NOTICE FOR ALL PARENTS - changes to regulations from August 2024

For unauthorised absence from August 2024, Penalty Notices will increase to £160 per parent per child (discounted to £80 if paid within 21 days).  If there is occasion to issue a second Penalty Notice for unauthorised leave of absence within a rolling 3 year period, it will be issued at the higher rate of £160 per parent per child, with no opportunity to pay at the lower level.  A Penalty Notice cannot be issued if there is a third occasion of unauthorised leave of absence in the rolling 3 year period and it is highly likely that the local authority will take direct prosecution action in the Magistrates’ Court which can result in you receiving a criminal conviction.  Please also be aware that any cases of extended periods of unauthorised absence, linked to holidays or trips away, are highly likely to result in prosecution action by the local authority.

If your child has unauthorised leave of absence prior to the end of the summer term in 2024, you will either be issued with a Penalty Notice of £120 per parent per child (discounted to £60 if paid within 21 days), or, your case will be referred by the Local Authority directly to the Magistrates’ Court.

Attendance at Taylor Road Primary School

Attendance Personnel:

Ms S. Adam - Office Manager

Mrs S. Attwal - Deputy Headteacher for Behaviour and Inclusion

Mrs A. Grant-Thomas - Headteacher

At Taylor Road we believe that education is the most important gift we can give our pupils and every day lost of their education is a day too many.

Regular attendance is key to ensuring our children achieve and develop key skills that they will take with them into their adult lives.

Please support us in doing the best for our children by ensuring that your child is in school regularly and that they arrive on time.

We do understand that children do get poorly and that they may need to have time of school in these instances. All we ask is that you ensure your child is back in school as soon as they are well enough to do so.

As a school we monitor attendance on a regular basis and we speak with all parents where attendance is becoming an issue in order to see how we can further support you to get your child into school. 

What should I do if my child is absent from school?

• Please call the school office on the first morning of absence to notify us of their reason for absence, this needs to be done before 9:10am. We do have an absence line where you can leave a message giving your child's full name, class and reason for absence.

Please Note: Medical documentation may be requested for any absence from parents of children who are frequently absent from school because of minor illnesses or absence immediately adjacent to a school holiday. parents may also be offered a meeting with the school nurse.

• Provide medical documentation e.g. letters/ texts/ appointment cards in advance of any medical or dentist appointments. Routine check-ups or non-emergency appointments should be made outside of school hours. If this is not possible, they should be made at the very start or very end of the school day.

Holiday Absence

We expect every pupil to strive to achieve 100% attendance; this is to ensure every child experiences the best and most consistent form of school life and learning. As a school we will reward individual pupils, as well as whole classes, who achieve 100% attendance. At home, we ask that families do all they can to ensure excellent attendance; this is with particular regard to ensuring that all holidays are booked out of term-time.

Parents/carers do not have the legal right to take children out of school on holiday. (School holidays amount to a total of fourteen weeks per year and we expect that holidays are arranged during these weeks.)  

Government regulation changes highlight that Headteachers can only grant a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. Family holiday and extended leave are now classed as unauthorised.

Punctuality

Late Arrival at School

We expect all children to be on time. Children are able to access their classroom from 8.35am via the main school gates. All classroom doors and back school gate will be locked at 8.50am prompt. If your child arrives at school late, they will only be able to access the building via the main entrance due to all other doors being locked for security reasons. They must report to the office to ensure they are marked in the relevant registers and to give an explanation for their lateness.  All late arrivals are logged and recorded against attendance registers.  Where children are regularly late you will be expected to attend a meeting to look at how punctuality can be improved.

Late Pick Up from School

We expect every pupil to be picked up on time at the end of the school day. If you are going to be late in collecting your child, this is anytime after 3.15pm, please contact the school office so we can ensure your child remains safe.  If your child is left uncollected, every effort will be made to contact you or other emergency contacts.  If we are unable to contact anyone / or don’t hear from you by 4.25pm then Social Services will be contacted, to ensure that safe child care arrangements can be made for your child.