Attendance & Absences

Attendance and Punctuality

Good attendance and punctuality are fundamental to outstanding learning. Absences are authorised according to our Attendance Policy, which can be found in Attendance Policies or  or a printed copy can be requested from the school office.

Morning registration takes place at 8:55am, children arriving after registration must go to the school office to register. An authorised late mark will be given from 9:00-9:30am and if children are later than 9:30am an unauthorised late mark will be give unless lateness is due to exceptional circumstances.

Our school timetable can be found in School Day.

Absence Due To Illness

Is Your Child Too Ill to Attend School?

When deciding whether or not your child is too ill to attend school, ask yourself:

• Is your child well enough to carry out the activities of the school day? If not, keep your child at home and consult your GP as appropriate.
• Does your child have a condition that could be passed on to other children or school staff? If so, keep your child at home.
• Would you take a day off work if you had this condition? If so, keep your child at home.

Chat Health

Service recommended by the School Health Nurse - Confidential help and advice Need to talk? Whatever’s on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend. The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with newborn babies. It’s safe and easy for you to speak to a qualified health professional. Just send a message, you don’t have to give your name. Discreet and quick. It only takes one message to start making a difference. You’ll get confidential advice from trained health staff in your area. Please see link below for more information.

Home Page - ChatHealth

Report an Absence due to Illness

If a child is unable to attend school due to illness, please contact the school office before 9:30am every day your child is absent. If a child’s absence is unexpected, we will endeavour to contact their parents as soon after 9:30am as possible, as per Oxfordshire County Council's guidelines.

By law, only the Head Teacher can authorise your child’s absence.

If your child is frequently absent due to illness the school may request permission to contact your GP for confirmation that they are too ill to attend school. The school may need to set up a plan in consultation with medical professions to help support your child if an illness is making full time school difficult to manage.

If it becomes clear that your child will be away from school for longer than expected, phone the school to explain this as soon as possible. 

If your child attends school and feels unwell during the school day the school will contact you to arrange collection.

Common Conditions

Most illnesses can be classified as one of a few minor health conditions. Whether or not you send your child to school will depend on how severe you judge the illness to be. This guidance can help you to make that judgement. If you’re concerned about your child’s health, consult a health professional.

Cough and Cold

A child with a minor cough or cold may attend school. If the cold is accompanied by raised temperature, shivers or drowsiness, the child should stay off school, visit the GP and return to school 24 hours after they’re feeling better. If your child has a more severe and long-lasting cough, consult your GP, who can provide guidance on whether the child should stay off school.

Raised Temperature

If your child has a raised temperature, they shouldn’t attend school. They can return 24 hours after they’re feeling better.

Rash

Rashes can be the first sign of many infectious illnesses such as chickenpox and measles. Children with these conditions shouldn’t attend school. If your child has a rash, check with your GP or practice nurse before sending them to school.

Headache

A child with a minor headache doesn’t usually need to be kept off school. If the headache is more severe or is accompanied by other symptoms such as raised temperature or drowsiness, then keep the child off school and consult your GP.

Vomiting and Diarrhoea

Children with these conditions should be kept off school. They can return 48 hours after their symptoms disappear. Most cases of vomiting or diarrhoea get better without treatment, but if symptoms persist, consult your GP.

Sore Throat

A sore throat alone doesn’t have to keep a child from school. If it’s accompanied by a raised temperature, the child should stay at home.

Absence Request Forms

There are two types of absence request forms, non-holiday and exceptional circumstances. See below for information on when to use each form. For your convenience, the forms below can be downloaded or a printed copy can be requested from the school office.

Non-Holiday Form

For unavoidable absences, such as: 

• Medical/dental appointment
• Approved sporting activity
• Educational visit or trip
• Religious observance
• Interview
• Other authorised circumstance

Exceptional Circumstances Form

For absences in exceptional circumstances only.