Attendance

As a school we would like to take a moment to emphasise the importance of good attendance for your child's success in school. Regular attendance is a crucial factor in ensuring that your child receives a quality education.

When students are present in the classroom, they have the opportunity to engage in meaningful learning experiences, interact with their peers, and benefit from the guidance of their teachers. Consistent attendance also helps students develop important life skills such as responsibility, time management, and perseverance.

Research has consistently shown that students with good attendance have higher academic achievement. On the other hand, students with poor attendance often struggle academically and may face long-term consequences in terms of their educational and career opportunities.

At our school, we are committed to providing a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students. .

As parents, you play a crucial role in ensuring that your child attends school regularly and punctually. Here are a few tips to help you support your child's attendance:

1. Establish a daily routine: Set a consistent schedule for waking up, getting ready, and leaving for school. This will help your child develop a habit of being on time.

2. Emphasise the importance of attendance: Talk to your child about the value of attending school regularly and the long-term benefits it brings

3. Encourage them to take responsibility for their education.

4.  Plan family holidays during school breaks: Schedule family holidays during school holidays to minimise disruptions to your child's attendance.

5. Stay engaged in your child's education: Regularly communicate with your child's teachers to stay informed about their progress and any concerns that may arise.

We want to assure you that we are here to support you and your child in any way we can. If you are facing challenges that may affect your child's attendance, please contact us. We have resources and support services available to help overcome any barriers.

Together, let's strive for excellent attendance and provide our children with the best possible educational opportunities.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Penalty Notices

As a parent/carer, you can demonstrate your commitment to your child’s education by not allowing your child to miss school for anything other than an exceptional and unavoidable reason.  Research suggests that children who are taken out of school may never catch up on the learning they have missed, which may ultimately affect exam and test results.

Parents are required under the Education Act (1996) to ensure their child attends school regularly.  There is no automatic right to take a child out of school during term time, but the law allows Headteachers to consider individual requests to authorise a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances.

The Headteacher must be satisfied that the exceptional circumstances justify an authorised absence, and it is entirely the responsibility of the parent submitting the request to provide enough information and evidence in order to establish this fact.

The request for an authorised leave of absence must be made in advance and the Headteacher may invite the parent/carer into school to discuss the request before a decision is made.

If the circumstances relating to this request are considered exceptional and the absence is authorised by the Headteacher, the expectation is that child’s attendance will be of a satisfactory level both prior to and after the date covered by the request. 

If the request for a leave of absence is refused and the absence is recorded as unauthorised, the Headteacher may refer the matter to the Local Authority requesting a Penalty Notice be issued against you.

Under the new National Framework for Penalty Notices issued by the DfE, the following changes will come into force for School Penalty Notice Fines issued after 19^th August 2024:

1. First offence: The first penalty notice issued for unauthorised absence is a fine of £80 if paid within 21 days of receipt, rising to £160 if the notice is paid after 21 days but within 28 days.
2. Second Offence: If a second penalty notice is issued within a 3-year period for unauthorised absence, then the fine is a flat rate of £160 paid within 28 days.
3. Third Offence: The third time an offence is committed a penalty notice will not be issued, and the case will be presented straight to the Magistrate’s Court.

Prosecution can result in Criminal record and fines of up to £2,500

If the penalty is not paid in full by the end of the 28-day period, the Local Authority will prosecute for the offence to which the notice applies.

Where there is more than one child, each parent may be issued with a Penalty Notice in respect of each child.

As the Penalty Notice are fixed the legislation does not allow part-payment to be made or payments by instalments.                       

Leave of Absence Request Form

Joint Letter from SWFS and WMS

This letter from both South Wellfield First School and Wellfield Middle School explains both schools' approach to penalty notices.

Attendance Policy

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