Attendance
Introduction to Attendance
Absences due to illness are unavoidable in most cases, and we know that you make every effort to get your children to school on time, each day - There are also times when a child is ill in school and we have to ask you to pick them up early. The '48-hour rule' applies when pupils are physically sick. For more information about whether you need to keep your child off school please check out the following link NHS guidance for school absence.
We all know that the occasional headache or tummy ache can often soon disappear when children get into class with their friends.
Reporting an absence
There are several ways a parent or carer can inform us of absence, and of course we have to be satisfied that it's someone with parental responsibility giving us the information:
by telephone, where Mrs Makepeace records this information and communicates it to the teachers;
by email to admin@cummersdale.cumbria.sch.uk
by personal contact (face to face when dropping siblings at school)
If we don't hear from you
For safeguarding reasons, it really is vital that you let us know why your child is absent from school. There have been serious case reviews showing how absence from school can impact on the safety of a child, and this highlights the importance of organisations like schools knowing that children are safe and well.
If we don't hear from parents (See First Day Calling Procedures below)
- We will send a text message at 930am
- If still no contact an attempt to make contact by phone at lunchtime, attempts will be made to contact the names first contact, if no responce the next contact will be contacted. If no reply a contact from outside of the family home will be contacted.
- If still no contact other options will be considered including visiting the child's home to make sure they are safe, a phone call to external agencies (social worker, of one is involved) or other agencies working with the family.
It is therefore essential that we hold up-to-date contact details. If you change your phone number or address, please let us know immediately.
Term time absences
In line with Government and Local Authority policy, any holidays taken in school time have to be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Our school is accountable to the DfE and Cumberland Council for attendance.
Holidays in term-time are the main reason for lower attendance, and Cumberland Council ask schools to refer absences to them for the issuing of a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). We use guidance for 'exceptional circumstances' when making a decision about what is deemed authorised or unauthorised - and our reasons are closely monitored and scrutinised by those above us. We have authorised a number of days off due to exceptional circumstances (e.g. day of wedding or funeral, religious celebration etc.) but most do not fall under this category and have to be designated as unauthorised.
Attendance Handbook.pdf