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Attendance






   














The School Day
Our school day runs from 8.45am until 3.30pm.
Registers close at 8.55am and after this point your child will be marked as late.
The early bird activities run from 8.45am - 9.00am, so we urge you to have your children in school for 8.45am.

Why attendance is so Important
Being around teachers and friends in a school environment is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral care. We often find that children with poor attendance need significant pastoral support to settle in school.

How does attendance affect outcomes for pupils?  

Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development
Research found that pupils who performed better both at the end of primary school missed fewer days than those who didn’t perform as well.  
The data also shows that in 2019, primary school children in Key Stage 2 who didn’t achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths missed on average four more days per school year than those whose performance exceeded the expected standard. 
 

What are the risks of missing a day of school?  

Every moment in school counts, and days missed add up quickly.
Data from 2019 shows that 84% of Key Stage 2 pupils who had 100% attendance achieved the expected standard, compared to 40% of pupils who were persistently absent across the key stage. 

What if my child needs to miss school? 

Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure your child gets a full time-education. Usually, that means going into school from the age of 5 to 16. 
There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless: 
  • Your child is too ill to attend. 
  • You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances. 
  • Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event. 
The Headteacher may only grant leave of absence for exceptional circumstances.
Examples of any exceptional circumstances where leave may be granted during term time are as follows:
  • If a parent is service personnel and is returning from a tour of duty abroad where it is evidenced the individual will not be in receipt of any leave in the near future that coincides with school holidays.
  • Where an absence from school is recommended by a health professional as part of a parent or child’s rehabilitation from a medical or emotional issue.
  • The death or terminal illness of a close relative. 
  • Out of school programmes such as music, arts or sport operating at a high standard of achievement. Documentary evidence of this event will be required.
  • Religious observance – The Education Act 1996 S444(3) (c), states ‘’on any day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which his/her parent belongs’’.
  • To attend a wedding or funeral of a close relative.  
  • In difficult family situations the Headteacher may use his/her discretion in granting leave and each case should be addressed on its individual merits, taking into account the overall welfare of the child.
Should any of the above apply, please complete the exceptional leave form below.
Application for Leave of Absence in Exceptional Circumstances

Holidays In Term Time:
Taking holidays in term time will affect a child’s schooling as much as any other absence.
There is NO automatic entitlement in law to time off in school time to go on holiday.
Amendments to the 2006 regulations make clear that the Headteacher may not grant any leave of absence for this during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances; therefore all holidays are recorded as unauthorised.
These unauthorised absences are now automatically reported to the DFE and local authority through the school's attendance reporting systems. 


New DFE guidance released in August 2024 on attendance in school is outlined below. We recommend parents read this carefully before booking holidays or considering any unauthorised absences.

Every moment in school counts and days missed add up quickly. Evidence shows that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better wellbeing and school performance than those who don't. 

The school day is split into two sessions – one session counts as a morning or afternoon spent in school. There are only a few occasions where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance. 

However, if your child misses school without a good reason, local councils and schools can intervene and you may be issued a fine. 

The DFE has also introduced a national framework which will mean all councils have the same rules in place for when they need to consider a fine. We explain more on this below. 

It’s important to note that children with long-term medical or more serious mental health conditions, and those with special educational needs and disabilities may face additional barriers. 

For children who face complex barriers to attendance, schools should have sensitive conversations with children and families and work with them to put support in place for their individual needs. 

How much could I be fined if my child misses school?   

In the majority of cases, schools and local authorities will try and provide support to help you improve your child’s attendance first, but if this isn’t effective or the absence is for unauthorised term time holiday, parents may face paying a fine. 

It’s the responsibility of the local authority to decide when to issue fines to parents, meaning the process varies from council to council. 

However, under the national rules, all schools are required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons. 

From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012. 

In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160. 

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered. 

If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500. 

Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government. 

How can you be sure parent fines are fair? 

Fines are a last resort, and parents will be offered support to help improve their child’s attendance first. The vast majority of fines for unauthorised absence (89%) are issued for term time holidays. 

If your child is facing barriers to school attendance due to special education needs or disabilities (SEND), schools, local authorities and wider services are required to work together to provide the right support in the first place. 

Attendance and your child:
 


 
 

 


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Ripon
North Yorkshire
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