Absence from School
We need to know if your son or daughter cannot come to school. Please report their absence via www.studybugs.com/about/parents, or leave a message on our absence line on 01444 232336 before 9.20am on the first day of absence, because otherwise administrative staff will need to telephone you in order to ensure the safety of your child. Parents/carers are usually best placed to decide whether a child is well enough for school, but we are happy to give advice about what ailments we can deal with and what should be referred on for medical support. Contact a member of the office staff via office@londonmeedprimary.co.uk .
The Department for Education says:
Children must get an education between the school term after their fifth birthday and the last week in June in the school year they turn 16.
We want parents to support us in promoting good school attendance at an early stage. If your child’s attendance falls below 97% (this is 6 days’ absence in an academic year), we will let you know that. Statistics show clearly that there is a link between numbers of GCSE obtained at 16 years and school attendance throughout earlier education.
Children should only miss school if they are actually unwell: coughs and colds can be accommodated in school as long as you have provided tissues and your child know how to dispose of them and can wash their hands to prevent infection.
Of course we understand that holidays are much cheaper ‘off season’ (basically any time not the school holidays), but do weigh up the difficulty children may have on returning to school and feeling ‘left out’ of learning. School refusal can start with a lovely holiday.
We need to know if, despite the paragraph above, you do decide to withdraw your child from learning. Please never do so throughout the whole month of May and not at the very start of term when new topics are introduced. Holidays will usually be unauthorised absence, please do not be offended by this, but we still need to know where your child is, so use a ‘withdrawal from learning form’ to do so.
Thank you for supporting good attendance.