Attendance
Attendance at Christleton Primary School
At Christleton Primary School, we want every child to attend school regularly and on time so that they can make the most of their education, build strong friendships and take full advantage of the opportunities school provides.
We also recognise that some children and families can experience genuine difficulties that affect attendance. Our approach is therefore supportive and based on working in partnership with families. Where there are barriers affecting your child's attendance or punctuality, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible so that we can listen, understand the circumstances and consider what support may help.
Our aim is to identify concerns early and work together with children, parents and, where appropriate, other services to improve attendance.
Parents' responsibilities
Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure that a child of compulsory school age receives a suitable full-time education.
Where a child is registered at Christleton Primary School, parents have an additional legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly and on time. In practice, this means attending every day that the school is open unless there is an allowable reason for absence, such as illness or leave that has been agreed by the school in advance.
If your child is unable to attend school, please notify the school on the first day of absence, explaining the reason. If we have not received a reason for an unexpected absence, we will contact you as part of our safeguarding and attendance procedures.
Why attendance matters
Regular attendance helps children to make strong academic progress, maintain friendships, develop confidence and feel connected to school.
Absence can build up more quickly than families sometimes realise. We therefore monitor attendance carefully so that we can identify emerging patterns and offer support at an early stage.
The Department for Education defines a pupil as persistently absent when they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions. This includes both authorised and unauthorised absence. Pupils who miss 50% or more of their possible sessions are considered severely absent and are likely to require more intensive support.
We pay particular attention to children who may face additional barriers to attendance, including pupils with SEND, medical needs, mental health needs, young carers and children whose circumstances may make regular attendance more difficult.
The attendance information below illustrates how absence can accumulate during the school year.
Punctuality
Arriving at school on time helps children to begin their day calmly and ensures that they do not miss important teaching and learning.
If a pupil arrives after registration has begun but before the register closes, they will be recorded as late but present.
If a pupil arrives after the register has closed, they will normally be recorded as absent for that session using the appropriate attendance code. Where there is no reason that would allow the absence to be authorised, this is recorded as an unauthorised absence.
Repeated late arrival can therefore affect both a child's learning and their attendance record.
School begins at: 08:40 (our gates open)
Morning register closes at: 09:00
The DfE requires schools to specify their register closing time, which must be no more than 30 minutes after registration begins.
Leave of absence during term time
Leave of absence during term time may only be granted where there are exceptional circumstances.
Requests must be made to the Headteacher in advance and each request will be considered individually, taking account of the particular circumstances of the case.
The Department for Education is clear that a need or desire for a family holiday or other absence for leisure or recreation would not normally constitute an exceptional circumstance. Holidays during term time will therefore not normally be authorised.
Leave of absence cannot be authorised retrospectively.
Where leave is taken without authorisation, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and may result in further action, including consideration of a Penalty Notice.
Unauthorised absence and Penalty Notices
A national framework for school attendance Penalty Notices applies across England.
The national threshold at which a Penalty Notice must be considered is reached when a pupil has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence within a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Ten sessions are usually equivalent to five school days.
The absences do not have to be consecutive. They can be made up of different types of unauthorised absence, including unauthorised term-time leave and lateness after the register has closed. The 10-school-week period may also span different terms or school years.
Reaching the threshold does not automatically mean that a fine will be issued. The circumstances of each case must be considered, including whether support is appropriate, whether support has been provided and whether a Penalty Notice is the most appropriate way of improving attendance.
Where support is appropriate, our priority will always be to understand the reasons for absence and work with families to improve attendance. Where support would not be appropriate, for example, in the case of an unauthorised term-time holiday, a Penalty Notice may be considered without a period of attendance support.
At Christleton Primary School, Penalty Notices are processed and issued by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Penalty Notice charges
Where a Penalty Notice is issued:
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First Penalty Notice for a parent in respect of a particular child: £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
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Second Penalty Notice to the same parent for the same child within three years: £160, payable within 28 days, with no reduced rate.
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A third Penalty Notice cannot be issued to the same parent for the same child within three years of the first notice. If further offences occur during this period, other legal intervention will be considered, which may include prosecution.
A separate Penalty Notice may be issued to each parent who has responsibility for the child's attendance and has allowed the absence.
Notices to Improve
Where there is irregular unauthorised attendance, our first approach will usually be to understand the reasons for the absence and work with the family to provide appropriate support.
Where the national threshold has been met, support is appropriate, but that support has not been successful or has not been engaged with, a Notice to Improve may be used as a final opportunity to improve attendance before a Penalty Notice is considered.
Under Cheshire West and Chester Council's current arrangements, a Notice to Improve provides a 20-day improvement period. The Notice will explain what improvement is required and the possible consequences if attendance does not improve.
A Notice to Improve is not appropriate in every case. For example, following an unauthorised term-time holiday, attendance support would not usually have been appropriate and a Penalty Notice may therefore be considered without a Notice to Improve.
Illness and medical needs
Children should not attend school when they are too unwell to do so. Parents should notify the school on the first day that their child is unable to attend because of illness.
In most cases, a parent's notification that their child is too ill to attend will be sufficient and we will not routinely ask families to provide medical evidence for ordinary illness absence.
There may, however, be occasions when we need further information, for example, where there is genuine uncertainty about the reason for absence or where illness is prolonged, complex or frequently recurring. In these circumstances, we will work sensitively with families and will not insist on a particular form of medical evidence where other appropriate information is available.
Where a child has an ongoing or significant health condition, we will work with the child, their family and relevant professionals to support their education and attendance.
Schools are required to make a sickness return to the local authority where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a pupil will miss 15 consecutive school days or more because of illness, or where the total number of school days missed because of illness during the current school year will reach or exceed 15 days.
This is not a sanction. It enables the school and local authority to consider whether additional educational support may be required for a child who is unable to attend school because of their health needs.
Mental health, SEND and other barriers to attendance
We recognise that some children face greater barriers to attendance than others.
Where a child's physical health, mental health, special educational needs or disability are affecting their attendance, we will work with the child and family to understand the individual barriers they face and consider appropriate support.
This may include pastoral support, SEND provision, adjustments to school routines or practice, reasonable adjustments where required under the Equality Act 2010, and working alongside health, local authority or other professionals.
The expectation that children attend school regularly remains important for pupils with SEND, medical conditions or mental health needs. However, the Department for Education is clear that schools should recognise that some pupils face additional barriers and may therefore require additional, individualised support to help them attend successfully.
Where appropriate, support will be regularly reviewed with the child and family to ensure that it continues to meet their needs.
Working together
Our aim is for every child to attend school regularly, happily and successfully.
Early communication can make a significant difference. If your child is beginning to find attending school difficult, is anxious about coming to school, or if family circumstances are affecting their attendance or punctuality, please contact us.
We would much rather work with families at an early stage to understand what is happening, identify possible solutions and put appropriate support in place.
