Reporting a Child Absence
Illness
If your child is suffering from a contagious illness such as vomiting and/or diarrhoea, it is important that they are kept at home until they have recovered. Parents/Carers may be asked to provide medical evidence where there are repeated absences due to reported illness.
Please call the school on 0121 464 3094 and press option 1 for the Attendance Office.
Medical Appointments
Where possible, appointments should be made during school holidays or at the end of the school day. On occasions when this is not possible, pupils should come into school as normal, be collected and taken to their appointment and returned to school immediately afterwards.
Proof of appointment will be required when collecting your daughter from school.
Please contact the school before 9.00am on 0121 464 3094 to inform us if your daughter has an appointment on the day.
Signing out
If a pupil needs to leave school during the day, a signed letter from a parent/carer or appointment card must be shown to their Pastoral Manager, prior to the appointment.
The receptionist will provide a ‘Permission to Leave Premises’ slip which may be requested by the Police or other authorised agencies. For safety reasons pupils must ALWAYS ‘sign out’ when leaving school and ‘sign in’ on their return.
Holiday and Leave Request During Term Time
Whilst the school and Governing Body recognise that extended visits to the country of family origin provide a wealth of benefit to children, such visits must be arranged during the official school holidays. Similarly, it is not always appropriate for children to be absent from school (which offers a safe and familiar environment) for family emergencies that are being dealt with by adult family members. Term time holidays and leave of absence are NOT allowed by the Government.
The Headteacher and Governing Body may only grant absence in rare and exceptional events, such as the critical illness or death of the pupil’s parent/carer or sibling. If ever there is an exceptional reason why a pupil needs a leave of absence, a ‘Leave in Term Time Request Form’ must be completed by the parent or carer. The decision to authorise absence rests with the school and once the decision is made, it is final.
Where there is an unauthorised absence penalty notices may be issued by the Local Authority according to the law. Where a penalty notice remains unpaid, legal action will be pursued by the Local Authority.
Taking a pupil out of school without permission, or even when leave has been granted, failure of the pupil to return to school by the agreed date may ultimately result in the pupil losing her place at the school. Please note, pupils missing for 5 or more days of continuous absence without explanation or where they have left school and the destination is unknown, will be reported to the Local Authority.
