Attendance
What to do if your child is ill
Lots of parents have contacted us asking what to do in different situations. Below is a basic guide to follow. However, please also check out the latest NHS advice if you are unsure.
You can contact the NHS by calling 111 or going to their website at: 111.nhs.uk
Regular school attendance is crucial in raising standards in education and ensuring that every child can have full access to the school curriculum and reach their potential.
Eckington School will strive to promote an ethos and culture which encourages good attendance and where each student will feel welcomed, valued and cared for.
Eckington School has high expectations of all students in order to achieve the vision of ‘Outstanding Achievement for All’.
Illness
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, parents and carers should:
- call the absence line on 01246 432849 and select option 1, or
- email attendance@eckington.chorustrust.org before 10am with the reason for the child's absence.
The Attendance Team will send an email and text message at 10.30am to the parent or carer to alert them to the child’s absence from school, if a reason has not already been given. The Attendance Team will follow up with a phone call home if attendance is a cause for concern or if a reason has not been provided by the parent or carer. The absence will be classified as unauthorised until a reason is presented or if medical evidence has been requested but not provided.
Requests for term time leave
Evidence shows that every school day matters in a young person’s education. Students who have good attendance at school have better wellbeing and achieve better results than those who don't.
Requests for term time leave will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Taking a young person out of school for a family holiday will be marked as unauthorised absence and headteachers are required to consider issuing a penalty notice (fine) to parents.
Headteachers are also required to consider issuing a penalty notice (fine) to parents where there have been 10 sessions (totalling 5 school days) over a 10 school week period. The absences may or may not be on consecutive days.
Information on the government's approach to term time absence can be found at educationhub.blog.gov.uk.
How much are the fines for unauthorised absence during term time?
From August 2024, as part of the government’s national framework for penalty notices, fines issued will be:
- First instance of unauthorised absence:
- £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.
- £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days.
- Second instance of unauthorised absence (within a three-year period):
- £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days.
- Third and subsequent instances of unauthorised absence (within a three-year period):
- Other action such as prosecution will be considered. In this circumstance, fines can be up to £2,500 per parent, per child.
Money raised by the local authority from fines is used by that local authority to cover their costs and to fund attendance support. Any remaining money is returned to the government.
If you wish to request term time leave, you should complete the form at the bottom of this page and return to the school for consideration.
Medical appointments
We encourage parents and carers to make all medical appointments outside of school hours. If this cannot be avoided, students should attend school prior to or immediately after the appointment. The Attendance Team should be informed of the medical appointment prior to the date. Medical appointments are counted as absences and it will affect the student's overall attendance.
Religious observance
Eckington School recognises and celebrates many different religions. Schools must treat absence as authorised when it is due to religious observance. The day must be exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong. Where necessary, schools should seek advice from the parents' religious body about whether it has set the day apart for religious observance.
Parents and carers please note that although the absences are authorised, it is still counted as an absence on the student's attendance certificate. Within school, we make sure students are not unfairly affected by this absence regarding rewards for 100% attendance. However, the school's attendance register is a legal document, and therefore the absence must be recorded.
Parents and carers must inform the school prior to the religious observance days if the student will be absent from school. If we have not been informed prior to the date, we will follow our absence procedures to identify the reason for the student's absence from school.
Participating in a supervised sporting activity
We recognise that students at Eckington School have exceptional skills and talent. We want to support our young people to participate fully in training for sporting activities. Any requests regarding student participation in sporting events during the school day must be requested in writing, with evidence of the event to the Headteacher. This includes any adjustments to the time of the school day for example, students leaving school early to participate in sporting activities.
Punctuality
Students are encouraged to be on the school site on time to start the day at 8.30am. Students arriving after 8.35am will receive a sanction dependent on their arrival time.
