Attendance

If your child is going to be absent from school please telephone the school 0191 4240550 and leave a message with the secretary on the first day of illness, or send a note.

If the school is not informed about an absence then we are legally obliged to record it as “unauthorised”, i.e. truancy.

When your child is ill please do not send him/her to school.

If your child becomes ill at school, or has an accident, you will be notified immediately so please make sure that we always have up to date contact numbers for you.


Collecting Children

All children in Reception through to Year 4 must be collected from school at the end of the school day by an adult. Adults must meet children at the doors and not the school gates. Children will be handed over to their parent/carer or if you have informed the teacher/school, another known adult (over the age of 16), at their cloakroom doors. There are no exceptions to this. It would be appreciated if you collect your children on time. If you are going to be late you are able to book them into the after school club at a cost of £7.00 per session.

When your child reaches Years 5 & 6 you may think that they are responsible enough to walk home from school alone or with friends.

The school requires written permission to allow your child to walk home from school alone which will be kept on file.


Medical Appointments

Children who need to be away from school for medical visits (doctors, hospital, clinics) must inform the office by showing proof of the appointment (letter or appointment card etc.).

If you wish your child to return for dinner please let us know before 10.00am.

An adult must collect children who need to attend medical appointments during the school day. Under NO circumstances will children be allowed to leave the premises on their own. Adults must report to the School Office to arrange collection of their child.


Holidays in Term Time

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 currently allow headteachers to grant leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday during term time in “special circumstances” of up to ten school days leave per year. Headteachers can also grant extended leave for more than ten school days in exceptional circumstances.

Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.

This information is available to view on the DfE Website.

Due to the changes in these regulations this school will only grant a child leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and only for 10 school sessions (5 school days). You must apply at least one month prior to the planned absence or your application may be refused.

Holiday during term time is not considered to be an exceptional circumstance.

More information can be found on school attendance on the local council website.