Leave of Absence
Regular attendance is crucial for every child. A primary school child is at school for 12% of the year, therefore every day counts! Through our partnership with parents and carers we encourage a culture where you:
- Always encourage regular school attendance
- Always ensure your child arrives at school punctually and ready for the school day
Illness
There will be times when your child may not be able to attend school because of illness. In this case we expect parents to contact school by 8:50am every day of the your child’s absence. This can be done
by telephone: 01488 682230 or
by email: office@hungerford.w-berks.sch.uk
Unauthorised Absence
The Department for Education have significantly toughened the law in relation to school attendance and have now published revised guidance that will become mandatory from September 2024. Please ensure you read the following information and particularly review any holiday plans during term-time you may have as a family.
Requests for Leave of Absence
Parents must request permission in advance from school for leave of absence for any reason, including holidays. Head Teachers cannot grant leave during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances and cannot grant permission retrospectively. Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not be an exceptional circumstance. The ‘H’ code (authorised holiday) will no longer exist in the new absence codes, to reflect the change in policy.
If you take your child out of school without permission this may lead to enforcement action (penalty notice or prosecution).
National Thresholds
From September 2024, schools will need to consider a Penalty Notice if a pupil misses 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Half of a day (am or pm) is considered as a ‘session’. The threshold of 10 sessions can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence, for example, eight sessions of unauthorised holidays in term time and two sessions for other unauthorised reasons. The ten school week period may span different terms or school years, for example: 2 sessions of unauthorised absence in the Summer Term and a further 8 in the Autumn term.
Penalty Notices
Under the new national framework, Fixed Penalty Notices will be considered when a child has missed ten or more sessions (five days) due to unauthorised absence in a period of ten school weeks. In September 2024, Penalty Notices (fines) charged to parents will rise to £80 (if paid within 21 days) or £160 (if paid within between 22 and 28 days). Where a penalty notice is unpaid, legal action would be pursued. Under the new framework, only two penalty notices can be issued to the same parent for the same child within a three-year rolling period. Where a second Penalty Notice is issued to the same parent for the same child, the charge will be £160.
You can find our Leave of Absence Request Form on our Key Documents page.