Attendance
Students need to attend school every day. There is a very clear link between attendance at school and academic achievements, therefore, the school is committed to ensuring that students attend every day.
If there is a medical issue preventing them from attending, parents/carers must report the absence via the Expressions app
If your child is absent, and we do not receive a message as to why they are absent, you will be sent a truancy call at some stage during the morning. It is imperative that you respond to this, otherwise your child’s absence will be unauthorised. The decision to authorise an absence is entirely at the school’s discretion.
Burntwood School has an Attendance Team who will contact parents and carers if need be, and who works with families where there are concerns about attendance. Where a student’s attendance drops below 90% we will class the student as Persistently Absence/At risk of Persistent Absence, we may seek assistance from other outside agencies such as the Early Help Team within Social Services.
Students below 90% have the following absences:
- 2 days absence per Month is Persistently absent
- 3 days absence per Half Term is Persistently absent
- 6 days absence per Term is Persistently absent
- 18 days absence per Year is Persistently absent
We also remind families that holidays should be taken in school holiday time, and that the school does not authorise Leave of Absence. Only emergencies or exceptional circumstances will be considered following consideration by the School Principal. Supporting documentation may be required.
A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £160 will be issued by the LEA, per parent, per child, for any unauthorised leave. If the FPN remains unpaid after 28 days you may be prosecuted for your child’s absence from school. If you need to request leave of absence during term time, please contact the Principal’s PA gakano@burntwoodschool.com at your earliest convenience, before flights or travel arrangements are booked.