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| Educational
Authority Policy: |
| Please refer to "School
Attendance - Information for Parents/Carers" (.pdf),
a policy leaflet issued September 2006 by Cambridgeshire County
Council's Education Department. The leaflet covers general topics
as 'Regular Attendance', 'Holidays During Term-time', 'Extended
Visits Overseas', 'What Parents Can Do to Help', 'Education
Welfare Officers' and then explains some aspects of 'The Law'
relating to a pupil's absence from school. |
| Another policy leaflet, also issued by Cambridgeshire County
Council in September 2006, gives further detailed information
relating to Family
Holidays During Term-Time and Extended Visits Overseas (.pdf). |
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| Planned
Absence Notification: |
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If
you are planning to take pupils out of school (perhaps for a
family holiday or on religious grounds), the school needs to
be consulted before the planned period of absence. |
| Please
refer to CCC leaflet School
Attendance - Information for Parents/Carers (.pdf) for initial
guidance and complete the Request
Form for Planned Absence (.doc) revised for September 2007.
The Request Form should be completed and signed by the parent/carer
and sent to the Head of Year well before the start of the period
of absence and before making any bookings relating to
the absence. |
| Important note: Parents/Carers
are strongly urged to avoid booking a family holiday during
term-time. Parents do not have any right or entitlement to take
their child out of school for a term-time holiday, and Comberton
Village College will not as a rule authorise leave for such
holidays. |
| If the pupil is absent from school
and where advance authorisation has not been agreed, the college
will record an 'unauthorised absence' (i.e. truancy) against
the pupil. |
| [The
leaflet and form are also available from the School Admin Office.
The Request Form should only be used and submitted by parents/carers
to request a pre-planned pupil absence. The form may not
be used by pupils unless there are special circumstances. If
notified details are judged to be inconsistent with known pupil
information, the college will contact the parents to confirm
the request.] |
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| Same
Day - Online Notification: |
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For
'same day' notification (short-term illness or doctors' appointments
etc) parents/carers can register pupil absences using CVC's
online Notification Form. You will
need to know your child's tutor group and the name of their
form tutor. Parents/carers should notify pupil absences as soon
as possible, ideally by 8.30am on each morning of absence. |
| If the
pupil is absent from school and a notification of absence is
not received, the college may record an 'unauthorised absence'
(i.e. truancy) against the pupil. |
| If a pupil is due to leave school
premises during the school day (perhaps to go to a medical appointment)
the parent/carer should also write a short explanatory note
in their child's School Diary. |
| This authorisation will be checked
by the pupil's form tutor and/or teacher of the lesson they
are leaving. The pupil must also 'sign out' (at the School Admin
Office) before leaving the school premises so the school has
a record of them being off-site in the event of a fire evacuation
or other emergency. The pupil should 'sign in' on their return. |
| [The
online form should only be used and submitted by parents/carers
to report 'same day' pupil absences. It may not be used
by pupils unless there are special circumstances. If notified
details are judged to be inconsistent with known pupil information,
the college will contact the parents to confirm the request.] |
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| Same
Day - By Phone Message: |
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For
'same day' notification (short-term illness or doctors' appointments
etc) parents/carers can also register pupil absences by phone.
The direct line for absences only is 01223 262503
option 3, where parents or guardians can leave a message
stating pupil name, tutor group and the reason for absence.
Parents/carers should notify pupil absences
as soon as possible, ideally by 8.30am on each morning
of absence. |
| If the
pupil is absent from school and a notification of absence is
not received, the college may record an 'unauthorised absence'
(i.e. truancy) against the pupil. |
| If a pupil is due to leave school
premises during the school day (perhaps to go to a medical appointment)
the parent/carer should also write a short explanatory note
in their child's School Diary. |
| This authorisation will be checked
by the pupil's form tutor and/or teacher of the lesson they
are leaving. The pupil must also 'sign out' (at the School Admin
Office) before leaving the school premises so the school has
a record of them being off-site in the event of a fire evacuation
or other emergency. The pupil should 'sign in' on their return. |
| [The
dedicated message phone line should only be used by parents/carers
to report 'same day' pupil absences. It may not be used
by pupils. If notified details are judged to be inconsistent
with known pupil information, the college will contact the parents
to confirm the request.] |
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 |
If the
circumstances of a pupil absence do not fit any of the above
scenarios, parents/carers should phone 01223 262503 option
3 and leave a brief explanation and contact number. A member
of staff will call you back during the morning to discuss the
details. |
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Parents/carers are asked to notify
the College by 8.30am on each day of pupil absence, unless
alternative arrangements have been agreed. |
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Upon notification, details will
be entered on the pupil records and the relevant staff will
be informed. |
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Any pupil
found using the notification facilities with the intention to
mislead or gain advantage will have committed a significant
breach of school discipline. Such misuse will result
in disciplinary procedures being opened by Comberton Village
College. |
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For
long term medical absence, please refer to School Policy Pupils
Absent From School On Medical Grounds (.doc). |
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|
What is the responsibility
of parents/carers concerning school attendance? |
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Can parents/carers
be prosecuted if they do not send their children to school? |
|
What is the responsibility
of Local Education Authorities concerning school attendance? |
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Can Pupils go on holiday
in term time? See also Family
Holidays During Term Time and Extended Visits Overseas (Cambridge
County Council). |
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What are the statutory
requirements for reporting pupil attendance to parents/carers?
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What is the situation
regarding withdrawing a child, on religious grounds, for a day? |
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Can a school take a child to court for persistent truancy? |
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There are two types of absence from school: authorised
and unauthorised:
Authorised absences are those where the pupil has received
authorisation from a teacher or authorised representative of the school
or where satisfactory explanations have been received from a parent/carer
(e.g. pupil illness.)
Unauthorised absences are those where a pupil is absent from school
without the permission of a teacher or representative of the school
(i.e. truancy). |
This page was last updated on: Tuesday 22 April, 2008 |
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