Attendance

Attend today, achieve tomorrow

At Queen's Park High School our mantra is "Attend today, achieve tomorrow". As the link between Attendance and Success is really strong, being in school and on time every day is important for success.

Research strongly links student attendance and student progress. Students with no absences are over two times as likely to achieve 5+ GCSE grades 9-5. When a child is absent from school, whether their absence is authorised or not, they will fall behind with work. This can lead to gaps in their learning and can have an impact upon their progress.

Every day a child is in school contributes to giving them the very best opportunities of success in all areas of school life. Therefore, we ask that medical or dental appointments are, where possible, made for after-school hours.

92% attendance or 16 days absence in any one year equals a drop in progress and attainment.

Punctuality is equally important. Lost minutes in school lead to gaps in knowledge and a huge risk to progress and attainment. We expect all students to be punctual to avoid missing time in lessons. Students should be on time to all lessons, including Set-Up, every day. We appreciate parents/carers support in establishing a routine which promotes punctuality. If you know that your child is going to be late, you should report this to school via synergy or phone call to school. If late marks are incurred either to Set-Up or to lessons, the school’s attendance policy will be followed.

Good attendance and punctuality will be celebrated. Students showing an improvement in their punctuality and attendance will also be rewarded.

Reporting an Absence

As a school, we have a duty to safeguard all our students. If a child is absent, parents/carers should inform us on the first day of absence and each following day of absence, stating the reason.

Absences should be reported to school by one of the following ways:

Report absence via the Synergy app
Ring the school and report the absence via the absence line

To support your child to have good attendance, you can:

Ensure your child attends school every day and on time (on site by 8:35am)
Only keep your child at home if they are genuinely too ill to come in to school.
If your child is not well enough to attend, contact the school on each day of absence.
Take family holidays during the school holidays. Any holidays in term time will not be authorised.
Attend parents’ evenings and school events so you can support your child at home.
If you want to speak to someone about your child’s attendance, please contact their Group Tutor or the School Attendance Officer. If you are struggling to get your child to school, please let us know and we can try to help.

ATTEND TODAY; ACHIEVE TOMORROW

Taking Holidays during Term Time

Improving regular attendance at school is a key priority, for local authorities and government alike. The Education Act 1996 makes it a criminal offence for a parent to 'fail to secure their child’s regular attendance at the school'. The Government discourages the taking of holidays in term time and schools must adhere to their guidelines as follows:

As of September 2013, the law has restricted a Headteacher’s ability to authorise holidays during term time. Headteachers are now only empowered to approve a leave of absence when it is requested in advance by the parent or carer with whom the child resides and when circumstances of the requested leave are ‘exceptional’. Following the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter of ‘regular attendance’ in the case of Isle of Wight v Platt, if a parent or carer chooses to take their child out of school during term time when the circumstances are not ‘exceptional’, from September 2017, the Local Authority will be informed as this will constitute an unauthorised absence. A Fixed Penalty Notice will then be issued in accordance with Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.

Further information:

Title
QPHS Holiday Absence Request Form	download
CWAC taking children on holiday during term time	website
Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)	website

FAQ on Fixed penalty Notices

What is a Fixed Penalty Notice?

A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is a fine which may be issued as an alternative to prosecution. It does not require a court appearance and does not result in a criminal record. Payment of a Fixed Penalty Notice enables the parent/carer to discharge the potential liability for prosecution and subsequent conviction.

Who makes the decision to request a Fixed Penalty Notice for an unauthorised leave of absence (holiday) taken during term time?

It is the Headteacher/Governor following Government Guidance who makes the decision. The Local Authority administers the notices on behalf of the Schools/Academies.

What is the cost of a Fixed Penalty Notice?

The penalty notice is £160 per parent/carer per child if paid within 28 days reducing to £80 if paid within 21 days.

Is the cost of a Fixed Penalty Notice per day?

No, it is for the duration of the unauthorised absence or for the irregular attendance outlined in the notice.

When are Fixed Penalty Notice’s issued?

A Fixed Penalty Notice is issued if a student has:

unauthorised absence from school and their parent/carer fails to co-operate with the Education Welfare Service, School Attendance Support Team to improve this situation
if a student has unauthorised absence from school and this does not improve following a notice to improve
if a holiday is taken during term-time

Who does it affect? Compulsory School Age

Parents/carers of children who are aged between 5 years and 16 (compulsory school age) who have regular unauthorised absences or an unauthorised absence due to holiday. Fixed penalty notices can apply to these children. They will not be used for nursery age children or students who are in a Sixth Form.

What is the definition of a parent?

Under Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 the definition of a parent is:

"All natural parents, whether they are married or not, any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person, any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person (having day to day care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, irrespective of what their relationship is with the child, is considered to be a parent in education law)."

Will both parents receive a penalty notice?

The legislation states that if more than one person is liable, then separate penalty notices may be issued.

How is a Fixed Penalty Notice issued?

The Local Authority issue the notice by post to your home address on behalf of the School/Academy.

How do I pay a Fixed Penalty Notice?

Payment can be made by telephone, or by post or online. Details of payment methods are included on the Fixed Penalty Notice. Payment in part or by instalments of a Fixed Penalty Notice is not acceptable.

Can I appeal against a Fixed Penalty Notice?

There is no statutory right of appeal. Once a Fixed Penalty Notice has been issued, it can only be withdrawn if it can be shown that it was issued in error.

What happens if I do not pay a Fixed Penalty Notice?

You will be given up to 28 days from when the Fixed Penalty Notice is issued to pay in full. If you fail to do so, the Local Authority is required, by law, to commence proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court for the original offence of poor school attendance.

What if my child has further unauthorised absence from school?

If you pay the Fixed Penalty Notice and your child has further unauthorised absences, you may be prosecuted for the further unauthorised absences but not for the absences during the period covered by the Fixed Penalty Notice.