Regular attendance at school is extremely important if your child is to make progress. However, if your child is ill and absent from school, then parents are asked to take the following action:

Reporting Your Daughters Absence

If a pupil is unable to attend school you are required to inform the School by phoning 02476 426 264 or sending an email to:-

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Remember to tell us:

• Name
• The Year and tutor group
• The date of absence
• The reason for absence
• Expected date of return (if known). Please make contact daily until your daughter does return to school

On your daughter's return to school please confirm absence with a signed letter stating the reason for absence. (Please feel free to copy our draft form, which you will find at the end of this information) A note, email or telephone call is also required if your child is going to arrive at school after registration. If there is no note or if we are unable to authorise the reason for absence, the absence will count as unauthorised. Please ensure that all notes include the student’s full name and the absence date the letter is referring to. If you would like further details on your daughter’s attendance record, (or your own if you are a student at Tile Hill Wood School) please contact the Attendance Officer who will be happy to assist. Authorised or Unauthorised? The DfES Statutory definitions state: These are all authorised:- Illness

• Emergency dental/medical appointments (make routine appointments after school or in the holidays)
• Day of religious observance ( agreed with religious leaders in the community)
• Family Bereavement
• Attending an interview for a job, college, university etc.
• Holiday – at the governors’ discretion using the criteria below.
• Special occasions (at the Headteacher’s discretion)
• Interviews

These are unauthorised:-

• Looking after brothers and sisters
• Birthdays
• Holidays longer than 10 days without special permission
• General trips such as shopping and helping at home
• Truancy from lessons or school
• Lateness
• Running errands
• Persistent minor ailments without the support of a doctor’s note
• Visits to the Airport

Unauthorised absences are truancy - when the School has not given permission for the student to be away. All absences are checked, followed up and actions taken if truancy is discovered. Condoned absence by a parent is a very serious matter and will be reported to the Local Authority.  Unauthorised absences do not automatically become authorised by parents giving a note.

Holidays during term time

Schools recognise that student absence during term time can seriously disrupt a student’s continuity of learning.  Parents are therefore strongly urged to avoid booking a family holiday in term time.  Please prioritise your daughter’s education by using the school holiday weeks for your family holiday.

In cases where the employer’s annual holiday rotas are not able to support this please apply for leave of absence for your daughter. This may be granted at the Headteacher’s discretion for 10 school days maximum per calendar year.  The parent will need to contact the Year Manager and complete a request form for an authorised absence to send to the Headteacher.

In exceptional circumstances it may be appropriate to allow a longer planned absence. In all such cases a return date must be agreed by the Headteacher, as any student who is absent longer than the agreed time will be removed from the school roll.

All holiday requests should be discussed with the Year Manager. An absence for holiday that has not been agreed by the Year Manager will be recorded as unauthorised.

Punctuality

Students are expected to arrive in school in good time, and be punctual to lessons.

The school day starts at 8.45 a.m. with morning registration. Students are  expected to be sitting in their tutor room ready for 8.45 a.m.

Students are given a warning if they arrive late, and after that sanctions will apply.  A student who does not register is assumed to be absent from school.

Please Remember

Attendance and registration is a legal requirement
Parents are responsible for getting their children to attend school on a regular basis   

What does % of Attendance actually mean?

Well if your daughter attends 97% of one school year she will have had just over one week absent.  That is the equivalent to 5.5 weeks over her 5 years spent at Tile Hill Wood School.

Attendance Over One School Year

Attendance Over Five School Years

SAMPLE absence letter

Please feel free to copy and use this sample letter:

Student’s Full Name:

Registration Group:

Reason for absence(s) (please provide details of your sickness or injury, refraining from using words such as 'sickness' or 'unwell'. Include details of ongoing issues, recurring problem, future medical appointments or treatment, etc):

Dates of absence from school: Date from: Date to:

Date of return to school: Date: I confirm that the information on this form is correct.

Signature of Parent/Carer:

Date: