4 May · St. Patrick's R.C. Primary School · No Comments

Attendance

‘Traffic lights’ attendance letters are due to be sent out this week. These show each child’s individual attendance for the last two terms. We would be grateful if parents could pay particular attention to these letters:

-96% or above is good attendance as it is above the national average;
-between 90 – 96% is below the national average and is of some concern, especially if it is closer to 90%;
-below 90% is of serious concern and would be categorised by the DfE as ‘persistent absence’, with risk of referral to the LA’s attendance team.

In addition, we would be grateful if parents could avoid taking holidays during term time as it impacts on their child’s attendance and their education. DfE regulations state that the Headteacher may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances and gives no entitlement to parents to take their child on holiday during term time. For leave of absence to be classed as exceptional the circumstances must be beyond the parent’s/ carer’s control and cannot be changed. If parents wish to apply for leave of absence on behalf of their child, they must complete the necessary form at least 5 weeks before the absence, stating the exceptional circumstances. Forms are available from the office. Thank you to parents and carers for your continued support with attendance.