “Time off school for family holidays is not a right.  Schools may agree up to 10 days ‘holiday leave’ in special circumstances such as

·  for service personnel and others employees who are prevented from taking holidays outside term-time.

·  when a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis.”

·      “Holidays which are taken for the following reasons should not be authorised:

·  availability of cheap holidays;

·  availability of the desired accommodation;

·  poor weather experienced in school holiday periods;

·  overlap with beginning or end of term.”

Approved by the Governing Body of Eastcombe Primary School

25.11.08