Attendance

Good attendance at Church Aston Infant School is a high priority.  If you have any questions or worries regarding your child's attendance please contact our Headteacher to discuss them and find out about support available.

Punctuality

School doors open at 8:40am and the register is taken at 8:45am.  If your child arrives arrives after 8:45am, but before 9:15am, they will be recorded as late which is an L code.  If your child arrives after 9:15am they will be recorded as late after registers have closed which is a U code (unauthorised). 

Every minute counts…

Is your child ever late for school? Did you know…

• 5 minutes late each day = 3 days of school lost in a year
• 10 minutes late each day = 6.5 days of school lost in a year
• 15 minutes late each day = 10 days of school lost in a year
• 20 minutes late each day = 13 days of school lost in a year
• 30 minutes late each day = 19 days of school lost in a year
• 19 days lost in a school year is likely to lead to one whole grade lower in SATs across all subjects

Attendance and Absence Procedures

Absence

We would ask that you notify school before 9.00 a.m. if your child is going to be absent and let us know the reason why e.g. sickness.  Please also let us know if your child is going to be late, e.g. when keeping a medical appointment. If you have not informed us of an absence by 10.00 a.m. we will telephone you to ascertain the reason for the absence and to ensure your child is safe.

This ensures that any authorised and unauthorised absences are identified as required by legislation.

New Attendance Guidance August 2024

From August 19^th 2024 the Government have introduced a new ‘national framework for Penalty Notices’. (in Telford & Wrekin the changes apply from 1^st September 2024).

 There are significant changes that parents need to be aware of:

• If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week rolling period, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice. These 10 sessions may include any unauthorised absence, including leave in term time and do not have to be consecutive.

• Penalty Notices are increasing to £160 from September 2024. This can be reduced to £80 but only for the first Penalty Notice issued, if paid within 21 days – this reduction does not apply to any subsequent Penalty Notice.

• Any 2^nd Penalty Notice, to the same parent for the same child, issued within three years of the date of the first Penalty Notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160

• A third Penalty Notice will not be issued within a three year rolling period, to the same parent for the unauthorised absence of the same child, - alternative action or legal measures will be utilised for subsequent offences.

• If in an individual case the local authority believes a Penalty Notice would be appropriate, they retain the discretion to issue one before the threshold is met. For example, when a parent purposefully tries to avoid a Penalty Notice by taking their child out of school when there is only four pupil days in school and the fifth day is for example a PD day or bank holiday attached to that week.

• In some circumstances a ‘Notice to Improve’ may be issued – However, a Notice to Improve will only be used in cases where support is appropriate. They will not be issued in cases of unauthorised leave in term time for holidays, where information for parents is included on school’s website or a simple warning by the school that a Penalty Notice could be issued if unauthorised leave in term time is taken will suffice.

Parents should always apply to the Headteacher for any request for leave in term time by completing a request form available from school.  (DfE guidance states schools should not authorise leave retrospectively so any leave in term time taken without a request being submitted will be unauthorised absence).

In developing and publishing the new national framework, the Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time.  The Governors and Headteacher of this school support this and students will only be given permission to take leave in term time if there are exceptional circumstances. The DfE Guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance (Aug 2024) states that: Generally, the DfE does not consider the need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. (Paragraph 38.)

Each application for leave in term time will be considered and if it is agreed and authorised the Headteacher will determine the duration of any leave. However, if the application is not agreed and the absence occurs the dates will be unauthorised. Parents will be notified of any decision in writing. This notification may be hand delivered directly to the parent or posted to the parents’ home address.

As a school we are asked to inform you that in line with Telford and Wrekin Council Policy, if your child is absent for 10 school sessions within a 10 week rolling period and that absence is unauthorised, you may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine, criteria is as detailed above.

Unauthorised Absence

The school uses the services of an Education Welfare Officer (EWO) who works with schools in the Newport Cluster.  Any unexplained absence will be referred to the EWO and contact will be made on the day of the absence by the EWO with the parents/carer of the child/ren.  All unexplained absence will be reported as unauthorised and will be followed up.

Attendance Documents, Letters and Forms to Download

Attendance Policy

Leave in Term Time request form

Persistent Absence letter

School Cluster Attendance Leaflet

School Closure

It is always the intention of the school to stay open and the decision to close is never taken lightly however in rare events e.g. adverse weather conditions or a safety issue it may be necessary for us to close.  In the event of any closure your child's welfare is of the utmost importance to us as always.