It is lovely to see all of our families back at Goldthorn Park after the Easter break. Please do not hesitate to speak to us at the gate, pop in to the office or call us at school if you have any questions about attendance or any barriers to attendance that you may experience. We are always happy to help.
This year, one of our school targets is to increase our school attendance. At the end of spring term 2024, our attendance was 93.69% with a national average of usually around 96%. Over the coming days, weeks and months, we would appreciate your support to ensure our attendance increases significantly.
Please understand, we will:
· Ask you to explain your child’s absence from school
· Ask for evidence to support the absence (if applicable)
We will also strive to improve our punctuality. A reminder that gates are open at 8:30am and children are welcomed into their classrooms between 8:40am and 8.50am. Anyone arriving after 8.50am will need to be registered in Reception by their parent/carer and will receive a late mark in the register.
What to do when...
Your child has a medical appointment at 10.45am which cannot be changed. Bring them in to school in the morning, collect them just before the appointment and bring them back to school straight afterwards. Show the office staff evidence of the appointment (letter/email or text).
Your child says they feel unwell but are showing no other signs of illness.
Bring them into school but let us know—we will inform you if we feel they need to be collected.
Your child has a sickness bug Keep them off school for 48 hours from the last episode of sickness.
We do not want the bug to spread.
Leave of Absence during term time– the rules are changing!
Leave of absence during term time will not be authorised unless there is an exceptional circumstance.
If, for any reason, you do require a Leave of Absence please telephone the school office to make an appointment with Mrs Rowe or Miss Tolley to discuss the request.
Leave will be unauthorised if it is for a holiday (even if it is due to financial circumstances) and, you are likely to receive a fine from the Local Authority if a child misses 10 or more sessions (5 days).
Until the end of July 2024, the fine is £60 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days, increasing to £120 per parent per child, and if further non-payment within 28 days, court action may be taken.
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. 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 are 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.
Local Authority regulations state that Leave of Absence applications should be made at least 4 weeks prior to the leave taking place, and, if it is for a holiday, ideally before the holiday is booked.
If your child does need a Leave of Absence, for Safeguarding purposes, it is essential that you meet with Mrs Rowe/Miss Tolley before the Leave takes place, as far in advance as possible.
A big thank you to all of our wonderful families for your continued efforts to support attendance at Goldthorn Park.
Let’s keep it up!