In line with our ethos, The Telford Langley School is committed to providing the best possible education for our students, ensuring equal opportunities for all. Our intention is that each student feels valued and supported and our emphasis on building excellent working relationships with students is a key feature in the way in which we promote excellent attendance.
For any student to meet their full potential academically, a high level of attendance is crucial. The school regards attendance and punctuality of pupils as a priority, with a view to encouraging high attendance rates and avoiding concerning levels of persistent or intermittent absenteeism. Our aim is to ensure the highest possible levels of attendance for all, in order to enable every student to take full advantage of the educational opportunities, both academic and social, which are available to them.
If for any reason your child is ill and is unable to attend school, please telephone our Attendance Line on 01952 386700, option 1 before 8.25am on the day of the absence and every subsequent day of absence with details of the illness. There is a service to leave a message should the line be busy.
Alternatively, you can send a message via MCAS
If we do not receive any correspondence from you, we may complete a home visit.
What does the law say?
All children of compulsory school age, between 5-16, must receive a suitable full-time education. As a parent, you are responsible for ensuring that this happens, either by registering your child at a school or by making appropriate alternative arrangements.
Once you have registered your child at a school, you are also legally responsible for ensuring that your child attends school regularly. If you fail to do this – even if your child misses school without you knowing – legal action can be taken against you by the Local Authority. It is a legal offence to fail to ensure your child attends school regularly.
From August 19th 2024 the Government have introduced a new ‘national framework for Penalty Notices’. (in Telford & Wrekin the changes apply from 1st September 2024).
There are significant changes that parents need to be aware of:
- If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week rolling period, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice. These 10 sessions may include any unauthorised absence, including leave in term time and do not have to be consecutive.
- Penalty Notices are increasing to £160 from September 2024. This can be reduced to £80 but only for the first Penalty Notice issued, if paid within 21 days – this reduction does not apply to any subsequent Penalty Notice.
- Any 2nd Penalty Notice, to the same parent for the same child, issued within three years of the date of the first Penalty Notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160
- A third Penalty Notice will not be issued within a three year rolling period, to the same parent for the unauthorised absence of the same child, - alternative action or legal measures will be utilised for subsequent offences.
- In some circumstances a ‘Notice to Improve’ may be issued – However, a Notice to Improve will only be used in cases where support is appropriate. They will not be issued in cases of unauthorised leave in term time for holidays, where information for parents is included on schools website or a simple warning by the school that a Penalty Notice could be issued if unauthorised leave in term time is taken will suffice.
- If in an individual case the local authority believes a Penalty Notice would be appropriate, they retain the discretion to issue one before the threshold is met. For example, when a parent purposefully tries to avoid a Penalty Notice by taking their child out of school when there is only four pupil days in school and the fifth day is for example a PD day or bank holiday attached to that week.
‘Parents should always apply to the Headteacher for any request for leave in term time by completing a request form available from school. (DfE guidance states schools should not authorise leave retrospectively so any leave in term time taken without a request being submitted will be unauthorised absence)’.
In developing and publishing the new national framework, the Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time. The Governors and Headteacher of this school support this and students will only be given permission to take leave in term time if there are exceptional circumstances. The DfE Guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance (Feb 2024) states that: Generally, the DfE does not consider the need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. (Paragraph 38.)
Each application for leave in term time will be considered and if it is agreed and authorised the Headteacher will determine the duration of any leave. However, if the application is not agreed and the absence occurs the dates will be unauthorised. Parents will be notified of any decision in writing. This notification may be hand delivered directly to the parent or posted to the parents’ home address.
As a school we are asked to inform you that in line with Telford and Wrekin Council Policy, if your child is absent for 10 school sessions within a 10 week rolling period and that absence is unauthorised, you may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine, criteria is as detailed above.
Don’t underestimate the importance of 100 percent attendance. Even one day missed can have a negative effect on learning:
Five minutes late each day means three school days missed
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Attendance over five school years
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85 – 90%
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Equivalent of over 19 weeks of absence = ½ a year of absence from school
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80%
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Equivalent of 39 weeks of absence = a full year of absence from school
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1 day a week absent
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Equivalent of over three years missed over school career
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10 days holiday a year
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Equivalent of two whole terms of education missed over school career
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15 minutes late a day
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Equivalent of two terms of education missed over school career
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½ day a week absent in Years 10 and 11
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Can mean the loss of one grade for every Level 2 (GCSE or vocational) course taken
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Appointments
All general dental, doctor and optician appointments should be made outside the school day or in the school holidays. Orthodontist and hospital appointments that cannot be made outside the school day will be authorised if supported by official evidence, e.g. letter, appointment card from the relevant orthodontist or hospital. We ask that your child takes the minimum amount of time off for these appointments, returning to school promptly and does not take the whole day off.
Leave in Term Time
The Government issued the following regulations in September 2006 regarding Leave of Absence: The Education (Pupil Regulations) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended by Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020. These regulations stipulate the following:
- The Headteacher shall not grant any Leave of Absence during term time unless they consider there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.
- Parents do not have any entitlement to take their children on holiday during term time. Any application for leave must establish that there are exceptional circumstances, and the Head of School must be satisfied that the circumstances warrant the granting of leave.
- Head of Schools will determine how many school days a child may be absent from school if the leave is granted.
- Applications for Leave of Absence must be made in advance and failure to do so will result in the absence being unauthorised.
- Applications for Leave of Absence which are made in advance and refused will result in the absence being unauthorised which may result in legal action against the parent, by Fixed Penalty Notice issued by Telford and Wrekin, if the child is absent from school during that period.
- A Fixed Penalty Notice fine of £80 per child per parent will be issued. The fine will increase to £160 per child per parent if not paid within 21 days. Failure to pay the £160 within the period of 22 to 28 days may lead to court proceedings.
- If a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and is not paid within the time frame set out in that Notice, the matter will be referred to Telford and Wrekin Attendance Support Team to consider instigating criminal prosecution proceedings under S444 of Education Act 1996.
- Each application for a Leave of Absence will be considered on a case-by-case basis and on its own merits.
Attendance and Punctuality Policy
Is too my child too ill for school NHS link