Attendance & Absence

All absences must be reported to the school office by telephone or email before 9am on the day of absence and parents are expected to provide a reason for a child’s absence.

A child should remain off school for 48 hours following an episode of vomiting or diarrhoea.

Parents should notify the school in advance when they know that their child will be absent, for example for a pre-booked appointment. Parents may be required to complete an absence form requesting authorisation of absence by the Headteacher.

Punctuality and Lateness

Children are expected to arrive at school between 8.35 and 8.50am each day and punctuality is important in giving children a good start to their school day. Arrival after 8.50am will be recorded as a late mark and significant lateness, whether authorised or not, will be recorded as absence. Persistent lateness can trigger a penalty notice.

Understanding and Promoting Good Attendance

We recommend that all parents read Hampshire County Council's Good School Attendance Guide. The document explains the importance of good school attendance and how good attendance will benefit your child's learning and social development. It also explains the effects of poor attendance and the circumstances for which authorised absence may be granted.

Unauthorised Absence & Penalty Notices

We follow Hampshire County Council’s policy and guidelines when issuing a penalty notice for unauthorised absence. Hampshire County Council Penalty Notice Advice to Parents and Carers leaflet, detailed guidance for parents and carers and the Attendance Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices provide further information. Holidays in term term are only authorised in exceptional circumstances, in line with DfE and Hampshire guidance for schools, and all requests for term time holiday must be made using an absence form (available from the school office). We encourage our families to book family holidays during the 13 weeks of school holiday available every year.

More information can be found in our Attendance Policy, which can be found in the policies section of our website.