At St Cuthbert Mayne School we expect all of our students to aspire to have 100% attendance. The law says that students are expected to attend school every day that the school is open. There are only two reasons why a student should not attend school.

These are:

1. They are too ill to attend school
2. There is an exceptional circumstance which means they cannot attend

There is a clear link between regular school attendance and student outcomes. Students who attend school regularly have a significantly higher chance of realising their full potential and have better life opportunities.

Punctuality

Good punctuality is an important life skill.

• School starts at 8:40am.
• Students move to the yards as soon as they come into school.
• Students who arrive after 8:40am are marked as late in the register.
• Students who are late after 8:40am – 9:10am will incur a 10 minute break time detention which will be served on the same day.
• Students who arrive after 9:10am are marked as absent because they are late after the official register is closed; this absence is recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Reporting your child as absent

It is the responsibility of parents to report their child’s absence each and every day that their child is absent from school. To report a student absence, parents must add this to the Class Charts app before 8:00am each day. Please give as much information as they can when informing the school about a student absence.

Class Charts is a user-friendly platform which allows parents to report student absence directly through the app. Parents can quickly and easily notify us of your child’s absence with just a few taps on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

If a parent does not report their child as absent, then the absence will be recorded as an unauthorised absence on the official school register.

If a student has 10 or more sessions (5 school days in total) of unauthorised absence from school, this may result in the Local Authority taking legal action.

The school operates a first day calling system to ensure the safety and welfare of all its students. Parents who do not report their child as absent from school will be contacted by the school and in some cases a home visit will be undertaken by a member of staff from our Pastoral and Safeguarding Team. If we are unable to sight a student absent from call we will in some circumstances report this to the Police and Children’s Services.

How to use Class Charts to report your child's absence:

1. Download the Class Charts app from the App Store if you haven’t already done so
2. Log in using your unique login credentials
3. Navigate to the Absences section within the app
4. Select the date and reason for your child’s absence from the dropdown menu
5. Click “Submit” to notify the school of the absence

If you require your unique login credentials, please contact the school, where your child’s Pastoral Support Officer will be able to offer assistance. For more help read the Class Charts guide at the bottom of this page, which provides further detail to the five points outlined above.

Request for a planned absence in term time

Legislation does not allow schools to authorise holidays during term time unless there is an exceptional circumstance.

If a parent  feels they meet these criteria they are required to complete an Absence Request Form in advance of taking the absence, as legally they cannot be authorised retrospectively. School will notify the parents/carers whether it is legally able to authorise the absence based on the information provided.

Any absence taken that hasn’t been authorised may result in the Local Authority taking legal action.

 

Absence due to ongoing medical issues

School will require medical evidence where a child has been absent, for 5 days or more due to illness or where a child’s attendance is a serious concern and parents have been specifically requested to provide this.

Medical evidence can include:

• Appointment cards, sick notes or evidence of prescribed medication. If you are requested to provide medical evidence and are unable to do so the school will have no alternative other than to record this absence as unauthorised.
• If your child is due to be absent from school for a longer period of time then it is important that you contact your child’s Head of Year who will put in place a support plan for your child.

Medical Appointments

All non-urgent medical or dental appointments should be arranged outside of school hours. Where unavoidable medical or dental appointments are made during school hours, students are expected to attend school before the appointment and return after the appointment.

Students should present their appointment card or hospital letter when signing out for a medical appointment. Please contact the Attendance Office prior to any medical appointments.

Removing barriers to good attendance

It is important that parents contact the school if they are concerned about their child’s attendance. The relevant Pastoral Support Officer is available to work with parents and students to help improve attendance.