Regular and punctual attendance allows your child maximum benefit from their school years. Illness and medical appointments should be the only reason for absence. If you have to take your child out of school for an appointment please send a note beforehand naming the adult who will collect your child. Children will not be allowed to leave school during the day without an adult.
If your child is away from school we are obliged, by law, to ask for and record the reason why. Please send a note or telephone the school. Unauthorised absences are scrutinised by the Education Welfare Service of the Local Authority.
The Minister for Education announced that from September 1st 2013 schools can no longer grant leave of absence during term time unless there are explicit exceptional circumstances such as:
- Significant family bereavement, i.e. Mother (step), Father (step) principal carer or sibling
- Significant family illness to Mother (step), Father (step), sibling or principal carer
- Disclosure of significant abuse where a short leave of absence may be beneficial to recovery
- Involvement in court proceedings, either in the family courts or in criminal proceedings
Family requests for holidays for family weddings or to see relatives are not deemed to be exceptional circumstances, the availability of cheap flights or holidays are also not deemed to be exceptional circumstances.
Lateness doesn’t help your child’s learning – but we would rather s/he came late than not at all that day. Children arriving late need to go to the School office to “report in”.
Accident or Illness
Parents must keep us up to date with changed telephone numbers so that we can contact you if your child is hurt or ill at school. It will be distressing for your child if we can’t track you down.
Medicines in school can be dangerous. No “over the counter” medicines should be brought to school and the doctor may advise how to avoid having to give a dose during the school day. Necessary, prescribed medicines only will be given, if a single named dose is brought straight to the school office by an adult. If your child’s condition means that it would be dangerous to his/her health to miss a dose then you must discuss the situation with the Headteacher first. Inhalers (named) are kept in the child’s classroom.
