Attendance

Why is it important?

Good school attendance is crucial to a pupil's success in school. Indeed research suggests that children who regularly miss school do not do as well in their academic and social development.

When should I keep my child off school?

It is sometimes a tricky balance to decide whether to bring your child into school when they are feeling unwell but the link below may help. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Punctuality

Pupils can come into school from 8.45am and the school day starts promptly at 8.55 a.m. If a child arrives at school after 8.55 am without prior arrangements having been agreed, he/she will be deemed late. Registers close at 9.00 a.m. and arrival at school after this time, without prior approval or extenuating circumstances, will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Pupils arriving at school after 8.55 am must enter through the office and report to the school office to be signed in by an adult. Pupils leaving school for any reason must report to the office before they go so that we can ensure that they are appropriately chaperoned and signed out, proof will be requested for any appointments during school time. Registers are also taken when the children return to classes after lunch. Unexplained absences will be investigated by the attendance officer.

We have several points of contact to support you to enable your child to be in school on a regular basis and these are as follows:

Class Teachers
Phase Leaders
Mrs Shepherd - FLO
Mrs Birring - School Attendance Champion

Reporting Absence

If your child is unwell or absent from school you can report their absence via Arbor – go to MORE, FORMS, SELECT REPORT MY CHILD’S ABSENCE. Please see our Absence Reporting guide for further information: Absence Reporting on Arbor

Alternatively, please phone the school office, giving your child’s name, class and reason for absence. Absence should be reported by 8.45am, if we have not heard from you by this time we will contact you.

If your child is off with sickness or diarrhoea they should not return to school for 48 hours after the last episode.

If there is an exceptional circumstance and you require to take your child out of school, please email the Headteacher with the request.

If someone else will be collecting your child from school please email admin1@st-marys-ashford.kent.sch.uk or after 2pm telephone the school office on 01233 625531.

Penalty Notice Fines for School Attendance are changing

The government is introducing a new National Framework for Penalty Notices

5 days of unauthorised absence

Penalty Notice fines may be issued for any term-time absences that are unauthorised (for example, a 5-day term time holiday) - whether these absences are taken consecutively or cumulatively over a rolling period of 10 school weeks

10 sessions of unauthorised absence in any 10-week period

Penalty Notice fines will also be considered when there have been 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in any rolling period of 10 school weeks

A school day has 2 sessions:

1 morning and 1 afternoon session per day

A school week means any week in which there is at least one school session. The threshold can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence (e.g. 6 sessions of holiday plus 4 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or not

(e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks).

The period of 10 school weeks can also span different terms or school years (e.g. 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the Summer Term and a further 8 within the Autumn Term).

What is a Penalty Notice?

A penalty notice is an out of court settlement which is intended to change behaviour without the need for criminal prosecution. If repeated penalty notices are being issued and they are not working to change behaviour they are unlikely to be the most appropriate tool. Therefore, from August 2024, only 2 penalty notices can be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within a 3 year rolling period and any second notice within that period is charged at a higher rate. Any further offences will result in criminal prosecution.

The law will be clear that where a Penalty Notice threshold met – in each individual case, the school must consider if a Penalty Notice is appropriate.

Unchanged

Penalty Notice fines are issued Per Parent, Per child. This means that fines are issued to each parent, for each child who is absent. For example: If 2 siblings are absent for a term-time holiday this will result in each parent receiving 2 separate fines.

First Offence

The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for a Term-Time Leave of Absence or irregular attendance, the amount will be: £160 per parent, per child (if paid within 28 days) Reduced to: £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.

Second Offence (in a 3-year rolling period)

The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for a Term-Time Leave of Absence or irregular attendance to the same parent for the same child the amount will be: £160 per parent, per child (if paid within 28 days) There is no reduction in the amount.

Third Offence or Any Further Offences

(in a 3-year rolling period)

The third time an offence is committed for a Term-Time

Leave of Absence or irregular attendance by the same parent for the same child (including those by other Local Authorities) a Penalty Notice will NOT be issued but will be referred to Kent County Council for Prosecution which may result in fines of up to £2,500 per parent, per child.

Cases found guilty in a Magistrate’s Court can show on a parent’s future DBS certificate.