Any unexplained absence is recorded as a parentally-condoned truancy. Therefore, you must inform the school as soon as possible of the reason for your child’s absence. You can do this by ringing our school office and leaving a message on our attendance answer machine (0113 3850680) before 9am. Please leave your child's name, class and reason for absence.

If we have not been previously notified nor received a telephone message from you, the school will contact you. This is part of our monitoring process in the interests of the health and safety of the children. Subject to government policy, Headteachers will no longer have the right to authorise holidays during term time. Parents who insist on taking holidays will be fined. The Brigshaw Learning Partnership have an agreed policy for absences.

We particularly request that children in Key Stage 2 are not taken out of school during SATs week (usually around 2nd week in May). The SATs are statutory tests which cannot be repeated at any other time. Attendance is monitored by the DfE, Education Leeds and the Attendance Improvement Adviser.

Medical Appointments

Please try to arrange medical appointments outside school time where possible. If you have to make a medical/dental appointment for your child during school hours, please try to give us at least a day’s notice. Please come into school to collect your child. Children arriving at/ leaving school outside of normal registration times, should be brought to the school office to sign in / out. Medical appointments register as an absence on your child’s attendance record. All medical and dental appointments must be evidenced with appropriate documentation. You can send the evidence in by email by taking a screenshot of the reminder or photo of the letter, or by bringing it into the school office. Pupils are expected to attend school for part of the day, either before or after the appointment.

It you do not contact school, the absence will also be marked as unauthorised. Ten sessions of unauthorised absence can lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice or working with the Local Authority on a Attendance Plan. Pharmacists in England can now conduct consultations and prescribe antibiotics for certain conditions, making healthcare more accessible and convenient. If your child has the following symptoms, you can go straight to the chemist. There is no need for a GP appointment.

• Sore throat

• Earache

• Sinusitis

• Impetigo

• Shingles

• Infected insect bites

Emergency Closure

A decision about any school closure (and re-opening) will be made before 8.30am and will be announced on our School Website, Twitter, Class Dojo and email. Should an emergency occur in school, an announcement will be made in the same way.

If the weather is very bad, staff will make every effort to get to school. It may not be possible to make the decision to close earlier than 8.30am so please understand that if you call the school before 8.30am, the decision to close may not yet have been taken.

Please ensure that your contact details are up to date and correct so we can contact you if needed.

Punctuality

We would like to remind parents of the importance of punctuality. It can be distressing for children walking in late to a lesson that has already started, and it is disruptive for the learning of the other children in the class as well as the teacher. The school doors open at 8.40am and register is taken at 8.45am. The school gates close at 8.50am and anyone arriving after this time will have to enter through the office and will be marked as late. Registers officially close at 9.10am, and any arrival after this time will result in a ‘U’ code, signifying an unauthorised absence. This not only affects your child’s attendance record but also contributes to Fixed Penalty Notices.

Holidays during Term Time

Holidays during term time are not authorised. The criteria for authorising absences have become stricter. The DFE has enforced heavier penalties for unauthorised term-time holidays. These changes are designed to minimise disruption to your child’s education and to promote regular attendance. Your support is vital in helping us provide a consistent and uninterrupted learning experience for all students. Remember – if your child is not in school for any reason, it will affect the overall attendance.

Penalty Notices

We wanted to remind you about the introduction of the new national framework for penalty notices, which came into effect on 19th August, 2024. These changes are nationwide and across borders if you move school or house. Term time leave is only authorised in exceptional circumstances, which must be communicated in advance with evidence provided, as soon as possible to the Headteacher.

First Occasion

The first time a penalty notice is issued for unauthorised term time absence or irregular attendance, the amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. This is reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.

Second Occasion

Within three years of the first occasion. The second time a penalty notice is issued for unauthorised term time absence or irregular attendance, the amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. There is no reduction for early payment.

Third Occasion onwards

Within three years of the first occasion, if it’s a third occasion for unauthorised term time absence or irregular attendance, a penalty notice will not be issued. The case may be presented straight to the magistrate’s court. Fines can be around £2500 per parent per child. Cases found to be guilty in magistrates’ court can show as a criminal record and also on the parents future DBS certificates due to ‘failure to safeguard a child’s education’.

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