Absence Reporting

If your child is absent from school you are required to contact the school office as early as possible. Please email the school office at the following address absence@sandling.kent.sch.uk with your Child’s full name, class and the reason for absence.   

When reporting an absence, please include the following information:

• Student's full name
• Tutor group / Class
• A brief reason for the absence
• Expected date of return

If you’re not sure if your child is well enough to come to school, you can check the NHS guidance for common illnesses:  NHS "Is my child too ill for school?" guidelines. Further information is included in the document below.

You have a legal duty to ensure your child receives a regular education at school or otherwise, which will help give them the best possible chance of success in life.

If your child is of compulsory school age and registered at a school, but absent without good reason, the school may choose not to authorise any of those days. This could result in the council taking action against you for each child absent, including:

• A fine (penalty notice)*
• Attendance Prosecution through the Magistrates’ Courts which could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 or a parenting order being issued.
• An Education Supervision Order (ESO) through the Family Courts.

*Your child’s school may apply for the council to issue a penalty notice to you if:

• Your child is absent or late without a suitable explanation, or none is provided.

A penalty notice may be issued when a pupil has been absent for 10 or more half day sessions (5 school days) without authorisation during any 100 possible school sessions or a period of 50 school days - these absences do not need to be consecutive.

Penalty Notices are issued to each parent of each child.  The first penalty notice issued to a parent in respect of a pupil will be charged at £160 if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.

A second penalty notice issued to the same parent in respect of the same pupil is charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days. Failure to pay the penalties in full at the end of the 28-day period may result in prosecution by Kent County Council.

A third penalty notice cannot be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within 3 years of the date of issue of the first. If the national threshold of 10 unauthorised sessions in 10 weeks is met, a referral may be made to Kent County Council for prosecution in the Magistrates’ court.

www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/legal-action-to-enforce-school-attendance

Attendance matters

Too ill to attend school?

Children can attend school with minor ailments (toothache, headache, stomach ache, cold, sore throat). If you are unsure how long your child should be absent with an illness, ask your child’s school, GP or pharmacist for advice.

Medical appointments

All routine appointments should be booked outside school hours. If your child is absent for medical reasons, your child’s school may ask to see ‘medical evidence’ (e.g. copy of a prescription, medicine packaging with a label or appointment card). If you are unable to provide this, the school might not authorise the absence.

Absence during term time

Your child must not be absent from school:

• For day trips / birthdays / holidays
• If weather is bad or you are running late
• To care for other family members
• Due to the illness of a parent or sibling.

The school will only authorise an absence in very exceptional circumstances, such as in the event of a family emergency.

Reporting absences

It is a parent / carer’s responsibility to notify us with the reason if their child will be absent.

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/back-into-school/resources-for-families/ 

Every day counts

Punctuality

Arriving late to school is unsettling for your child and can be disruptive for their teacher and other children in the class. It is important your child arrives on time. If your child arrives late, this will be marked in the register. If your child arrives very late, this may be recorded as unauthorised absence for the whole morning. Be sure you know the times the school marks pupils as late.

Persistent and severe absence

Any child with attendance of 90% or below (regardless of the reason for any absences) is considered to be a persistent absentee by the government. This equates to missing ½ a day of school every week. A child with attendance of 50% or below is considered a severe absentee.

Do you know what your child’s attendance percentage is?

If your child is persistently or severely absent, we may organise a meeting to find out what could be causing the absences and what is needed to help make things better. This may result in the creation of an attendance contract or referrals to services such as Early Help and Preventative Services, who may be able to provide your family with additional support.

Further information is available at:

www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-attendance  

All Leave of Absent requests need to be submitted to the school as soon as possible for consideration but it must before the leave has started. We will then respond to your request.