Poor attendance and lateness may also be detrimental to the social adjustment and development of students. We are therefore fully committed to promoting school attendance by providing an environment and ethos where all students feel safe and can build positive relationships with their classmates and adults in school. We expect that in return parents/carers ensure that students attend school and are punctual. Promoting good attendance is the responsibility of parents, carers and staff.

We expect students to attend school every day and arrive on time. We understand that occasional absence cannot be helped and we ask parents to contact the school office on day one of any absence.

We have a strict staged ‘traffic light’ approach to monitoring pupil attendance. Where a child’s attendance falls below 92%, we will begin to follow our attendance monitoring process, outlined below. Where a child’s attendance falls below 90%, they are considered a persistent absentee and it is important that your child does not reach this level.

Stage 1 monitoring

A child’s attendance falls below 92% and will be monitored closely. Parents will receive a stage 1 absence letter and attendance will continue to be monitored.

Stage 2 monitoring

If there is further absence, then a second letter will be sent to parents and medical evidence will be required to authorise any future absences. If this is not received, then absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents may be issued with a fixed term penalty notice.

Stage 3 monitoring

Where absence continues to be a cause for concern parents will be invited into school for a meeting with the attendance officer and representatives from the local authority. Once 10 sessions of unauthorised absence (2 sessions per day) have occurred within a 10-week period, a penalty notice will be issued by the LA.

At any point where the school and local authority deem it fit, an attendance issue can be fast tracked to the LA’s ‘Fast Track to attendance’ programme. This is a 12-week monitoring period where a child should achieve 95% or higher. At the end of the monitoring period the school and LA attendance officer will decide if the case proceeds to court.

If you have any questions regarding school attendance or would like any support improving your child’s attendance, please contact the school office in the first instance.

Holidays in term time

Since September 2013, legislation concerning term-time holidays has changed. Head teachers can no longer grant any authorised absence during term-time, unless in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances may include;

Death of a close relative
Funeral of a close relative
Religious observance

Should you wish to do so, you should complete a ‘request for leave’ form from the school office, at least 4 weeks in advance. Such requests are not usually authorised, except in exceptional circumstances and it’s up to the Headteacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted. This is normally never more than 5 days. The school are entitled to ask for evidence when considering approving leave for exceptional circumstances.

Parents and carers will therefore receive a Fixed Penalty fine from Oldham Local Authority if they take their child out of school during term time for 10 sessions (5 school days) or more.
• The fine is currently £80 per child, per parent if paid within 21 days and £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days. Failure to pay the fine could lead to prosecution in Magistrate’s Court.

• 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. This is a fine per parent, per child.

• For a third offence of 5 unauthorised days of absence within a 3-year period, parents will be taken to Magistrates’ Court. Prosecution can lead to a criminal record and fines of up to £2,500 per parent, per child. If found guilty, this would appear on a DBS certificate for ‘failure to safeguard a child’s education.