Attendance

Notification of Absence

It can be tricky to decide whether to keep your child absent from school when they are unwell. As a parent, when thinking should I keep my child off school due to mild illness? please use the NHS link below to support with making the right decision.

Click Here to view a useful link from the NHS to support parents in deciding whether it is appropriate for their child to attend school with certain symptoms/illnesses.

Sickness - First Day Contact

If your child is unable to attend school, it is the parent’s responsibility to contact the school on the first day of absence. 

We know that illness is unavoidable and to be expected. However, it is very important to inform the school on the first day of absence with the reason either by telephone (01202 590703) by 9am or in person at the school office.  Please telephone the school by 9:00 am (a message may be left on our Absence Line) or email us at school@bearwood.poole.sch.uk.  If we do not hear from you we will try to make contact with you to confirm the reason for absence.  For each day of their absence you will need to call us so that we can ensure your child’s safety and welfare.

Medicine can be given to children at school as long as a medicine form is completed (via the school office) and all medicines must be in their original boxes.

Medical Appointments During the School Day

We expect ALL appointments, with the exception of hospital appointments, to be made outside of normal school hours. 

What if my child is too anxious to go to school?  

Children can sometimes feel a little bit worried about going to school. Mostly, this is a very normal emotion.

It’s important to recognise that going to school can help children to feel less worried than letting them stay at home.

If your child is anxious over several weeks, talk to us about how we can support you.

We have put together some useful links on the Education Hub on mental health support which you may find helpful.

  

Absence

If you wish to take your child out of school for any period of time, a leave of absence form (available from the office only) should be completed and returned to the school office team for Mrs Smith to review. 

Please be aware that holiday requests can no longer be authorised. We will only be able to authorise leave of absence in exceptional circumstances.

There may be occasions when a child needs to leave the premises in school time for appointments. It is helpful if the school can be advised in advance and parents are asked to come to the main office to sign their child out as per our safeguarding procedures. Children are never released from school unaccompanied.

By law, the Governors are required to report on the number of unauthorised absences each year. It is therefore very important to keep the school informed of the reasons for all absences. Attendance is monitored by the Headteacher (School Attendance Champion) and the BCP School Attendance Support team (School Inclusion), which includes regular visits from the BCP Attendance Support Officer who monitors attendance and punctuality. Very low attendance can lead to fixed penalty notices.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Fixed Penalty notices were introduced by Southampton Local Authority in September 2005 as an alternative prosecution.

All students who have 10 sessions (i.e 5 days) of unauthorised absence may be liable to receive a fixed penalty notice which incurs a monetary penalty per parent, per child.

For further support and guidance regarding your child's attendance please see the links below:

• Penalty Notices
• Parent Kind - Attendance Advice
• How to Improve Your Child's School Attendance

Fixed Penalty notices are issued by BCP Local Authority as an alternative prosecution.

All students who have 10 sessions (i.e 5 days) of unauthorised absence may be liable to receive a fixed penalty notice which incurs a monetary penalty per parent, per child.

Information from BCP Council Attendance Team:

Every moment in school counts and days missed add up quickly. Evidence shows that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better wellbeing and school performance than those who don't.

There are only a few circumstances where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance.

However, if your child misses school without a good reason, local councils and schools can intervene and you may be issued a fine. The Department for Education have a national framework in place which means all councils have the same rules in place for when they need to consider a fine.

It’s important to acknowledge that children with long-term medical or more serious mental health conditions, and those with special educational needs and disabilities may face additional barriers.

For children who face complex barriers to attendance, schools should have sensitive conversations with children and families and work with them to put support in place for their individual needs.

How much could I be fined if my child misses school?

In the majority of cases, schools and local authorities will try and provide support to help you improve your child’s attendance first, but if this isn’t effective or the absence is for unauthorised term time holiday, parents may face paying a fine.

From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012.

In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.

Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.

How can you be sure parent fines are fair?

Fines are a last resort, and parents will be offered support to help improve their child’s attendance first. The vast majority of fines for unauthorised absence (89%) are issued for term time holidays.

If your child is facing barriers to school attendance due to special education needs or disabilities (SEND), schools, local authorities and wider services are required to work together to provide the right support in the first place.

What if my child needs to miss school?

Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:

1. Your child is too ill to attend that day.
2. You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances.
3. Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance.
4. Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet.
5. You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day meaning your child cannot attend their usual school.

What happens if my child misses school without a good reason?

If your child is absent and you haven’t received advance permission from the headteacher to take your child out of school, the school and local council may take action.

Before that, your child’s school and your local council are expected to support you to improve the child’s attendance before any measures are put in place.

These measures can include:

1. Issue a fixed penalty notice (fine) – If not paid after 28 days, you may be prosecuted.
2. Education Supervision Order – The Family Court may appoint a supervisor to support school attendance.
3. Prosecution – This may result in a fine, community order or up to 3 months in prison.