Did you Know?
Pupils only attend school 190 days per year, which means they have 175 days not at school!
| Attendance during 1 school year % | Approximately days absent | Which is approximately | Which means at least |
| 95% | 10 days | 2 weeks | 40 lessons |
| 90% | 19 days | 4 weeks | 76 lessons |
| 85% | 29 days | 6 weeks | 116 lessons |
| 80% | 38 days | 8 weeks | 152 lessons |
| 75% | 47 days | 10 weeks | 188 lessons |
Attendance Matters
Good attendance is important because pupils:
Research shows a direct link between high attendance and doing well at school.
We will:
Parents and Carers should:
Pupils should arrive on time and be collected on time:
Absence during term time
Parent/Cares should:
The DfE does not recognise the need for a holiday in term term as an exceptional circumstance,
Parents are required under the Education Act (1996) to ensure your child attends school regularly. If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence, within 10 weeks, you may be liable for a penalty notice (a one day absence equals two sessions and a five day absence is equal to 10 sessions).
An unauthorised absence is any absence that the Headteacher has not given permission for or where a satisfactory explanation has not been provided.
Parents must complete a request for absence from school in exceptional circumstances form and submit this to the school, allowing sufficient time to enable the school to consider the request and inform parents of the decision.
Where parents do not follow the school's procedures for submitting a request and simply remove their child without seeking prior approval, a warning may not be given and you may be liable for a penalty notice.
If your request is declined or you do not follow the correct procedure and you still take your child out of school, each parent within the household may be issued with a £160 penalty notice for each child you have taken out of school. If this is paid within 21 days then it can be reduced to £80 per parent, per child.
Should a second penalty notice be issued, then this is £160 per parent, per child with no offer of reduced fees.
For third penalty notices, within three years. This may go straight to a magistrate court with fines up to £2500 per parent per child. Cases found guilty in a magistrate court may also show on future DBS records.
There is no longer a provision in law for Headteachers to authorise an absence for the purpose of a term time holiday. We therefore follow guidance from the East Riding Council on exceptional circumstances and penalty notices. Further information can be found on the council website or through the link below.
https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/learning/schools-colleges-and-academies/school-attendance/holidays-during-term-time-and-authorised-absence-from-school/
When your child is unwell, it can de difficult deciding whether to keep them off school. Not every illness needs to keep your child from school. If your child is not well enough to come to school, please let us know as soon as possible. Below are a few guidelines (taken from the Health Protection Agency, April 2010 and the East Riding School Absence Guidance, September 2019 and DfE guidance April 2022)
Asthma
If your child is diagnosed with asthma, you need to inform the school. Inhalers are left in school.
Athletes foot
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual. Treatment is recommended but children should not be barefoot in school.
Broken bones
We can often make arrangements, following medical advice, for children to attend with broken bones.
Chicken pox
Children should remain at home until all sores/blisters have crusted over. This is usually around 5 days from the onset of the rash. Please advise school of any chickenpox cases and any pregnant staff need to be notified.
Cold sores
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual.
Coughs and colds
If your child has a minor cough or cold they can still attend school. However, if the cough or cold is accompanied by a raised temperature, shivers or drowsiness that is not responding to medication the child should stay off school and seek medical advice.
Conjunctivitis
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual.
Diarrhoea
Children should be absent from school for 24 hours. If symptoms persist or reoccur then medical guidance should be sought.
Earache
If your child has earache and not responding to medication, you should seek medical advice.
Eczema
Children can attend school even when eczema is being treated. Pupils should only be absent from school if advised by a medical professional because it is so severe.
Flu
Children should remain off school until recovered.
German Measles
Children should be absent for 4 days from the onset of the rash.
Glandular Fever
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual. This infection is not caught by day to day contact. However, if your child displays other symptoms, medical guidance should be sought.
Hand, foot and mouth
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual.
Hay fever
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual.
Headache
A child with a minor headache does not usually need to be kept off school. However, if the headache is more severe and accompanied with other symptoms such as a raised temperature or drowsiness, then medical guidance should be sought.
Head lice
Treatment is required but children should not be absent from school.
Hives
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual.
Impetigo
Children should be absent from school until lesions are crusted or healed or 48 hours after starting antibiotics. Where possible infected areas should be covered. Antibiotic treatment speeds up healing and reduces the infectious period.
Measles
Children should be absent from school 4 days from the onset of the rash.
Mouth ulcers
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual.
Mumps
Children should be absent for 5 days after the onset of swelling.
Raised temperature
Fever is often a common symptom of a viral infection. Medical guidance should be sought and your child encouraged to drink plenty of liquids.
Rash
These can be the first sign of many infectious illnesses. Children should not attend school until medical guidance has been sought.
Ringworm
Treatment is required but children can usually attend school.
Scabies
Children can return to school after their first treatment. The household will require treatment.
Scarlet Fever
Children can return to school 24 hours after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment. A person is infectious for 2 to 3 weeks if antibiotics are not administered.
Sore throat
This alone is not a reason to keep your child from school. If it is accompanied by a raised temperature, then medical guidance should be sought.
Temperature
A raised temperature can usually be identified through a child looking or feeling shivery. There are lots of reasons for a raised temperature and if symptoms persist medical attention should be sought.
Threadworm
Children can attend school but treatment is recommend for the child and household.
Tonsillitis
There are many cases of tonsillitis but most cases are due to viruses and do not need antibiotics. Children do not usually need time off school unless the symptoms include a raised temperature.
Toothache
School attendance should be maintained until your child can be seen by a dentist.
Vomiting
Children should be absent from school for 24 hours. If symptoms persist or reoccur then medical guidance should be sought.
Warts and verruca
Children should not be kept off school and attend as usual. If your child will be swimming, then the verrucae should be covered.
Whooping cough
Children can return to school 2 days from starting their antibiotics or 21 days from the inset of the illness if no antibiotic treatment.
The NHS website also offers helpful information on illness and school attendance.
The Local Authority also produce a leaflet to support families with absences. A copy can be viewed on the link below and paper copies are also available in the main reception area.