If your child is unwell

If your child is absent, please report this on ParentMail or by calling the school on 01278 722527. 

Please see the NHS advice below which gives clear guidance for managing childhood illnesses. 

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS

Attendance

As part of our commitment to improving the attainment of our pupils we monitor attendance on a regular basis and identify any pupil whose attendance causes concern. Children are required to maintain an attendance of 96% and above, for those children who fall below this level the school will start to follow the school 'monitoring attendance' procedure.

The school attendance daily checklist and monitoring procedure is detailed below, alongside the current school attendance policy.

Daily Attendance and Monitoring Procedures 

Morning

• The School day starts at 9am.  Pupils who arrive after this time will be marked as late.  Pupils who arrive after 9:10am will have an unauthorised late mark which will affect their attendance.
• Daily attendance report checked to identify any unexplained/missing marks for the day.
• Registers updated by Attendance Officer with marks from late arrival and absent sheet.
• Visits to classrooms to see if children with unexplained/missing absence have arrived.
• Phone call made to parents of absent children to ascertain reason for absence.
• Marks updated on (SIM’s).

Afternoon

• 1:10pm registers close.
• Marks updated SIM’s.

Monthly

School Attendance Officer and Head Teacher meet to monitor and discuss children with under 96% attendance. Decisions are made on letters to be sent home, which parents need to meet with the head and who needs to be referred to the Somerset County Council Educational Safeguarding Welfare  Officer.

Unexplained absences:

• Unexplained absences monitored by the school attendance officer.  These absences will be marked as unauthorised if no reason is provided. 

Late letters:

• Late marks monitored and letters sent to those parents of children who are regularly late

Term Time Leave

Term time leave must be requested in writing to the school at least 20 school days in advance of the leave via a term time leave request form. These can be accessed from the school office. 

Only exceptional circumstances will be considered as per the DFE guidance.

Where children are taken out of school without prior consent, absences will be recorded as 'O' unauthorised, and be at risk of a penalty notice.