Legal Responsibilities & Procedures

Children who do not attend school regularly are less likely to achieve their full potential. As a school, it is our responsibility to ensure that every child has the opportunities to reach their full potential. We therefore seek the support of the LA Educational Welfare Service whenever irregular attendance occurs and when this subsequently becomes a barrier to learning.

As you are aware a good education will help to give your child the best possible start in life. Poor school attendance damages educational achievement and the future progress of young people.

What can parents do to help?

• Make sure that your child goes to school regularly and arrives on time. It's a good idea to start these positive habits at an early age,
• If your child is ill, contact the school on the first day of your child's illness
• If your child is ever off school, you must tell the school why.
• If you want permission for your child to miss school, you should ask for permission well in advance and give full details

Family holidays during term time

From 1 September 2013, the Department of Education changed the regulations regarding requests for family holidays during term time. The changes meant that there is no legal entitlement for parents to take their children on holiday during term time. The new regulations also make it clear that headteachers may not authorise leave during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers would not be expected to class any term time holiday as exceptional.

All requests for leave of absence in term time must be made in advance in writing on the leave of absence request form – available from the school office.

Please note: The approval of leave of absence does not set a precedent for similar future requests and the frequency / duration of such leave periods will be considered as factors in any decision.

Attendance & Punctuality

Our school’s attendance target is 96% for all children.

At Grange Valley Primary School, we are committed to excellent attendance at school. We strive to ensure that every child achieves the local authority target of 96% attendance.

Please see below for the policies and procedures that we have in place to ensure that every child fully accesses their education, giving them the greatest chance to achieve their full potential.

Absence

Absences must be reported to the school office before 9.00.a.m. on the first day that your child is absent from school. We have the facilities for you to leave a message before 8am but we may make a follow-up call if the reason for your child’s absence is unclear.

First Response

If school does not receive notification of a child’s absence, then a first response action is taken. This is firstly a phone call but will then be followed by a house visit if the phone call is unsuccessful. This is a safeguarding response to ensure that every child at our school is accounted for every day.