A parent has a legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly. If a child is unavoidably absent from school parents are expected to contact school by telephone call on the morning of the first day of absence and on each subsequent day, identifying the reason for absence and the expected date of return. If no contact is received, then absence protocols will be instigated.
If a child is absent, the following actions will be initiated by the school:
- The first day calling procedures will be activated for all students who are not in school after close of register at 9:50am and where no reason for absence is known.
- If there is still no contact made from the student’s parents, a further telephone call home will be made again that morning.
- If school cannot contact a parent and are concerned about a student, a home visit may be carried out.
- School will telephone home if a student leaves the school without permission.
In certain circumstances the school may also:
- Visit the home of the student.
- Write, text and/or email parents of a student to highlight attendance or punctuality issues.
- Invite parents to discuss how school can support the family to make improvement.
- Discuss the student at the termly Targeted Support Meetings with the Local Authority to seek advice and guidance on additional support strategies.
- Refer to Early Help and/or other external agencies to offer support, guidance, and advice.
- Refer to the Local Authority for joint enquiries to be made to establish the whereabouts of the child through Children Missing Education procedures.
- Refer to the Local Authority to consider issuing a penalty notice or to consider prosecution when all other interventions have failed, or an unauthorised leave of absence has been taken.