Day to Day Processes for Unplanned Absences

All parents must contact the school before 9.00am on the first day of their child’s absence (and every day of absence thereafter) to explain and authorise the absence by calling 01902 558710 – Attendance Line – Option 1. Alternatively, parents can leave a message, tell a member of staff on the gate or come into school and explain to the staff in the office why their child is absent, or email the school at bantockprimaryschool@wolverhampton.gov.uk

The School will ring parents/carers of children whose absence has not been authorised after the register closes at 9.15am.

Illness

Absence due to illness will be authorised unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness. If a child has repeated absence we will require medical evidence. This evidence could include:

• a prescription
• appointment card which has been stamped by the GP surgery
• photograph of antibiotics being taken, or
• other appropriate form of evidence

If the school is not satisfied about the authenticity of the illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents will be notified of this.

If the absence due to illness is for 5 consecutive days or more, medical proof will always be required. If a pupil is absent due to illness for 3 or more consecutive days IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OR AFTER A SCHOOL HOLIDAY medical proof will be required. If sufficient medical proof is not received, then the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

Medical or Dental Appointments

Parents are asked to make medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If medical appointments are within the school day, evidence of the appointment is requested, and if/when provided, is noted on the child’s record. If the appointment is in the morning we expect a child to return afterwards. If the appointment is in the afternoon, we expect a child to be in school beforehand.

Punctuality

Poor punctuality is not acceptable. If a child misses the start of the day they can miss work and do not spend time with their class teacher getting vital information and news for the day. Late arriving pupils also disrupt lessons, can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage absence.

 Repeated late arrival and collection from school are monitored by the school and referred to the Education Welfare Officer if the situation is not improved following school support.

If parents are going to be late collecting their child from school at the end of the day then they must contact the school as soon as possible. If their child is going to be collected by another adult, parents must ensure that they have informed their child’s teacher and that the adult is known by the child’s teacher. We will not let children go home with adults who are not known to us. 

School will not authorise any absence from school for family holidays or visits.

Leave taken for the following reasons will not be authorised:

Availability of cheaper holidays

Availability of desired accommodation

Poor weather experienced in school holidays

Overlap with beginning or end of term

Booked the wrong dates by mistake

Booked by another family member

Attending a wedding that is not immediate family

Family birthdays

​Any absence from school that has not been agreed will be classed as unauthorised and parents must recognise that the school has the right to off-register (after 20 days) their child/ren during the period of time beyond the agreed the number of days.  This may jeopardise the child’s place at the school.

Parents are expected to complete a Leave of Absence Request Form (available from the school office or downloadable from the link above) for exceptional circumstances  and will be informed in writing if the leave is approved or not. If the leave has not been approved or an application for leave was not completed, penalty notices will be issued. 

Penalty Notices

Penalty Notices are served on parents as an alternative to prosecution where they have failed to ensure that their child of compulsory school age regularly attends the school where they are registered. Penalty notices can be used by all schools where the pupil’s absence has been recorded with one or more of the unauthorised codes and that absence(s) constitutes an offence. A penalty notice can be issued to each parent liable for the offence or offences. They should usually only be issued to the parent or parents who have allowed the absence (regardless of which parent has applied for a leave of absence). 

The threshold for a penalty notice includes absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. A school week means any week in which there is at least one school session. This can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence (e.g. 4 sessions of holiday taken in term time plus 6 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or not (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks). The period of 10 school weeks can also span different terms or school years (e.g. 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the Summer Term and a further 8 within the Autumn Term). 

• The first penalty notice issued to a parent in respect of a particular pupil will be charged at £160 if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days. 

• A second penalty notice issued to the same parent in respect of the same pupil is charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days. 

• A third penalty notice cannot be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within 3 years of the date of issue of the first. In a case where the national threshold is met for a third time (or subsequent times) within those 3 years, alternative action should be taken instead. This will often include considering prosecution, but may include other tools such as one of the other attendance legal interventions. 

Legal Sanctions

Children at risk of persistent absence (90% and below) are identified by the Headteacher/Deputy Head and parenting contracts  or Early Helps will be held to raise awareness within the family and offer support by the Education Welfare Officer.

If persistent unauthorised absence continues, a referral will be made to the LA School Attendance Support Team for legal intervention and prosecution in the Magistrates Court with a fine of up to Level 3 £1000 or up to Level 4 £2500 within 6 months of the alleged offence. Parents will be given a formal written notification, followed by a hearing date and a summons to be issued. Information on the LA’s procedures regarding school attendance can be found here.