Attendance

 We aim for every child to be in school each and every day. Making sure your child attends school as much as possible means:-

• Your child will build friendships easily, making them happier and more confident;
• Your child will have the same education and opportunities as everyone else in the class;
• You won’t need to worry about catching up on work, or that your child might fall behind because of missing an important lesson; and,
• Your child won’t miss out on activities at the start and end of term which are often lots of fun!

 Please try to arrange medical and dentistry appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.

Attendance updates

Please click here to access our regular parent updates regarding attendance: 

Attendance Update for parents March 2021 .pdf

How do I report a child's absence from school?

If your child is unwell, you can let the school know in one of the following ways:

1) Telephone 01454 866 781; or,

2) E-mail admin@stmichaelssg.org.uk and state your child's full name and the reason for their absence from school.

Please aim to bring your child to school every day and on time. Remember, a tired child may present as being unwell, only for them to bounce back to their normal self once in school with their teacher and friends. If your child continued to feel unwell, we would of course contact a parent or guardian to collect them.  Equally, if you keep your child off school due to sickness only to find them absolutely fine by 10am, we would be very grateful if you were to dress them in school uniform and bring them into school as soon as possible.     

 Advice from the NHS about what to do if your child is sick or unwell (click here)

How is attendance monitored?

Attendance and lateness is monitored daily by the School Attendance Team. Our School Attendance Team is comprised of:

• Jo Prendergast (Deputy Headteacher)
• Eva Stewart (Family Link Worker)
• Donna Lugg (Education Welfare Officer)

If we have concerns about your child’s attendance or punctuality a member of the School Attendance Team will contact you in person, on the telephone or via a letter.

Further information on how we work to improve attendance is available in our School Attendance Policy and School Attendance Flowcharts.

What should I do if I need to remove my child/children from school during term time?

What does the law say?

The government changed the rules on term-time absence in 2013. Under the new rules, you can only allow your child to miss school if:-

• He or she is too ill to go in; or,
• You’ve got advance permission from the school.  

How do I request permission for an absence?

You must submit a Leave of Absence Request Form (see below) to the school office before you arrange for your child to have time away. The headteacher will then consider whether to grant permission for the absence.

(Leave of Absence Request Form for a Child)

When will absence requests be granted?

Permission for absence will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Examples of circumstances that are not exceptional are holidays being cheaper during term time or holidays that have already been paid for by someone else.

What if I take my child on an unauthorised absence?

If you take your child out of school without advance permission (except where he or she is unwell) for more than 10 sessions (5 days), you may be liable for a Penalty Notice and fine. More information for parents on Penalty Notices can be read here.