Attendance

Both attendance and punctuality are extremely important at Acres Hill. We believe it is vital that children are in school on time each day and are learning as much as they possibly can be.

Good attendance not only ensures that children are learning, making friends and building relationships but it is also proven to impact on a person's happiness and life chances as they get older.

For that reason we support and encourage our families to maximise their children's attendance and give children the best chance possible. Where a child's attendance needs to improve, we will support and challenge families to do this. 

Be on time to school - classrooms open from 8:30am 

Register closes at 8:55am

Please see the diagram to the left for details of what percentages mean to us. Promoting school attendance is a key component of the Government's strategy to raise standards in education and included in this is a drive for school's to reduce persistent absence. Students who are 'persistently absent' are those who regularly have time off school and whose attendance falls below 90%

We understand that from time to time, children will need to be absent from school, due to illness or other special circumstance and we ask parents/carers to please contact school, before 9am, to let us know the reasons for your child's absence.

We review pupil attendance, every half term, along with the Inclusion team. If a child's attendance drops below 96% and the reasons for absence give cause for concern, then a member of the Inclusion team will make a phone call or home visit to offer their support and advice.

Absence Procedure

It is critically important that children attend school everyday unless too ill to do so. Unless your child has had sickness or diarrhea (in which case they need to have 48 hours off school to avoid the spread of nasty bugs) please make every effort to bring your child into school every day. Typically, mild colds and coughs should not prevent a child from attending school.

Reporting an absence:

If your child is too ill to attend school, please ring us before the start of each school day where they will be absent on 0114 2441512

Requesting a known absence:

If you wish to request a term-time absence, please put your request in writing to the Headteacher explaining the length and nature of the absence. Please note: the school will not authorise holiday absences under any circumstances, and may request a fixed penalty notice for any unauthorised absence of more than 10 sessions within a set period.

Absence can be authorised if:

• The pupil is ill or prevented from attending by unavoidable cause.
• The absence occurs so that the pupil could take place in a religious observance set apart by the religious body to which the parent/carer belongs.
• The school at which the child is registered is not within walking distance of the child’s home and no suitable transport, boarding accommodation arrangements or alternative school placement have been made by the LA.
• The pupil is the child of Traveller parents/carers
• There is a family bereavement.
• The pupil is involved in an exceptional special occasion (to be determined by the school).

Absence will be counted as unauthorised if:

• No explanation is forthcoming. The school should be informed on the first day of any absence and the reason and expected length of absence given.
• The school is dissatisfied with the explanation.
• The pupil stays at home to mind the house or look after siblings.
• The pupil is shopping during school hours.
• The pupil is absent for unexceptional special occasions.
• The pupil is away from school on a family holiday.