Attendance and Absences

Regular attendance and punctuality are important to allow children to achieve their full potential during their time at school. The Dcsf recommends that each child's attendance should be above 95%. The Local Authority set each school targets for attendance and Aylesford's target this year is 96%.

Below is a summary of our Attendance Policy which has been agreed by the school Governors.

Things we ask you to do:

• Ensure your child arrives at school between 8.45 and 8.55am
• If your child is late, take them to the office and sign the late book
• Telephone the school between 8.30 and 9.30am if your child is going to be away for any reason
• Send a letter explaining the absence when your child returns to school
• Try to arrange holidays out of term time
• Check when assessment times are at school because we will not authorise holidays during these periods. Nor will we authorise holidays in the first two weeks of the school year as this is an important settling in period for children
• Make a request for absence using the appropriate form, obtained from the office
• Give at least two weeks notice of the intention to take a child out of school during term time

Things we will do:

• Take the register twice a day
• Phone home after 10am if we have not heard from you and your child is absent
• Send a letter if your child arrives late
• Send a letter to ask why your child was absent if we receive no letter of explanation when your child returns to school
• Monitor the registers with the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) monthly
• Send letters to alert parents when their child's attendance falls below 90% for what ever reason
• Monitor closely, children whose attendance is below 90%
• Send a letter warning parents of possible involvement of EWO if there is no improvement in attendance
• Invite you in to discuss continued poor attendance with the EWO
• Make a referral to EWO. Following this, a fixed penalty fine may be issued by the Attendance and Behaviour Service

Please note that holidays during term time are at the discretion of the Headteacher and authorisation can be made for a maximum of 10 school days in a calendar year.  In order for your request to be considered, an appointment with the Headteacher will be necessary.  This will be arranged when a holiday request form has been submitted.

It is school policy to inform parents when the attendance of their child falls below 90%, regardless of the reasons for absences.

This means that the total percentage of absences will include days of sickness, holidays and medical appointments, plus any periods of unauthorised absence.