Reporting an Absence

Leave of Absence Requests

Full attendance and good time-keeping at school are an excellent preparation for life. Chilwell School is proud of its very good record of attendance. In order for your child to reach their full potential, it is important that absences are kept to a minimum. Any child with an attendance rate below 95% will be subject to specific interventions from the school and parents may be expected to attend a meeting with school to draw up a plan of action

Attendance Policy

Holiday Pattern

Current Time Table

Arrival/Registration: 8.40am

Departure: 3.10pm

What should my child do if they arrive late to school?

All pupils who arrive after 8.40am must sign in at reception. The number of minutes late will be recorded and a detention will be set for the end of the same school day.

If you arrive late to school every day, your learning begins to suffer. Below is a graph showing how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time.

What do we ask parents to do?

• If your child is unavoidably absent please log their absence through Arbor. This can be done by logging into Arbor and then clicking quick actions – attendance – log absence. If there is medical evidence for an absence then please email this to absence@chilwellschool.co.uk.
• Please maintain contact with the school every day while they are absent, including medical evidence where possible to ensure absences can be considered for authorisation.
• Failure to contact the school could result in your child receiving an UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE.
• Holidays during term time are not allowed only under extreme exceptional circumstances, these should be agreed with the Headteacher.
• Make medical and other appointments out of school time and ensure evidence of appointments is provided prior to the event.
• Contact the school straight away if there are any problems with attendance.
• Ensure that your child is on site for the times specified in the new timetable.

What will the school do?

• The school will send a text alert if your child is absent and there is no known reason.
• The importance of attendance will be regularly raised with students.
• Students with poor attendance will be supported by relevant staff within the school.
• The school will provide parents with attendance data alongside students’ reports.

Acceptable/Unacceptable Reasons For Absence

ACCEPTABLE

• Genuine Illness – not minor ailments such as headache, hay-fever or sore throat!
• Medical Appointments – doctors, dentist, orthodontist, but please try to make appointments outside of school hours
• Bereavements

UNACCEPTABLE

• Holidays – the school does not automatically agree to give time off in term time
• Birthdays – You should come to school on your birthday and enjoy the day with your friends
• Shopping – this can be done after school or at weekends
• Babysitting

HOLIDAYS IN TERM TIME

We understand that it is often more expensive to take a family holiday during the school breaks. The law says that parents do not have an automatic right to take their child out of school for holidays during term time. The school will not authorise term time holidays unless in exceptional circumstances and as authorised by the Head Teacher.

If your request for a term time holiday or other absence is refused and your child is still taken out of school, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and a penalty notice will be actioned.

How to notify school of an absence