LATENESS

It is very important that all children arrive at the academy on time so that they do not miss morning routines and the start of lessons.  Parents/carers have a duty to ensure that children arrive on time and are prepared for the day.  Children are expected to be in class at 8.50am and registers are closed at 9.00am. 

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE

If for any reason your child is unwell, please contact the academy to let us know as soon as possible. Our phone lines open for you to leave a message at 8am, or you can send an email to huntingtowerenquiries@prioryacademies.co.uk . If we do not hear from you, we will telephone that morning to find out why your child is absent.

If your child is absent due to sickness and diarrhoea, they will be expected to be absent from school for 48 hours from the last episode unless exempt.

The expected attendance percentage for a child at our school is 95%, Research shows that if a student has an attendance of 95% or above they will have a significantly higher chance of making more than expected progress.

At Huntingtower we already have in place procedures for monitoring pupil absence and, where required, will provide suitable intervention and support to tackle any issues that occur. 

All of the children’s attendance at Huntingtower Primary Academy is monitored very closely.  To avoid attendance becoming a concern, it is vitally important that in the first instance parents contact the Academy to discuss any problems getting children to school.  

If attendance starts to cause a concern and/or drops below an acceptable level then the following steps will be taken:

• A letter from the academy is sent informing parents that their child’s attendance is causing concern and inviting them to attend a meeting to discuss the issues causing higher than anticipated absence.
• A meeting will then take place with parents to discuss a child’s attendance.  
• Following this, if attendance remains a concern then parents will be requested to attend an attendance meeting with the Headteacher, who will detail the formal steps the Academy will take if attendance does not improve.
• Should attendance still not improve then formal steps will be followed with the possibility of legal action being taken, 

REQUESTS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE

A list of academy holidays is available from the academy office and the academy website. This list will help you to plan your own holidays to coincide with academy holidays as far as possible, thus avoiding any loss of schooling for your child. We are committed to providing the very best education possible for your child. There is a close link between attendance and progress.

To request a leave of absence, please complete an absence request form that can be found on our website or you are able to collect one from the main reception.

According to the Education (Amendment) Regulations 2013, Headteachers can only grant leave of absence in ‘exceptional’ circumstances

Evidence may be requested to substantiate requests e.g. medical appointment card, letter from employer. Granting leave of absence will be at the discretion of the headteacher taking into account the academy’s Attendance Policy, the child’s previous attendance pattern, the nature of the absence and the impact on the child’s education.

Requests for leave of absence during statutory assessment periods will not be authorised.

The Local Authority can fine parents/carers for taking their child out of school without permission.

Below are the links to the government website regarding absences;

https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/