Attendance

Click here to view our Attendance Policy in full and our EYFS Attendance Policy.

• all pupils to arrive on time. Late arrivals can be very upsetting for your child and can also disrupt the learning of others. Late arrivals will be recorded as L on the register. 

• all pupils to access early morning work. Pupils arriving after the register closes may be marked as an unauthorised absence.

• evidence for pupils with illness for three days or more. This is in order for us to continue authorising the absence; failure to produce evidence, will mean the absence will be unauthorised for that period  

• medical and dental appointments should be booked outside the Academy school day to minimise lost learning 

• parents to sign pupils in at the main office if their child is late with a reason and specify their lunch option.

If your child is unwell you must telephone the Office on 01322 242011 before 9am to advise us. The Academy operates a first day calling procedure, which means If we do not receive a call from a parent with a reason for absence, the Academy will telephone you to ensure your child is safe and ask the reason for non-attendance.

You will be notified by letter if there is a concern about your child's attendance. We have an expectation that once we have notified you about our concerns, you will ensure that your child’s attendance or punctuality improves significantly. Below are the steps that will occur when attendance drops close to or below 90%, which is the Government's definition of persistent absence.

• A letter or meeting will be sent or arranged highlighting the attendance percentage, following a weekly Attendance Team meeting.

• The Local Authority may issue you with a Formal Warning, a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) or decide to prosecute.

• If you are issued with an FPN for unauthorised term time leave, you risk receiving a fine by the Local Authority of £160 reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.

• Fines are issued to each parent for each child taken out of school for a period of 10 sessions (5 days). Failure to pay the notice may result in you being prosecuted for your child’s non-attendance at school. Formal Warnings or Education Penalty Notices are also issued in cases of persistent unauthorised absence.

Where there is a very exceptional circumstance for a pupil to be absent during term time, you can make a request to the Principal in writing or via email to info@cherryorchard.latrust.org.uk who will then consider your application and respond in writing. The Principal’s decision is final. You do not have a right to take term time leave. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are ‘rare, significant, unavoidable and short’. By unavoidable, it implies that an event could not reasonably be scheduled at another time.

The law makes it clear that taking a child out of school without the school’s authorisation is illegal. It is a parent’s duty to ensure their child attends school regularly under the Education Act 1996. Failure to meet this responsibility could lead to an appearance at court which could then lead to:

• A fine of up to £2,500 

• Community service 

• Referral to parenting classes 

• A prison sentence

A pupil taken on leave without permission will be marked in the attendance register as taking unauthorised absence (truancy). The matter will then be referred to the Attendance Team for discussion about further action.

Unauthorised absence for 10 sessions (5 days) or more may incur an penalty notice and a notice of improvement may be