Our Procedure
Attendance and punctuality are monitored very closely at Cobham Primary School because we fully understand the link to attainment. If pupils are maintaining an attendance level above 96% they have the best possible chance of achieving their full potential.
Good levels of attendance are crucial to any child's progress during their school career and we request that children attend school each and every day to benefit from the excellent teaching and learning.
However, we understand that children will be poorly and are often absent from school. Our school target for attendance at the end of each school year is 98%!
If your child is poorly, we ask you to notify the school office on the morning of their first day of absence. If we have not received a message from you regarding your child’s absence, then we will contact you during the day to ascertain the reason why.
If your child has been sick, we do not expect them to return to school within 24 hours from their last bout of vomiting! This is to protect our other children and staff!
On your child’s return, we would like written confirmation of the reason for your child’s absence. This can be an email correspondence if easier to the school office.
We urge you where possible to organise medical appointments i.e. eye tests, dentist appointments and doctor appointments after school or during school holidays. Any absence will negatively impact on your child’s progress.
If your child has to have an urgent medical appointment during the school day, we ask you to provide the medical appointment card and this is placed in your child’s school file to explain the reason for their absence.
Leave of Absence
The ability of the Headteacher and Governors to grant holidays during term time was removed by the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which came into effect on 1st September 2013. The amendments made clear that Head Teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional, compassionate circumstances.
In accordance with the above legislation, the Headteacher Mrs Saunders will give careful consideration to every request for an absence during term time, but will only authorise an absence for an agreed number of days if satisfied that there are exceptional/compassionate circumstances.
If your child is taken out of school for an unauthorised absence during term time, it is possible that a Penalty Notice will be issued to each parent for each child removed from school, as stipulated in the Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations 2007, as amended. Standard information provided with each Penalty Notice states that £60 is payable within 21 days of the Notice being issued, rising to £120 if paid between the 22nd day and 28th day. If neither of these sums is paid within these periods, liability to prosecution will arise.
We ask that you consider carefully taking holidays in term time as this can have a detrimental effect on your child’s attainment.
With immediate effect, the leave of absence form is now obsolete. Kindly write or email Mrs Saunders directly with any request to take your child out of school during term time.
Lateness
Lateness is incredibly disruptive to your own child and to the class that they are in. Teaching starts at 9am prompt and children who miss the first part of the day often feel upset and stressed for the remainder of the day. If you and your child are perpetually late, we will write to you each term to share our concerns on how it is impacting on your child. We understand when there are good reasons for lateness (i.e. unavoidable incidents like an accident or a car breaking down) but continual and repeated lateness is not acceptable.
Medical and Dental Appointments
Medical and dental appointments should be made outside of school hours wherever possible. If this is impossible then absence will only be authorised when the appointment card is shown. The child should be returned to school immediately after the appointment, unless advised otherwise by medical professionals.
The Headteacher, SEAAS and Governors at Cobham Primary School have a strong expectation that parents will support the teachers in their endeavours to ensure that every child is able to reach their full potential.