Absence

In the event of absence, please let the school know by phoning on the first day of absence and in writing when your child returns to school. We do have an answer-phone so messages can be left at any time. Alternatively, we can be faxed or emailed at:

Tel: 01287 650689
Email: office@skeltonprimaryschool.co.uk

If your child is absent and we have not received an explanation, we will attempt to contact you. If we do not receive a reason for absence within 10 days, the absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’.

Please ensure all contact details are up to date so we can contact you quickly if the need arises.

The registers are monitored carefully by the office staff and any concerning absence shared with the Head teacher. The Educational Welfare Officer is a regular visitor in school who scrutinises attendance and picks up referrals.

For further details check Department for Education website under school attendance regulations.

Holidays in term time

We request all parents apply for a leave of absence for holidays before the holiday is taken.  Leave of absence forms are available from the school office.

All schools are expected to restrict leaves of absence to the specific circumstances set out in regulation 11 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 and schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority must do so.

These circumstances are:

• Taking part in a regulated performance or employment abroad: in line with a licence issued by a local authority or Justice of the Peace or a body of persons approval (BOPA).
• Attending an interview: for entry into another educational institution or for future employment where requested in advance by a parent the pupil normally lives with.
• Study leave: for public examinations, as agreed in advance with a parent the pupil normally lives with. Please note this does not include any internal examinations such as mocks as study leave should not be granted in such cases.
• A temporary, time-limited part-time timetable: where the pupil is of compulsory school age, both the parent who the pupil normally lives with and school agree the pupil should temporarily be educated on a part-time basis for exceptional reasons and have agreed the times and dates when the pupil will be expected to attend school as part of that timetable.
• Exceptional circumstances: All schools can grant a leave of absence for other exceptional circumstances at their discretion. Schools are then expected to consider each application individually taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the school to determine the length of the time the pupil can be away from school.

                                (DfE Working together to improve school attendance 2024 paragraph 37)

Skelton Primary School has agreed that exceptional circumstances will be:

• Service Personnel Leave: Parents in the armed forces or emergency services returning from, or departing on, a long operational tour.
• Bereavement or Serious Illness: The death or terminal illness of a close family member.
• Specific Religious Observance: Days set apart by a religious body.

Important Considerations:

• Headteacher Discretion: The final decision rests with the school’s headteacher, who must be convinced that the absence is necessary.
• Evidence Required: Proof (e.g., medical letters, employer letters) is almost always required for the request to be considered.
• Attendance Record: If a child’s attendance is below 95%, it is unlikely that any, even exceptional, absence will be authorized.

Holiday Fines

The fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.  The fine is per parent per child.  Therefore a family with 2 parents who take 2 children away on holiday will receive a fine of £640 reduced to £320 if paid within 21 days.

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 not received by the school it 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.