Attendance
The staff and Governors at James Watt Primary School are committed to ensuring the highest possible school attendance for all its pupils. We understand that all pupils benefit from regular school attendance. To this end we will do all we can to encourage parents/carers to ensure that the children in their care achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent full attendance are identified and acted on promptly.
At James Watt Primary School we will work alongside parents and families to ensure that pupil attendance is well above the national average. We will do this so that we can ensure that our children have the best possible chance to achieve at school.
Punctuality
School starts promptly at 8.55am. School gates will be opened at 8.30am and doors to all phases of the school will be opened by staff from 8.45am. If a child arrives at school after 8.45am without prior arrangements having been agreed, he/she will be deemed late. Registers close at 9.10am and arrival at school after this time, without prior approval or extenuating circumstances, will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.
The Importance of School Attendance
School attendance is not merely a requirement but a fundamental pillar of education. It plays a pivotal role in shaping academic success, personal growth, and future prospects, making it an indispensable aspect of any educational system.
- Academic Achievement: regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.
- Knowledge Acquisition: school is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.
- Social Development: school provides a vital social environment for children and adolescents to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.
- Building Routine: school attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.
- Teacher Interaction: regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.
- Preventing Knowledge Gaps: frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in long-term academic struggles.
- School Engagement: children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.
- Legal and Parental Responsibility: parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child's regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.
- Community Well-being: high levels of school attendance contribute to the overall well-being of communities.
Leave in Term Time
Leave of Absence During Term Time
The Supreme Court clarified has clarified the law on unauthorised leave, including holidays, during term time (Platt v Isle of Wright 2017). The Supreme Court has made clear that attending school ‘regularly’ means that the children must attend school on every day that they are required to do so. As such, the parents of any child who is absent from school without authorisation for any length of time are likely to be considered as committing an offence under s444 of the Education Act 1996.
The law states a leave of absence may only be granted by a school if an application is made in advance and if it considers there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. Schools must judge each application individually considering the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind each request. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the school’s discretion. Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance.
Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a pupil can be absent from school. When making an application for Leave of Absence parents are advised to give sufficient information and time to allow the Head teacher the opportunity to consider all the exceptional circumstances and to notify parents of their decision. The school may also request further information on the application and supporting documentation where appropriate.
It is advised that if the resident parent has not received notification or a response regarding the leave of absence application, it is their responsibility to ascertain if the leave is authorised prior to the start of the leave. The school can only consider Leave of Absence requests which are made by the ‘resident’ parent ie the parent with whom the child normally resides.
Where applications for leave of absence are made in advance and refused, the child is expected to be in school on the dates set out in the application. If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Where a leave of absence is requested, but additional days taken either prior to or after the request may be considered as part of the leave of absence.
Leave of Absences which are not made in advance cannot be authorised in line with legislation. This will result in the absence being recorded as ‘unauthorised’.
All matters of unauthorised absence relating to a Leave of Absence will be referred to the Birmigham Attendance Service, part of Birmingham City Council. Penalty Notices are issued in accordance with Birmingham City Council’s Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices and in the first instance, as an alternative to prosecution proceedings.
The law relating to Penalty Notices changed with from 1 September 2024. Therefore Penalty Notices issued for Leave of Absences taken after this date will be issued in accordance with the updated legislation.
- Penalty Notices are issued to each parent of each absent child, (for example 2 children and 2 parents, means each parent will receive 2 invoices – 4 in total).
- First Leave of Absence offence: the Penalty Notice amount of £160 to be paid within 28 days, this is reduced to £80 each child if paid within 21 days.
- Second Leave of Absence offence within a 3 year period (from the date of issue of the first penalty notice): the amount of £160 paid within 28 days. No reduced amount,
- Payment plans will not be offered and/or payments received outside of the 28 day period will not be accepted. Where a penalty notice expires unpaid the matter will be referred to Birmingham City Council’s Legal Services to consider criminal prosecution.
- Third Leave of Absence offence within a 3 year period (from the date of issue of the first penalty notice) A penalty notices will be not be issued and the matter will be referred to Birmingham City Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal prosecution proceedings under S444 of Education Act 1996.
Below are some examples of Leave of Absence requests which may not be authorised unless there are additional exceptional circumstances:
- Availability of cheaper holidays.
- Availability of desired accommodation.
- Poor weather experienced in school holidays.
- Overlap with beginning or end of term.
- Booked the wrong dates by mistake.
- Booked by another family member.
- Attending a wedding that is not immediate family.
- Family birthdays.
- Unable to take a holiday in school holidays due to work commitments.
- Adult appointments affecting bringing a child to school or collecting on time.
- Different term dates for children at schools in another local authority.