Attendance
Click on each opf the questions below for more information about attendance and why it is important.
Why does attendance matter?
When you have decided to register your child at a school, you have a legal duty to ensure that they attend, unless there are exceptional circumstances preventing them from being there. Holidays and birthdays are not an exceptional circumstance.
Days off school all add up to lost learning.
There are 175 days to spend on family time, visits, holidays, shopping, household jobs and other appointments.
| 190 days for your child’s education each year |
10 days absence
180 days of education |
19 days absence
|
29 days of absence (a whole term missed)
|
38 days absence
152 days of education |
47 days absence
143 days of education |
|
100% |
95% |
90% |
85% |
80% |
75% |
|
Good Best chance of success. Gets your child off to a flying start
|
Worrying Less chance of success. Makes it harder to make progress
|
Serious concern Not fair on your child. Potential court action.
|
|||
Can I take my child on holiday during term time?
Schools can only grant leaves of absence in specific circumstance as set out in regulation 11 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 The Department for Education does not consider the need for a holiday or other leisure or recreation to be an exceptional circumstance and will therefore not be authorised.
Will I be fined?
There is a national threshold for when a school should consider issuing a fixed penalty notice. This threshold is if a child has 10 sessions (a session is a morning or afternoon period) of unauthorised absence within a period of 100 sessions (50 school days).
A fixed penalty notice is a fine of £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days of being issued. This cost rises to £160 if paid between 21 and 28 days.
If you receive a second fine within a rolling 3 year period for non-attendance, it will automatically be charged at £160 per parent, per child.
If your child meets the threshold for unauthorised absence a third time within the rolling 2 year period, a fixed penalty notice will not be issued, but the case can go straight to the magistrates court and parents could receive a fine of up to £2,500 each.
What is an unauthorised absence?
An unauthorised absence is when you have not been granted permission for your child to be out of school. This could be that you have chosen to take them on holiday, out for the day for their birthday, or it could be that we have been unable to contact you to get a reason for absence. If your child is late after the register closes (at 9.15am), this also goes down as an unauthorised absence, even if they do eventually come in for the morning session.
Does it really matter if my child is a few minutes late?
Yes, it does!
If your child is late to school they will be missing out on learning time. All children should be in school, in class and settled ready for the register to be taken at 8.45am, and to start their learning promptly.
What happens if my child is late to school?
If your child is late for any reason other than a medical appointment, they will receive one of two codes in the register –
L - if they arrive after the gates have closed, but before the register officially closes (between 8.45am and 9.15am).
U – if they arrive at school after the register officially closes (after 9.15am).
A U code is classed as an unauthorised absence and will be included when determining if the number of absences have met the national threshold.
My child is refusing to come to school - what can I do?
Please contact the school immediately if there is any indication of your child not wanting to attend. We aim to make Redlands an environment where children feel safe, happy and where they want to be. If your child is experiencing any difficulties, we are here to help but can only do so with your support.
I think my child is suffering from mental ill health - what can you do to help?
We have access to many resources within school. We encourage all pupils to have a trusted adult that they feel happy to go to with any worries or concerns and all members of staff are available to listen to any pupils’ nerves or anxieties. There are lots of adaptations we can make to ease your child’s worries, such as incentives and buddy systems and we also have a skilled ELSA who is able to provide emotional support sessions as appropriate.
Please approach us as soon as you have even the slightest concern. The best results in supporting families have been when we have worked together quickly to reassure everyone involved.
.