Children attending school regularly and on time is important and is a parent’s legal responsibility.
Children’s progress and attainment in education can be seriously affected by periods of absence. It is extremely important that your child attends school on time, every day. However, we do understand that from time-to-time attendance at school might not be possible, for example due to illness.
Please inform the school by telephone on the same day if your child is unwell and cannot attend.
If your child must miss school due to illness, please ensure that a note, explaining the details of the absence, is sent to school on their return.
Failure to do so will necessitate the school sending a form for you to complete to ensure that the reasons for your child’s absences are recorded accurately.
If your child has an early morning dental or clinic appointment, please either inform the class teacher, or the school office the day before, if possible. This will ensure that your child receives an appropriate attendance mark and also, that a meal is booked for them, if necessary.
Attendance is monitored very carefully at Yorkmead; parents will be contacted if there is cause for concern which may lead to visits from our Education Welfare Officer and potential prosecution.
Absence due to Religious Observation
We acknowledge and welcome the multi-faith nature of our school community and recognise that some families’ important religious festivals may fall outside school holidays.
Government guidance says a pupil can be absent “on a day exclusively set aside for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs”.
Where this is the case, please think carefully about whether your child really needs to miss school that day. If they are going to be absent, you should inform the school office, in writing, as early as possible about the day you would like your child to have off school.
