Attendance and Absence
Attendance
Regular academy attendance is a prerequisite of a good education and securing it is a priority at Silverdale. The damage and disruption caused by poor attendance and lateness affects not only the individual pupil but also adversely affects other pupils and teaching staff.
It is a parent’s responsibility, and their legal duty, to ensure that their child attends school. The vast majority of parents impress upon their children the value of punctual and regular attendance. We seek to work in partnership with all parents to encourage such values. Through good communication, the whole academy community will have a clear understanding of the academy’s policy and expectations regarding pupil attendance.
If a pupil is absent from the academy, and no message or information is given either in person or on the academy absence line, a designated member of Office staff will contact parents or carers to ascertain the reason. This may involve several calls to various contacts to ensure the child is safe and cared for outside of the academy. Should overall attendance fall below 90%, or there be other cause for concern, the academy will contact parents/carers by letter to inform them and, in many cases, offer a meeting with the Attendance Officer or other forms of support.
Contact will also be made if a pupil is often late for school to ensure the academy is supporting parents and carers in getting children to school on time.
Further details of register opening and closing times can be found on key dates and times.
Absence from school
Parents are expected to contact the academy on the first day of the child’s absence to explain the reason for the absence by 8.45am and to establish an expected date of return by calling the academy office on 01424 448100 or emailing attendance@silverdaleprimaryacademy.org.uk.
In the case of a prolonged absence, parents are required to update the academy every twenty-four hours. On the child’s return to the academy, the parent should provide the academy with a written explanation for the absence. Parents should also provide an explanation when their child arrives late for school.
The academy completely understands that children get ill and recognises that parents are best placed to decide whether a pupil can attend school or not. The academy complies with the ’48 hour rule’ following incidents of high temperature, sickness or diarrhoea. Illness is recorded as authorised absence.
We actively discourage pupils being taken out of the academy for routine medical appointments, family visits and holidays. Authorising absence is at the Principal’s discretion and is only granted in exceptional cases. Holidays taken in term time will be marked as unauthorised. Should this unauthorised absence reach a set threshold, the academy may choose to apply for a fixed penalty notice (fine) from the local authority.
Planned Absence
Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised if the pupil’s parent/carer notifies the academy in advance of the appointment.
If a pupil is present at registration but has a medical appointment during the session in question, no absence needs be recorded for that session.
We encourage parents/carers to make medical and dental appointments out of academy hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary.
The pupil’s parent/carer must also apply for other types of term-time absence as far in advance as possible of the requested absence. Parents should request leaves of absence via withdrawal from learning form obtained at the academy office.