Attendance

REGISTRATION TIME / PUNCTUALITY

The school day starts at 08:45am when the classroom doors open. Children should be ready to enter the classroom at this point and will promptly put their coats and bags away ready for morning registration.

The morning register is taken at 08:50am, children arriving after 08:50am need to be signed in as late at the school office. The reason for being late should be provided.

Receiving a late mark affects a child’s overall attendance, and children who arrive late after the register has closed will receive an ‘unauthorised absence’.

PUPIL ABSENCE PROCEDURE

Parents/carers are expected to inform the school on the first day of a child’s absence before 08:50am when registers are completed.

To report your child's absence you can:

• leave a brief message on our absence voicemail facility by calling 01604 407098 (option 1). Please confirm your child’s name, class, reason for absence and how long you expect your child to be absent from school, if known. A voicemail should be made for every consecutive day of absence until a reason has been ascertained that can define the length of absence.
• Email the school office team at
• Message via the School Comms Gateway App

The school will make every effort to contact parents/carers who do not contact the school, to check the child’s welfare and clarify the reasons for absence. Where appropriate, home visits may take place.

TERM TIME ABSENCE

Government guidelines state that ‘Headteachers should not grant any leave of absence unless in exceptional circumstances’. Headlands Primary School will rightly prioritise attendance and holidays in term times will not be authorised.

Requests for term time absence should be made in writing at least two weeks prior to the absence. The school will notify you in writing of the decision and the implications of a term time absence. The school are obliged to notify the Local Authority of term time absences and as such you may be liable for a Penalty Notice payable directly to the Local Authority.

The Penalty Notice is £60 per parent per pupil. This rises to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.

If the Penalty Notice is not paid within 28 days, the Local Authority may instigate legal proceedings under section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996. If found guilty of an offence under this Act, parents will receive a criminal record and could be fined up to £1000.

To view our attendance policy and our latest attendance newsletter please see below. For more support on attendance and behaviour in school please click here.