Late/Absence Procedures
Promoting Good Attendance and Punctuality
There is a very strong link between high academic attainment and good attendance and punctuality. Parents have not only a moral but also a legal responsibility to ensure that their children attend school every day and arrive on time.We reward children for good attendance and punctuality at weekly achievement assemblies and as part of our attendance policy we aim to work in partnership with individual families to improve their attendance and punctuality.
Notification of Absence for Medical Appointments
As part of our school’s absence monitoring procedures, parents are required to provide proof of their children’s medical appointments. Usually this will be an appointment card or a letter from the health practitioner. Please show the card or letter to the office staff when you sign out or return your child to/from school.
Notification of Absence for Illness
If your child is absent from school due to illness, please follow the procedures detailed below:
Contact the school before 10.00 am on the morning of the child’s absence providing the reason for, and the likely duration of the absence. The number to call is 020 8902 5006. Parents can leave a message on the school answer phone or speak to a member of office staff.
Parents need to call the school each day that their child is not at school.
A doctor’s note is required for absences of more than 3 days.
If parents do not provide a written explanation or speak to a member of staff in the School Office each time their child is absent, then the child will be marked in the register as having an unauthorised absence. Persistent unauthorised absences will likely result in a referral being made to the Local Authority’s Early Intervention Team.
Term Time Absence Request
Absence from school is disruptive to children’s education. It may also affect their social development.
When requesting term time absence parents must adhere to the following procedure:
Collect a ‘Request for Absence in Term Time’ form from the School Office or download one from the website.
Complete the form including the proposed date of return to school and the reason for the request.
Return it to the School Office before the start of the absence period.
Authorisation for any term time absence is solely at the discretion of the Headteacher. Following receipt of a written request for term time absence, a member of the Senior Leadership Team may wish to discuss the request with parents. After consideration by the school, parents will receive written notification of the school’s decision. The leave will only be approved in legitimate circumstances and only for the minimum amount of time.
If your child is absent from school without authorisation for a prolonged period of time you run the risk of them being taken off roll. Once a child is taken off roll the school has no authority to re-admit them, you will need to re-apply directly to Brent Local Authority for a school place within the borough.
Morning Procedures and Lateness
Punctuality is important as it allows the children time to settle into school and organise themselves before the day’s learning begins. Due to the current COVID pandemic, we have had to alter the regular school day start and end times (please refer to the relevant opening times given on the Opening Times page of the Parents tab on our website). It is imperative that children arrive just in time for the start of the school day and then are promptly collected at the end of the day; this ensures that congestion at the school gate is avoided in line with Government Guidance concerning observing social distancing. Children who arrive at school prior to the start of the school day, can make use of the Breakfast Club which is open from 7:30am at a daily charge of £3 per child. Children who arrive at school after their start time must enter via the school office where they will be asked to sign in via the Touchscreen Management System and give a brief explanation for their lateness. Children who are persistently late will be monitored as part of the school’s attendance monitoring procedure.
Signing Out Procedures
If a child needs to leave school for any reason during the day then they must be signed out by the parent using the Touchscreen Management System. This is an essential record and is located in the school office reception area.
Collecting Children at the End of the School Day
There has also been a change to the regular time that the school day ends (please refer to the relevant open times given on the Opening Times page of the Parents tab on our website). Parents/carers should make themselves familiar with these changes and ensure that they collect their children on time at the end of the school day. If parents require after school childcare, the school has an After School Club that runs daily – details can be found by follow this Extended Day Services link . Children who are not collected on time at the end of school or clubs will be taken to the After School Club and parents may be charged £7 for their childcare. If this happens on a regular basis a referral may be made to the Local Authority’s Early Intervention Team.
Fixed Penalty Notices
The Government recently instructed all local authorities to closely monitor unauthorised term time leave. Brent has been following this guidance and produced the following protocol:
If a child is absent from school for any period of time in any one school year for unauthorised family leave (code G) they will be referred to the Educational Welfare Service and may be issued with a fixed penalty warning notice or a fixed penalty fine.
If in any subsequent year the child is again absent for 2 or more days for unauthorised family leave (code G) then they will be issued with a fixed penalty fine, currently set at £60 per parent.
At Park Lane School we will monitor unauthorised family leave and make referrals to the Educational Welfare Service where appropriate.