Attendance

Education is the most important gift we can give our children and a day lost is one day too many.

Absence due to illness

If your child/children will not be attending school, you are expected to inform the school office.

Failing this, you can leave a message on the school absence line or report the absence on parent mail.

If your child is ill for more than three days in a row, we will need medical evidence to authorise the absence. Without this the absence will be unauthorised. You will be fined £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days for five days or more unauthorised absence in a three months period.

Medical evidence accepted includes:

• A prescription with a date that covers the absence.
• An appointment card or letter with a date that covers the absence.
• The surgery compliment slip signed by a professional there to say you attended.
• Written authorisation from you to make our own enquiries with your GP.

Special leave

• We do not authorise requests for special leave during term time, except under exceptional circumstances (e.g. if a close relative is gravely ill). It is up to the school to decide whether your case is classed as exceptional and this may involve us asking you to provide evidence supporting your request.

You will be fined under the following circumstances:

• If you go on holiday in term time without the school's agreement.
• If you have to go away unexpectedly and do not provide a good enough reason or evidence as to why.
• You go away without booking return tickets, or have flights on standby and then cannot get back to UK in time for the start of term.

Punctuality

School begins at 8:45 sharp

We expect all children in EYFS, Key Stages One and Two to be lining up at 8:40 ready to be collected by their teacher. Any child arriving late will be recorded late in the register. These late marks are monitored very closely and concerns are shared with parents. If we see no improvement we will make a referral to Lambeth’s Education Welfare Officer.

Remember that even a few minutes lost at the beginning of every day adds up to a lot of teaching time that none of our children can afford to lose.